State Tournament Preview: No. 3 Lady Sandites to meet No. 13 Mustang in quarterfinal

/

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The brackets are in for the 2016-2017 OSSAA Basketball State Championship tournaments. All three rounds of the Boys' 6A tournament will be held at the Oral Roberts University Mabee Center, while the Girls' quarterfinals will be hosted by Tulsa Memorial High School. The Girls' semifinals and Championship will be played at the Mabee Center.

The first game will be played at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday between No. 4 Deer Creek (24-2) and No. 6 Booker T. Washington (22-5). Deer Creek has been a top-contender throughout the season, finishing first in the Central Oklahoma Conference with a late-season victory over No. 1 Edmond Santa Fe. They earned their way to State undefeated in the post-season with an impressive 62-50 victory over No. 2 Choctaw. Washington went undefeated as the only 6A team in the Green Country Conference and won their Regional bracket, but ran into a hiccup against No. 3 Sand Springs. After falling 56-44 to the Lady Sandites, they won the Area Consolation 46-43 over No. 14 Bartlesville. 

Next up will be No. 3 Sand Springs (23-1) vs No. 13 Mustang (17-10) at 3:30 p.m. The Lady Sandites are now the only one-loss team left in 6A after both Edmond Santa Fe and Choctaw went down late in the season. They held on to the Frontier Valley Championship despite an upset loss to Owasso, then went undefeated in the post-season with a victory over Booker T. Washington for the Area Championship. Mustang has taken the low-key approach to the State Tournament. They placed sixth in the Central Oklahoma Conference, won their Regional with an upset of No. 8 Norman, fell to No. 1 Edmond Santa Fe in Area, but bounced back with an upset of No. 11 Westmoore. 

No. 1 Edmond Santa Fe (24-2) will meet with the biggest surprise of the season--unranked Ponca City (16-7). Santa Fe took the top-spot in the rankings after previous No. 1 Choctaw fell to 4A No. 1 Ft. Gibson at the Tournament of Champions. They went undefeated till after the Regional brackets came out, then fell 68-51 to No. 4 Deer Creek and 40-39 to No. 13 Mustang. Since then they've won their way through the post season with Regional and Area Championships, capped by a 65-55 payback victory over Mustang. Ponca City's outsider status at the State Tournament is fitting with their outsider status in Class 6A. The Lady Cats are the only team without a conference and have played a mix of teams at various levels of competition. They won their Regional with upsets of No. 12 Midwest City and No. 6 Owasso, then topped No. 9 Norman North in the Area Consolations.

The final game of the day will be between No. 2 Choctaw (23-3) and No. 5 Putnam City West (24-2) at 8:30 p.m. The Yellowjackets have held the No. 2 spot since their finals loss to 4A No. 1 Ft. Gibson in the Tournament of Champions. Despite the loss, they remained undefeated in their division till an upset by Putnam West snatched the Big Ten Conference title from their grip late in the season. They fell 62-50 to No. 4 Deer Creek in the first round of Area, and needed overtime to top No. 16 Edmond North for their ticket to State. Putnam West remains the only team undefeated in Class 6A, with their lone losses coming to Campbell County, Wyoming, and 3A No. 3 Holland Hall. They went undefeated in the post-season, topping Ponca City for the Area title. 

The semifinal games will be played at 9:00 a.m. and noon on Friday, with the Championship round being played at noon on Saturday.

Frontier Valley Conference

  1. No. 3 Sand Springs (23-1, 13-1)
  2. No. 6 Owasso (17-9, 11-3)
  3. No. 14 Bartlesville (16-10, 10-3)
  4. No. 17 Union (14-12, 8-6)
  5. No. 15 Broken Arrow (13-11, 8-6)
  6. No. 19 Sapulpa (10-13, 6-7)
  7. Jenks (7-16, 5-9)
  8. Muskogee (9-14, 4-10)
  9. Bixby (7-16, 2-11)
  10. 5A No. 17 Bishop Kelley (6-16, 2-12)

Big Ten Conference

  1. No. 5 Putnam West (24-2, 13-0)
  2. No. 2 Choctaw (24-3, 14-1)
  3. No. 12 Midwest City (14-10, 10-3)
  4. 5A No. 15 Bishop McGuinness (12-12, 6-7)
  5. Putnam City (10-14, 6-8)
  6. Enid (8-16, 5-8)
  7. Lawton (8-16, 4-9)
  8. 5A No. 14 Del City (9-17, 4-9)
  9. Lawton Eisenhower (9-17, 3-11)
  10. Putnam City North (3-21, 2-12)

