First since ’88

The team state duals ended in a sigh.

That sigh was not one of relief, but one of acknowledging an opportunity missed.

When that sigh had dissipated, though, coach Eric Myers got right back to reminding his athletes of their capabilities and the goals that remained in front of them.

If there were any sighs Saturday, they were purely of satisfaction.

With regional championships from Ethan Reiley, Tony Wood and Cameron Clark, and five others joining them as semi-state qualifiers, Jay County High School was the dominant force Saturday as it won its first regional wrestling championship in 35 years.

“It’s part of history now, part of Jay County wrestling history,” said Wood, a junior who is now a three-time regional champion. “I think that’s just awesome.”

He reveled in the fact that the team will get its picture on the wall alongside other regional champions of decades past.

“It’ll be nice coming back here when we’re in our 30s or 40s and telling our kids, ‘Hey, I was up on that wall,’” added Clark.

The Patriots, who lost the championship of the team state duals to Western after being ranked No. 1 in Class 2A all season, scored 141 points to easily take the regional title over runner-up Delta (116) in a field of 18 teams. Bellmont was third with 91.5.

It marked Jay County’s first regional championship since beating Richmond by 21.5 points for its fifth consecutive title in 1988. It was the school’s 14th regional title across all sports and first since the girls cross country team in 2010.

“It means a lot, especially knowing since 1988 we haven’t had one team win the regional,” said Clark. “It just goes to show we’re one of the best teams, if not the best, through Jay County history.”

Joining the three regional champions in earning top-four finishes and semi-state berths were Daniel Moore (113), Taye Curtis (120), Cody Rowles (126), Christian Wittkamp (152) and Bryce Wenk (182). They advance to compete Saturday in the tournament at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne with a trip to the state finals on the line.

The fourth-ranked Wood, whose father Bruce was one of three individual regional champions on the 1988 squad, was the most dominant Patriot on the day.

After recording pins in each of the first two rounds in the 138-pound bracket, he wrestled to a scoreless first period against 12th-ranked Logan Uhlman of Adams Central in the championship match. But it took him just four seconds to score an escape in the second period and he was able to finish a takedown with just 13 seconds left for a 3-0 lead. He extended the advantage in the third period for a 6-0 victory over the 2022 eighth-place state medalist at 132 pounds.

“To see him wrestle a state placer for the fourth time now … and just really dominate that match says a lot about where Tony’s at and the level that he’s wrestling,” said Myers.

Clark, who is ranked 11th at 145 pounds, needed just 39 seconds for his opening round win and advanced to the finals via injury default. Like Wood, he wrestled a scoreless first period against 15th-ranked Kolten Rhonemus of Delta before getting an escape and takedown in the second period. He gave up an escape midway through the third period but bounced back to record a takedown with five seconds remaining for a 5-1 final margin.

“The Delta kid that he wrestled there, they’re always close matches,” said Myers. “I felt like he was in control all the way through, even though it was a tight match. He improves every week through the state tournament series. …

“There’s something about that state tournament series that really brings everything into focus for Cameron.”

Reiley, who is ranked 17th in the state, gave himself bookend regional championships — he also won as a freshman — as he beat Adams Central’s Gavin Cook in the finals for the second consecutive week. After needing points in the closing seconds to win the previous weekend’s sectional title match, Reiley led throughout in the regional final — 2-0 after the first period, 4-2 after the second and 7-2 before a late escape by Cook provided the final four-point margin.

“I felt like he really dominated that match,” said Myers. “Technically, he made all the right choices. I felt like every position was where he wanted to be. … I was really proud of his effort.”

Moore (113) and Wittkamp (152) also won their first two matches of the day before falling short with the championship on the line. Wittkamp lost to Bellmont’s No. 8 Gavin Davis for the second consecutive week, this time 9-3 after being pinned in the sectional final. Moore also had a rematch, falling by a 9-0 major decision to 10th-ranked Levi Johns of Bluffton after beating him 8-6 for the sectional title a week earlier.

Eighth-ranked Cody Rowles, who entered the day undefeated, suffered his first loss of the year 6-3 to Cowan’s No. 6 Jackson Bradley in the semifinal round at 126 pounds. He was on his back in the third-place match against Union City’s Bradin Daniels, but survived the first period and came back to finish third with a pin in 2:09.

In the 182-pound bracket, Bryce Wenk lost a 12-3 major decision to unbeaten and fourth-ranked Hunter Page of Monroe Central in the semifinal round. He bounced back to finish third by pinning Stuart McCabe of Norwell in 45 seconds.

Four Patriots had their seasons end in Saturday’s opening round:

•Griffin Byrum by a 4-0 decision to Quentin Keen of Winchester at 106 pounds

•Landon Mills-Blowers by a 13-4 major decision to Dalevill’s Reazon Davenport at 160 pounds

•Juaquin Flores, who was pinned in 4:29 by Gabe Harty of Muncie Central at 195 pounds

•Alan Ortiz by pin in 2:19 to Yorktown’s Jackson New at 220 pounds