CPHS Wrestling: Sandites topple defending Arkansas State Champions

The defending Oklahoma 6A State Champions and the defending Arkansas 7A State Champions went head-to-head in the first round of the 3rd Annual Ram Duals Friday afternoon. Oklahoma came out on top as the Charles Page High School Sandites (9-1) defeated Bentonville High School 39-28 for their fourth-straight dual victory.

State Champion Riley Weir (16-6 season, 78-24 career) took an 8-2 lead on Blake Wolff before pinning him in 2:14, and Sand Springs never once trailed.

Seth Jones (17-11, 19-14) took a 7-0 lead with two sets of nearfall points in the first period, then reversed for six more back points in the second for the 15-0 technical fall against Quinn Graves. 

Colten Roberts (3-4) scored early on State Qualifier Obi Smith and was working on a pin when the first period ended. He started the second period up 5-0, but Smith reversed and pinned the Sandite in 2:35. 

Irwin Portillo (20-14, 26-19) scored first on Raphael Marascio and started the second period on bottom with a 2-0 lead. He escaped soon after and picked up two more points for stalling to start the third period up 5-0. In the final stretch he scored a trio of takedowns and finished with a 12-2 major decision.

State Qualifier Gabe Holley took down Scott Patton (19-14, 26-16) almost immediately but the Sandite reversed once in the first period and again to start the second with a 4-2 lead. He added a takedown in the third for the 6-2 decision. 

Colby Heckencamp (2-4) took on State Qualifier Zane Sims and barely escaped a first period fall as time expired. Sims reversed late in the second and worked up a 9-0 lead before pinning the Sandite in 5:19.

State Qualifier Isaiah Yorba took down Chris Kirby (13-3) first, both reversed, then Yorba reversed again in the second period for a 6-2 lead. Kirby reversed with 25 seconds left and started the final stretch on bottom, trailing 6-4. He escaped early and scored a takedown for the pin in 5:04. 

Kaleb Tabor (15-8) scored on State Qualifier Nathan Desler then gave up a reversal to start the second period 2-2. He started on top and scored nearfall points but Desler reversed to tie it up once again and start the first period 4-4. Tabor reversed for the lead and held on for a 6-4 decision. 

Dayvon Taylor (14-13) scored on State Champion Cash Jones, but Jones quickly escaped for a takedown of his own with back points. Jones started the second period up 6-2 and escaped for another takedown. Taylor managed an escape, but Jones took him down once again to make it 11-3 at the start of the final period. A trio of nearfall points gave the Tiger a 14-3 major decision. 

Noah Almy (3-2, 27-22) scored nearfall points on Liam Neal to start the second period up 5-0. Neal escaped and the two stayed neutral through the remainder. Almy scored a takedown in the third, cut the Tiger lose, and took him down again for a 9-2 decision.

Josh Fincannon (7-10) took down State Qualifier Jeremiah Fry and started the second period down with a 2-1 lead. He reversed to make it 4-1, then gave up an escape in the third period and held on for a 4-2 decision. 33-16, 18

The Sandites forfeited 220 to Alex Crowe, then Ethan Crowe pinned Robbie Parrish (0-8) in  45 seconds to cut it to 33-28 with one match left.

Freshman standout Carter Young (26-1) secured the victory for the Sandites with a pin of State Qualifier Josiah Scates in 2:42.

Sand Springs will next take on the host team, 6A No. 11 Owasso (2-6), while Bentonville will wrestle Lebanon, Missouri. The Sandites are the defending Ram Dual Champions.