Patriots cruise past Blackford

The Patriots only had three wrestlers win their match.

That didn’t stop them from blowing out the Bruins.

The Jay County Junior High School wrestling team’s three winning wrestlers combined with 13 matches won by forfeit powered a 96-24 victory on Monday over the Blackford Bruins.

The Patriots (13-6) won three of the seven contested matches, all of which were by fall.

Walter Campiofiore secured the first victory for Jay County in the 106-pound match, when he pinned Kaleb McCammon.

After a pair of losses, Max McClain III and Cooper Reynolds won back-to-back matches. McClain III put Luis Velasquez on his back in the 126 match, while Reynolds topped Dallas Richardson in the 138 contest.

Carter Bryant, Danny Hornbaker, Logan Hornbaker and Tristen Freeman won matches for Blackford.

The 13 wins by forfeit for Jay County came from Mitchell Byrum (75-pound match), Danica Chowning (90), Corbin Lothridge (95), Jackson Bonifas (100), Alex Rivers (132), Caleb Sibray (150), Lucas Raines (157), Varen Ridgeway (165), Amara Crawford (175), Freddie Lingo (190), Spencer Smiley (215), Charlie Burress (195) and George Plessinger III (285).

The Patriots won three exhibition matches, with Bonifas, Rivers and Conner McMellen coming out on top.

The Patriots will next take the mat Thursday as they host Bluffton at 5:30 p.m.