No. 1 CPHS sends six wrestlers to State Championship finals, sitting in first place as team
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Top-Ten Team Scores:
- No. 1 Sand Springs (101.5)
- No. 3 Broken Arrow (89)
- No. 2 Choctaw (78.5)
- No. 4 Edmond North (49)
- No. 8 Stillwater (47)
- Midwest City (23.5)
- No. 13 Norman North (23)
- No. 9 Westmoore (21)
- No. 5 Yukon (19)
- No. 11 Edmond Memorial (18)
Finals Matches:
106: Weir (CPHS) vs Steidley (Ed Memorial)
113: Randall (Westmoore) vs Newton (Choctaw)
120: Rosen (Ed North) vs Lawley (BAHS)
126: Wilson (MWC) vs Cole (DC)
132: Fix (CPHS) vs Bright (Ed North)
138: Karstetter (CPHS) vs Dieringer (Stillwater)
145: Bratcher (CPHS) vs Lee (Stillwater)
152: Scott (CPHS) vs Loza (Enid)
160: Curry (Choctaw) vs Vincent (Yukon)
170: Coleman (Choctaw) vs Bahl (Stillwater)
182: Rendleman (Choctaw) vs Potter (BAHS)
195: Minnick (Ed North) vs Marcheselli (BAHS)
220: Jordan (CPHS) vs Haynes (BAHS)
285: Johnson (NNHS) vs Lieurance (BAHS)
By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief
The No. 1 ranked Charles Page High School wrestling team is in good position to clench their first State Championship since 1971, placing six wrestlers in the Championship finals Friday night at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds.
The Sandites have already won the Perry Tournament of Champions, the Sapulpa Jerry Billings Invitational, and the 6A-East Regional Championship, and are currently first in the team standings at the OSSAA State Tournament.
Sand Springs qualified eleven wrestlers for the State Tournament. Three have been eliminated, two are still in the running for third place, and six have the potential to be State Champions. The last time the Sandites won State they sent seven to the finals and came out with three Champions.
Broken Arrow is currently sitting in second place with five finalists and nine total wrestlers in still in contention. Choctaw is in third place with four finalists and eleven total qualifiers still in contention.
Sophomore Riley Weir (40-6 season, 61-18 career) took on Choctaw freshman Gabe Johnson (34-7) in the 106-pound semifinals and prevailed by 6-2 decision. He will take on Edmond Memorial freshman Garrett Steidley (30-3) in the Championship finals. Steidley is ranked fifth in 106, but upset No. 4 TJ Long and No. 2 Braden Fowler in his path to the finals. This will be their first meeting. Weir also qualified for State as a freshman but struggled with an elbow injury and failed to place.
Oklahoma State University-signed senior Daton Fix (46-0, 164-0) easily handled Ponca City junior Dylan Schickram (38-13) in the 132-pound semifinals with a 42-second pin. Fix is looking to become the first four-time State Champion in Sand Springs history. He will face Edmond North senior Brandon Bright (36-4) in the Championship finals. The two last met in the 2015 State semifinals when Fix prevailed with a pin in 2:53.
Senior Jack Karstetter (31-1, 104-16) faced off against Ponca City senior Dawson Hunt (29-15) in the 138-pound semifinals and easily rolled to an 18-3 technical fall in 3:05. Karstetter qualified for State his sophomore and junior years as well, and placed second last season. He will square up with Stillwater senior Tyler Dieringer (26-5) in a rematch of the 6A-East Regional finals when Karstetter won a 3-2 decision in ultimate tie-breaker overtime.
Senior Beau Bratcher (44-7, 135-30) met defending State Champion Jaxen Gilmore (27-3), a junior from Yukon, in the 145-pound semifinals and won a narrow 5-4 decision to avenge his finals loss last season. Bratcher is a four-time State Qualifier, placing second last season after getting pinned by Gilmore. This year he will face Stillwater senior Kendon Lee (35-3) in a rematch of the Regional finals. He has face Lee three times this season, each time losing by a single takedown. Lee prevailed 4-2 in sudden victory over time at the KC Stampede, then won 4-2 during regulation in a regular season dual. Last week they went into sudden victory yet again and Lee came up with the 3-1 decision.
Junior Payton Scott (38-3, 59-11) squared off with Midwest City senior Robert Walker (28-6) in the 152-pound semifinal and won a close 3-2 decision. Scott also qualified for State as a sophomore and placed fourth. This time he will take on Enid senior Austin Loza (36-8) in the championship finals. The two have met only once before and Scott came out with a fall in 2:33 at the District Duals Quadrangle.
Senior Delvin Jordan (43-2, 74-14) topped Choctaw junior Caulin Poole (25-10) in the 220-pound semifinals with a 17-5 major decision. He will face defending State Champion Skyler Haynes (12-2), a senior from Broken Arrow. The two have already met twice this season. The Sandite won a 4-3 decision in the Dual State finals, then won a 3-2 tie-breaker in the East Regional finals. Jordan also qualified for State his freshman and junior years, but missed his sophomore year with an injury. Junior year he pinned the defending State Champion to win the Regional bracket, but was unable to participate in the State tournament.
Senior Tanner Ward (33-11, 109-23) faced Westmoore senior Canon Randall (37-4) in the 113-pound semifinals but forfeited with an injury four minutes into the match. If he is cleared to wrestle on Saturday, he will face Bartlesville sophomore Brayden Strachan (33-8) in the consolation semifinals. This will be their first meeting. Ward was already a three-time State Qualifier and two-time finalist at the 3A level before transferring from Berryhill.
Senior Michael Ritchey (36-11, 65-35) battled Edmond North senior and defending State Champion Paxton Rosen (37-2) in the 120-pound semifinal and was majored 11-2. Saturday he will face Mustang junior Joe Lupton (29-7) in their first-ever meeting. Ritchey qualified for State last year but didn't place.
Junior Blake Sargent (37-11, 89-25) suffered a close 2-1 loss to Ponca City sophomore Spencer Schickram (38-9) in the consolation quarterfinals and was eliminated from contention. Sargent previously took third place as a sophomore.
Sophomore Noah Almy (24-19) was eliminated after a close 3-1 decision to Edmond Santa Fe junior Williams Depona (17-13) in the 160-pound consolations.
Senior Zane Basma (26-5, 88-30) was eliminated in a 10-8 shootout decision to Ponca City junior Lane Newlin (32-14) in the 170-pound consolations. Basma previously qualified for State his sophomore and junior years and placed third last season.
