February 9, 2015 at 6:33 p.m.

Miller wins fourth regional

Four Starfires, three Patriots qualify for semi-state
Miller wins fourth regional
Miller wins fourth regional

Sawyer Miller is the best wrestler to put on a South Adams singlet.
The Starfire senior locked up his fourth consecutive regional title on Saturday and became all-time leader in career victories.
He was one of four South Adams wrestlers to advance to the semi-state meet, which begins at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne.
Jay County had a trio of wrestlers qualify for semi-state. It was the first time in three seasons the Patriots did not have a regional champion.
Yorktown, which had eight regional champions, took the team title with a score of 232.5. Bellmont was second with 121.5, and Adams Central (103.5) placed third. South Adams was fifth with 56 points, and Jay County scored 33 to finish eighth in a field that had 17 schools represented.
Miller cruised to the title match of the 120-pound weight class, tallying back-to-back victories by technical fall to record the 151st and 152nd wins of his career.
In the final, Bellmont’s Jon Becker — Miller’s opponent in the sectional championship — provided little resistance. Miller (37-0) recorded his third consecutive tech fall, 16-1 in 2 minutes, 33 seconds, to put his name in the Starfire history books.
“I was in my zone today,” said Miller, who finished fourth at state as a freshman and third as a sophomore. He missed state during his junior season. “Bad things happen when I’m in my zone.”
South Adams coach Barry Humble said the senior was at his finest.
“I think you probably saw the best Sawyer of the season,” said Humble, who will be retiring at the conclusion of the year. “I think (he) has more in (him).
“He even told me, ‘I’m kind of pleased with myself’ and I never hear that. He’s pretty analytical about everything that he does.”
The first to feel Miller’s wrath was Winchester’s Jason Hale. Miller, who has just nine career defeats, deposited of Hale by a score of 17-2 in 2:38. In the semifinal, Brock House of Delta didn’t score a point, losing 16-0 in 2:31.
“The neat thing is he didn’t show all of his stuff,” Humble added. “Even on his fake shots he got a takedown.”
Jay County junior and sectional champion Andy Kohler (182) was the only Patriot to reach the regional finals, but finished runner-up to Hunter Heistand of Yorktown.
He pinned Delta’s Bailey Maxwell with seven seconds remaining in the second period to secure his semi-state berth with an opening-round win. With his sights set on a regional title, he beat Daleville’s Corbin Maddox by a 5-3 decision to set up the championship against Heistand.
Kohler fell behind in the first period, 2-0, after Heistand capitalized on a missed takedown attempt by the Patriot. Heistand started the second on the mat, and got a reversal to push the score to 4-0. Kohler responded with an escape and nearly turned it into a takedown but he couldn’t gain position as the buzzer sounded to end the period.
In the third, Kohler got a reversal to make it 4-3, but Heistand got an escape and kept the Patriot from scoring any more points.
“He’s pretty good,” Kohler said of Heistand. “It was tough. I was so close. It’s tough to lose like that.”
“In the first period I screwed up by trying to hit that slide. He got that takedown. He switched me in the second. I could have just crowded in and it wouldn’t have happened.
“It is just stupid stuff like that that gave it away. I should have won.”
At the same time Kohler, who fell to 34-4 on the season, understands the competition will just get more difficult.
“It’s going to be that hard or harder,” he said. “There (are) no pushovers at semi-state. Either you’re going to get your butt kicked, or you’re going to kick someone’s butt.”
Dallas Dudelston and Tyler Leonhard are also moving on for Jay County. Dudelston, who was a sectional champion, finished third at 132, and Leonhard placed fourth at 152.
South Adams freshman Wyatt Miller — Sawyer’s younger brother — lost in the finals at 106 to Christian Hunt of Yorktown. It was just the second loss of the season for the younger Miller (34-2).
Also advancing to semi-state for the Starfires are Briar Goodwin (fourth – 106) and Mason Morningstar (fourth – 285).
Regional qualifiers for Jay County who suffered opening round losses were Seth Fugiett (106), Tristan Atkins (120), Colton Compton (126), Levi Hummel (160) and Gaven Hare (195).
South Adams’ Isaiah Baumgartner (195) also had his season end with a first-round defeat.
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