Sandites send eleven wrestlers to semifinals at 6A-East Regional
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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief
Current Team Standings:
- Sand Springs (120.5)
- Broken Arrow (108.5)
- Ponca City (71)
- Stillwater (63)
- Owasso (54.5)
- Norman North (47.5)
- Sapulpa (38.5)
- Union (38)
- Bixby (31)
- Jenks (31)
- Bartlesville (27)
- Enid (17.5)
- Southmoore (14)
- Muskogee (9.5)
- Booker T. Washington (4)
- Capitol Hill (0)
The No. 1 ranked Charles Page High School wrestling team is off to a good start at the 6A-East Regional Tournament. Eleven of the Sandites fourteen wrestlers went undefeated in the first two rounds Friday morning at the Ed Dubie Field House, and all fourteen are still in contention. The top-four placers in each weight class will qualify for the State Tournament next weekend in Oklahoma City. The Sandites are the defending Regional Champions, defeating Broken Arrow last year on the Tigers' home court. This year the Sandites are in first place thus far, but the Tigers are nipping at their heels, looking to avenge last week's Dual State Championship loss.
The semifinals and second round of consolation will be held at 6:00 PM.
If you blinked, you might have missed Riley Weir (36-6 season, 57-18 career)'s first match. The 106 pound sophomore and returning State Qualifier pinned Chrisma Collins (Capitol Hill) in only twelve seconds. His quarterfinal opponent didn't fare much better. Stillwater's Henry Warren fell in 1:36. Weir will face Broken Arrow's Jackson Cockrell in the semis. He is 3-0 against Cockrell this season.
3A East Regional Champion Tanner Ward (31-9, 107-21) received a bye in the first round of 113, and excelled over Jared Miller (Jenks) in the quarterfinals with multiple sets of nearfall points before securing the fall at 1:52. Ward will face Norman North's Yves Worou in the semis.
Defending Regional Champion Michael Ritchey (34-9, 63-33) took a 4-1 lead over Ainsley Lane (Bixby) into the second period, quickly reversed, and got his pin at 2:21 in the first round of 120. In the quarterfinals he worked up a 6-0 lead against Hunter McGee (Enid) before pinning the plainsman in 1:25. Ritchey will face Laif Jones (Bartlesville) in the semis. He previously defeated Jones 3-1 in last year's Sand Springs Invitational.
Defending Regional Champion Blake Sargent (34-8, 86-22) dominated Logan Herrell (Enid) at 126 for a 7-0 lead with back points before pinning him in 1:23. In the quarterfinals he pinned Elijah Harrigan (Booker T. Washington) in 1:18. Sargent will face Bixby's Easton Hudson in the semis. He previously defeated Hudson 11-0 in the regular season finale.
Three-time Regional and State Champion Daton Fix (42-0, 160-0) had a typical first round match at 132, leading John Ritchey (Stillwater) 14-5 before pinning him at 2:14. In his quarterfinal he scored a 22-7 technical fall against Joe Reynolds (Southmoore) in 2:38. Fix will face Owasso's Baylor Smith in the semis. The last time the two met was in last year's season opener when Fix got the pin.
Defending Regional Champion Jack Karstetter (27-1, 100-16) received a first round bye at 138 and picked up his 100th career win in the quarterfinals, working up an 11-0 lead against Conner Mares-Ballrd (Norman North) before pinning him in 3:45. He will face Dawson Hunt of Ponca City in tonight's semifinal. He just came out on top of a 12-10 decision against Hunt last week at Dual State.
Defending Regional Champion Beau Bratcher (41-6, 132-29) pinned Jeremy Wingate (Bartlesville) in 0:33 at 145 pounds, then topped Colton Konell (Sapulpa) in 1:32. He will face Broken Arrow's Brady Mattioda in the semis. Bratcher is 3-0 against Mattioda this season with two pins and a 4-2 decision at last week's Dual State Championship.
Defending Regional Champion Payton Scott (36-2, 57-10) took a 4-1 lead against Parker Nicholas (Stillwater) before pinning him at 0:32 in the 152 pound weight class. In the quarterfinals he pinned Colt Freeman (Jenks) in 0:55. He will face Owasso's Richie Lee in the semis.
Sophomore Noah Almy (23-16) pinned Owen Dewoody (Bixby) in 0:37 at 160 pounds. He took an 8-0 lead into the second period of his quarterfinal match against Austin Manley (Bartlesville), reversed, and got the fall at 2:39. He will face Broken Arrow's Caleb Wise in the semis. The last time they met Wise pinned Almy in 1:07 at the Dual State Championship.
Zane Basma (25-2, 87-27) pinned Christian Shubert (Bixby) in 0:49 at 170. In the quarterfinals he pinned Owasso's Brandon Dugan in 1:37. He will take on Darius Boone of Union in the semis.
Sophomore Luke Bratcher (5-3) pinned Naimul Islam (Jenks) in 1:48 at 182 and was putting up a tough fight in the quarterfinals before briefly blacking out and forfeiting to Broken Arrow's Gavin Potter. He will take on Muskogee's Cliff Pouncil in the consolations.
Junior Gage Fain (26-14, 39-36) received a first round bye at 195. He was nearly pinned in the second period of his quarterfinal bout with Jordan Reel (Southmoore), but came out of a nearfall for a reverse and entered the third period trailing 4-2. The Pioneer started on bottom and Fain cut him loose to look for a takedown. He nearly got one at 0:45 but was ruled out of bounds. He scored two with 25 seconds left, cut his foe loose, and added another with a second left to force overtime. In the sudden victory period the Pioneer score the takedown and prevailed 8-6. Fain will wrestle Stillwater's Aaron Veselak in the consolations.
Defending Regional Champion Delvin Jordan (40-2, 71-14) pinned Cameron Douglass (Booker T. Washington) in 1:21 at 220, then pinned Brock Anderson (Enid) in 0:42. He will face Ponca City's Austin Fry in the semis. He is 4-0 against Fry this season with three falls and a 5-1 decision. Most recently he pinned Fry in a mere ten seconds at Dual State.
Kris Edwards (4-5) was the only Sandite to lose his first round match, and he was heavily outsized, wrestling up at heavyweight as a true 220 or 195. He was pinned in 3:56 by Jakob Wood of Muskogee. Edwards will take on Southmoore's Jose Ruiz in the consolations.