Central Oklahoma Conference

  1. No. 4 Deer Creek (24-2, 13-1)
  2. No. 1 Edmond Santa Fe (24-2, 12-2) 
  3. No. 8 Norman (17-9, 10-4)
  4. No. 16 Edmond North (17-10, 9-5)
  5. No. 10 Edmond Memorial (16-10, 9-5)
  6. No. 13 Mustang (17-10, 8-6)
  7. No. 11 Westmoore (17-10, 7-7)
  8. No. 9 Norman North (16-10, 7-6)
  9. No. 18 Yukon (11-12, 3-10)
  10. No. 20 Moore (10-13, 3-10)
  11. Southmoore (3-20, 1-13)
  12. Stillwater (5-19, 1-13)

Green Country Conference

  1. No. 6 Booker T. Washington (22-5, 12-0)
  2. 5A No. 2 East Central (22-4, 10-2)
  3. 5A No. 19 Tulsa Memorial (10-13, 8-4)
  4. Will Rogers (12-13, 8-5)
  5. McLain (8-15, 7-4)
  6. Tulsa Edison (9-13, 6-7)
  7. Tulsa Central (3-18, 3-10)
  8. Nathan Hale (1-20, 1-10)
  9. Daniel Webster (2-22, 0-11)

All-City Conference

  1. 4A No. 3 Classen (28-2, 11-0)
  2. Millwood (19-10, 11-1)
  3. Northwest Classen (12-8, 8-3)
  4. OKC Centennial (9-10, 7-2)
  5. John Marshall (8-16, 6-5)
  6. Douglass (8-15, 6-6)
  7. Capitol Hill (15-8, 5-6)
  8. Northeast Academy (7-12, 4-5)
  9. Southeast (5-16, 3-8)
  10. U.S. Grant (3-21, 1-11)
  11. Star-Spencer (2-20, 0-12)

 

No. 1 CPHS Wrestling splits consolation round, guaranteed seven placers

/

Senior Tanner Ward won his consolation semifinal match, guaranteeing his spot as a four-time State-placer. (Photo: Scott Emigh).

Top-Ten Team Scores: 

  1. Sand Springs (107.5)
  2. Broken Arrow (101)
  3. Choctaw (94.5)
  4. Edmond North (54)
  5. Stillwater (47)
  6. Yukon (33)
  7. Mustang (30)
  8. Ponca City (30)
  9. Midwest City (28.5)
  10. Norman North (28)

Consolation Finals:

106: Fowler (Yukon) vs Long (Union)
113: Ward (CPHS) vs Picklo (Mustang)
120: Lupton (Mustang) vs Jones (Bartlesville)
126: Holman (Choctaw) vs Schickram (Ponca)
132: Edwards (Mustang) vs Schickram (Ponca)
138: Simons (EDN) vs Mattioda (BAHS)
145: Gilmore (Yukon) vs Johnson (Westmoore)
152: Walker (MWC) vs Rubio (Ponca)
160: Wise (BAHS) vs Messer (NNHS)
170: McBride (Mustang) vs Hensley (EDM)
182: Carnes (Sapulpa) vs Johnson (Owasso)
195: Jones (Putnam) vs Johnson (Owasso)
220: Lancaster (Putnam) vs Poole (Choctaw)
285: Austin (Choctaw) vs Haff (Owasso)

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The No. 1 ranked Charles Page High School wrestling team is still in good position to win their first State Championship since 1971 with seven competitors still in contention and guaranteed to place. But they haven't clenched it yet.

With six finalists waiting to wrestle this evening, the Sandites had only two matches in the Saturday morning consolation semifinals. Seniors Michael Ritchey and Tanner Ward split wins, and Ward will wrestle for third place this afternoon around 12:45 p.m. 

Ward (34-11 season, 110-23 career) breezed through Bartlesville sophomore Brayden Strachan (33-9) with a pair of takedowns and a trio of nearfall points for a 7-1 first period lead in the 113-pound consolation semifinals. He started the second period on bottom and reversed in the first twenty seconds. Strachan reversed immediately after, and Ward reversed once again near the end of the period. The Sandite added a takedown to start the third, cut his foe loose, and repeated to try for a technical fall. Strachan got the final score however, and Ward settled for a 15-7 major decision. The four-time State placer will take on Mustang sophomore Cameron Picklo (31-7) in the placement round. 

Ritchey (36-12, 65-36) scored first against Mustang junior Joe Lupton (30-7) and held a 2-0 advantage to start the second period on top. Lupton failed to escape and Ritchey elected to start the third period on top as well. This time the Bronco got the upper hand for a reversal with 50 seconds left and sent the match into overtime, scoring a takedown for the 4-2 sudden victory decision. 

Sand Springs has lots of opportunity to score points, with sophomore Riley Weir (113), senior Daton Fix (132), senior Jack Karstetter (138), senior Beau Bratcher (145), junior Payton Scott (152), and senior Delvin Jordan (220) all wrestling for State titles.

