July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Kenney takes title (12/26/06)
JCHS wrestling
Kenney takes title (12/26/06)
By By RAY COONEY-
In a tournament in which the second through sixth place teams were separated by just 5.5 points Casey Kenney made sure his team rose above the rest.
While Yorktown and Zionsville dominated Saturday's East Central Indiana Classic, Kenney pushed Jay County into third place with his victory in the 103-pound championship match. The Patriots finished with 137 points at the 16-team event, finishing just ahead of Bluffton (135), Winchester (132.5) and South Adams (131.5).
Yorktown had six wrestlers in the finals, won five championships and won with 241.5 points. Zionsville put five wrestlers in the finals, won two titles and was second at 232.5.
Starfires wrestled in two championship matches with Josh Kimberlin winning the 189-pound title and Colt Gentis finishing as the runner-up at 119 pounds.
Kenney and Jake Anderson of Yorktown wrestled to a scoreless tie in the opening period of the 103-pound finale, but the Patriot sophomore took control in the second.
He got an escape just nine seconds into the period, then added a takedown and near fall in the final five seconds. He got two more takedowns in the third period, the last coming with just two seconds remaining to secure his 10-0 major decision.
"What I was most impressed with is that even when he had a lead there in the third period he kept plugging away, kept trying to get a takedown, kept trying to pin him," said JCHS coach James Myers. "That's just Casey. He's a pinner. He'll wrestle to the end.
"He's just motivated. He wants to do well. ... His goals are high ... he wants to go to state."
Kenney has 22 victories and one loss on the year. He has defeated every potential sectional and regional opponent his has come up against.
His victory over Anderson marked Yorktown's only loss in its six ECIC championship matches.
"I feel pretty good," said Kenney. "Our team was down and I (didn't) know if I got enough (points). I was wanting a pin, but the main thing was to win.
"I just think I wrestled well and stopped everyone's shots."
Jay County had three wrestlers in the consolation finals, but dropped all three matches as Josh Lochtefeld, Sha White and Tom Smith finished in fourth place.
The Patriot wrestlers had chances in all three matches, and Lochtefeld seemed to be in control in his.
The 119-pound junior carried a 7-3 lead into the third period only to have Bluffton's Matt Gerger scored a series of takedowns and releases to turn the match around. He released Lochtefeld for the last time with 19.2 seconds left, breaking an 8-8 tie. But he made the perhaps ill-advised move pay off, getting another takedown with just 0.6 seconds on the clock for to defeat Lochtefeld 10-9.
White (171) fell behind Bluffton's Ty Pfister 4-2 early in the third period, but get a reversal to even the score with 1:32 remaining. But Pfister turned the tables again with a reversal at the 40-second mark and was able to ride out White to take the third-place match 6-4.
Smith (189) used a double-leg takedown at the 1:15 mark of the third period to pull within a single point of Yorktown's Ashton Freeman. However, after Smith allowed an escape Freeman locked up the victory with a takedown with just over 30 seconds remaining and went on to a 6-2 win.
Following those top four for the Patriots were Skylar Finnerty (fifth - 135), Sam Lyons (fifth - 140), Cameron Pfeifer (sixth - 112) and Ben Theurer (sixth - 130).
"We struggled in the early rounds," said Myers, who had just five wrestlers advance through the opening round. "Last week we had a great first round and this week was not a very good first round and our middle rounds were great.
"(Finnerty, Lyons, Aaron Brenner and Caleb Culy) all wrestled back and placed fifth, sixth or seventh. Especially for Sam and Skylar, to be not even seeded and get fifth place, that was great. ...
"One of these times we're going to put it together. If we learn to wrestler all day we'll be in good shape for sectionals."
Helping South Adams to its sixth-place team finish along with Kimberlin and Gentis were Dustin Ehr (fourth - 145), Jackson West (fourth - 215), Jim West (fifth - 285) and John Striker (sixth - 135).[[In-content Ad]]
While Yorktown and Zionsville dominated Saturday's East Central Indiana Classic, Kenney pushed Jay County into third place with his victory in the 103-pound championship match. The Patriots finished with 137 points at the 16-team event, finishing just ahead of Bluffton (135), Winchester (132.5) and South Adams (131.5).
Yorktown had six wrestlers in the finals, won five championships and won with 241.5 points. Zionsville put five wrestlers in the finals, won two titles and was second at 232.5.
Starfires wrestled in two championship matches with Josh Kimberlin winning the 189-pound title and Colt Gentis finishing as the runner-up at 119 pounds.
Kenney and Jake Anderson of Yorktown wrestled to a scoreless tie in the opening period of the 103-pound finale, but the Patriot sophomore took control in the second.
He got an escape just nine seconds into the period, then added a takedown and near fall in the final five seconds. He got two more takedowns in the third period, the last coming with just two seconds remaining to secure his 10-0 major decision.
"What I was most impressed with is that even when he had a lead there in the third period he kept plugging away, kept trying to get a takedown, kept trying to pin him," said JCHS coach James Myers. "That's just Casey. He's a pinner. He'll wrestle to the end.
"He's just motivated. He wants to do well. ... His goals are high ... he wants to go to state."
Kenney has 22 victories and one loss on the year. He has defeated every potential sectional and regional opponent his has come up against.
His victory over Anderson marked Yorktown's only loss in its six ECIC championship matches.
"I feel pretty good," said Kenney. "Our team was down and I (didn't) know if I got enough (points). I was wanting a pin, but the main thing was to win.
"I just think I wrestled well and stopped everyone's shots."
Jay County had three wrestlers in the consolation finals, but dropped all three matches as Josh Lochtefeld, Sha White and Tom Smith finished in fourth place.
The Patriot wrestlers had chances in all three matches, and Lochtefeld seemed to be in control in his.
The 119-pound junior carried a 7-3 lead into the third period only to have Bluffton's Matt Gerger scored a series of takedowns and releases to turn the match around. He released Lochtefeld for the last time with 19.2 seconds left, breaking an 8-8 tie. But he made the perhaps ill-advised move pay off, getting another takedown with just 0.6 seconds on the clock for to defeat Lochtefeld 10-9.
White (171) fell behind Bluffton's Ty Pfister 4-2 early in the third period, but get a reversal to even the score with 1:32 remaining. But Pfister turned the tables again with a reversal at the 40-second mark and was able to ride out White to take the third-place match 6-4.
Smith (189) used a double-leg takedown at the 1:15 mark of the third period to pull within a single point of Yorktown's Ashton Freeman. However, after Smith allowed an escape Freeman locked up the victory with a takedown with just over 30 seconds remaining and went on to a 6-2 win.
Following those top four for the Patriots were Skylar Finnerty (fifth - 135), Sam Lyons (fifth - 140), Cameron Pfeifer (sixth - 112) and Ben Theurer (sixth - 130).
"We struggled in the early rounds," said Myers, who had just five wrestlers advance through the opening round. "Last week we had a great first round and this week was not a very good first round and our middle rounds were great.
"(Finnerty, Lyons, Aaron Brenner and Caleb Culy) all wrestled back and placed fifth, sixth or seventh. Especially for Sam and Skylar, to be not even seeded and get fifth place, that was great. ...
"One of these times we're going to put it together. If we learn to wrestler all day we'll be in good shape for sectionals."
Helping South Adams to its sixth-place team finish along with Kimberlin and Gentis were Dustin Ehr (fourth - 145), Jackson West (fourth - 215), Jim West (fifth - 285) and John Striker (sixth - 135).[[In-content Ad]]
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