July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Hess and Spahr advance to semi-state (02/07/05)
JCHS wrestling
Hess and Spahr advance to semi-state (02/07/05)
By By RAY COONEY-
PORTLAND — Just when it looked like they might be down and out, Kurtis Hess and Bill Spahr proved other wise. Both overcame three-point deficits in their final match of the Jay County individual regional wrestling tournament Saturday, finishing in third place and giving the Patriots two semi-state wrestlers for the second straight season.
Jay County coach James Myers said he was confident despite the fact that his wrestlers were showing deficits on the scoreboard.
“It looked like we were in pretty good shape,” he said. “In the third period we just took charge.
“It looked like we just outlasted them.”
Hess, Spahr and all other top-three finishers from the regional meet advance to Saturday’s New Haven semi-state. The only other Jay County wrestler in action Saturday was Josh Thornburg, who was eliminated in the first round.
South Adams advanced a pair of wrestlers to the semi-state round as well, including 112-pound regional champion Josh Mann.
Bellmont had the best showing of any team, winning three regional titles. Muncie Southside, Norwell, Adams Central and Randolph Southern walked away with two regional championships apiece.
Spahr (32-6) turned in the more dramatic of the two Patriot comebacks Saturday after he trailed 4-1 at the end of the first period of the third-place match at 171 pounds. His only point came on an escape, and he still trailed 4-2 after he got his lone second-period point when Winchester’s John Walser (26-6) allowed him an escape.
But the junior, who also qualified for the semi-state last season along with then-senior Tyler Bash, was ready in the third period. He got just the opening he needed at the 1:09 mark, getting just enough room to duck his head for a fireman’s carry. He converted it into a cradle, scoring three points for a near fall and then riding Walser out for the 5-4 victory.
Spahr opened his day with pin of Monroe Central’s Stephen Lacy in just 1-minute, 33 seconds, but fell in the second round to eventual champion Travis Wilder of Adams Central before knocking off Walser.
“Bill’s extremely tough on top,” said Myers. “He made the best of his opportunity.
“(He’s) always a scrapper.”
Hess was shut out for the first three minutes of his third-place match at 140 pounds against Winchester’s Shay Sells (26-8). He trailed 3-0 before getting on the board with a single-leg takedown with 40 seconds to go in the second period, only to have Sells score an escape to push his lead back to 4-2.
But, like Spahr, Hess took control in the third period.
Forty seconds into the final period he scored a takedown to tie the score. Sells grabbed the lead back briefly with an escape, but Hess immediately threw him down again for two more points and added a three-point near fall to complete a 9-5 victory.
The win was a bit of revenge for Hess, who won the sectional championship last season but was knocked out by Sells in the first round of the regional.
En route to his third place finish, Hess defeated Scott Stevenson of Randolph Southern by a 14-5 major decision before losing to runner-up Justin Combs of Muncie Southside 6-3.
“I think Hess has some confidence now going to semi-state,” said Myers. “In the last period against Combs in the semifinals he scored when he took shots. Then the last minute of the Sells match built some confidence.”
Thornburg (26-6) trailed 2-1 early in his opening match at 112 pounds against third-pace finisher Blake Lucy (25-5) of Delta, and aggravated a shoulder injury which had been bothering him for two weeks on a takedown which put him behind 4-1. He managed to pull event a 4-4 by the end of the first period, but managed just one point after that and was pinned in 4:29.
Mann (35-5) had the big day for South Adams, scoring a pair of pins before fighting off Adams Central’s Tyson Bercot for a 10-8 victory in the championship match. He had pinned Kyle Horner of Randolph Southern in 3:28 in the first round and Southern Wells’ Bill Fraughiger in 3:56 in the semifinals.
Brandon Brown, a 103-pounder, was the only other Starfire to advance. He made it to the championship match, but lost to Derek Nelson of Bellmont 8-3.
Brown (36-5) scored two pins to reach the finals, finishing off Aaron Wall of Wes-Del in 54 seconds and Wapahani’s Jimmie Childers in 3:08.[[In-content Ad]]
Jay County coach James Myers said he was confident despite the fact that his wrestlers were showing deficits on the scoreboard.
“It looked like we were in pretty good shape,” he said. “In the third period we just took charge.
“It looked like we just outlasted them.”
Hess, Spahr and all other top-three finishers from the regional meet advance to Saturday’s New Haven semi-state. The only other Jay County wrestler in action Saturday was Josh Thornburg, who was eliminated in the first round.
South Adams advanced a pair of wrestlers to the semi-state round as well, including 112-pound regional champion Josh Mann.
Bellmont had the best showing of any team, winning three regional titles. Muncie Southside, Norwell, Adams Central and Randolph Southern walked away with two regional championships apiece.
Spahr (32-6) turned in the more dramatic of the two Patriot comebacks Saturday after he trailed 4-1 at the end of the first period of the third-place match at 171 pounds. His only point came on an escape, and he still trailed 4-2 after he got his lone second-period point when Winchester’s John Walser (26-6) allowed him an escape.
But the junior, who also qualified for the semi-state last season along with then-senior Tyler Bash, was ready in the third period. He got just the opening he needed at the 1:09 mark, getting just enough room to duck his head for a fireman’s carry. He converted it into a cradle, scoring three points for a near fall and then riding Walser out for the 5-4 victory.
Spahr opened his day with pin of Monroe Central’s Stephen Lacy in just 1-minute, 33 seconds, but fell in the second round to eventual champion Travis Wilder of Adams Central before knocking off Walser.
“Bill’s extremely tough on top,” said Myers. “He made the best of his opportunity.
“(He’s) always a scrapper.”
Hess was shut out for the first three minutes of his third-place match at 140 pounds against Winchester’s Shay Sells (26-8). He trailed 3-0 before getting on the board with a single-leg takedown with 40 seconds to go in the second period, only to have Sells score an escape to push his lead back to 4-2.
But, like Spahr, Hess took control in the third period.
Forty seconds into the final period he scored a takedown to tie the score. Sells grabbed the lead back briefly with an escape, but Hess immediately threw him down again for two more points and added a three-point near fall to complete a 9-5 victory.
The win was a bit of revenge for Hess, who won the sectional championship last season but was knocked out by Sells in the first round of the regional.
En route to his third place finish, Hess defeated Scott Stevenson of Randolph Southern by a 14-5 major decision before losing to runner-up Justin Combs of Muncie Southside 6-3.
“I think Hess has some confidence now going to semi-state,” said Myers. “In the last period against Combs in the semifinals he scored when he took shots. Then the last minute of the Sells match built some confidence.”
Thornburg (26-6) trailed 2-1 early in his opening match at 112 pounds against third-pace finisher Blake Lucy (25-5) of Delta, and aggravated a shoulder injury which had been bothering him for two weeks on a takedown which put him behind 4-1. He managed to pull event a 4-4 by the end of the first period, but managed just one point after that and was pinned in 4:29.
Mann (35-5) had the big day for South Adams, scoring a pair of pins before fighting off Adams Central’s Tyson Bercot for a 10-8 victory in the championship match. He had pinned Kyle Horner of Randolph Southern in 3:28 in the first round and Southern Wells’ Bill Fraughiger in 3:56 in the semifinals.
Brandon Brown, a 103-pounder, was the only other Starfire to advance. He made it to the championship match, but lost to Derek Nelson of Bellmont 8-3.
Brown (36-5) scored two pins to reach the finals, finishing off Aaron Wall of Wes-Del in 54 seconds and Wapahani’s Jimmie Childers in 3:08.[[In-content Ad]]
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