Broken Arrow and Choctaw are still nipping at the heels of the Sandites, however. The third-ranked Tigers also have seven wrestlers in contention, with five finalists and two consolation finalists. The defending State Champions from Choctaw have seven in contention with four finalists and three consolation finalists.

The tournament is being held at Jim Norick Arena in the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds in Oklahoma City. Consolation finals are slated to begin at 12:45 p.m., with the Championship matches scheduled for 5:45 p.m. Team and Individual awards presentations will be held at the conclusion of all wrestling. 

No. 1 Sandite Wrestling dominates No. 11 Norman 74-3 with eleven pins

/ Firelake Arena/

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The No. 1 ranked and undefeated Charles Page High School wrestling team (18-0) won their quarterfinal match-up with the No. 11 Norman Tigers (15-4) Friday afternoon at Firelake Arena in Shawnee.

Sophomore Noah Almy (19-16) picked up a quick 0:51 pin, then Zane Basma (21-2, 83-27) pinned his foe in 0:48 for a 12-0 lead. Sophomore Hayden Cramer (9-8) took a 2-1 lead into the second period of his match, escaped to start the second and the third periods, then got the pin in 4:53. Gage Fain (26-11, 39-33) wrestled at 196 and got the pin in 1:42. Delvin Jordan (36-2, 67-14) put on a takedown clinic at 220, building a 12-4 lead in the first minute before pinning his foe at 1:11.

Kris Edwards (4-2) gave up a lot of weight at heavyweight and trailed 3-1 going into the third period. He was faster than his opponent, and quickly scored a second escape point, but Dami Oyesanya ended out on top of a 7-3 decision to spoil the potential shutout.

Riley Weir (32-6, 53-18) took a 5-0 first period lead over his opponent, added an immediate takedown to start the second, then got the pin at 2:35. Tanner Ward (28-9, 104-21) followed with a quick pin in 0:20 to unofficially clinch the dual victory. Michael Ritchey (31-8, 60-32) got a pin in 1:19, then Blake Sargent (31-8, 83-22) got the fall in 1:51.

Daton Fix (38-0, 156-0) took a 12-5 lead into the second period and was 20-8 going into the third. The Norman wrestler managed to stay on top of Fix for a full 11 seconds, which is more than most wrestlers can say, but the undefeated Sandites prevailed with a 23-8 technical fall in 4:16.

Jack Karstetter (24-1, 97-16) had a tough opponent at 138. The two remained neutral throughout the first period, then Karstetter took a 2-1 lead with only 0:20 to go in the second. He added an escape point to start the third and won by 3-1 decision.

Beau Bratcher (37-6, 128-29) got a fall in 0:33, then Payton Scott (32-2, 53-10) pinned his foe in 0:38 to end the dual 74-3.

The Sandites will return to action Saturday at noon against No. 6 Ponca City (11-2). Ponca tied No. 4 Edmond North (10-2) 31-31 and advanced on criteria, having received less unsportsmanlike penalties than the Huskies. Sand Springs already defeated Ponca City 59-3 earlier this season. No. 2 Choctaw (10-0) defeated No. 10 Stillwater (8-4) 56-21 in their quarterfinal and will take on No. 3 Broken Arrow (9-2), who defeated No. 5 Yukon (8-3) 51-19. Choctaw defeated Broken Arrow 38-22 earlier this year.

2017 Dual State Preview: No. 1 Sandites enter post-season undefeated 17-0

/

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

No. 1 CPHS (17-0) 
No. 2 Choctaw (9-0)
No. 3 Broken Arrow (8-2) 
No. 4 Edmond North (10-1) 
No. 5 Yukon (7-2) 
No. 6 Ponca City (8-2) 
No. 10 Stillwater (8-3) 
No. 11 Norman (15-2) 

The brackets have been released and the countdown to Dual State has begun, with only three days left till the eight best teams in Class 6A converge at Firelake Arena in Shawnee. 

The top-seeded teams were no surprise. No. 1 Sand Springs (17-0) and No. 2 Choctaw (9-0) ended up on opposite sides of the bracket, setting up a potential rematch of last year's State Finals, where the Yellowjackets upset the top-ranked Sandites 41-18 for their first Dual State Championship since 1997. 

While the Sandites and Yellowjackets have been the heavy favorites throughout the season, there are several other talented teams that could have legitimate upset potential. All four quarterfinal duals will be held at 2:00 p.m. Friday, with the semifinals at noon Saturday, and the finals at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

No. 1 Sand Springs (17-0) has been on a warpath this season, winning five shutouts and the Second Annual Ram Duals tournament. The Sandites are 12-0 against 6A opponents, winning by an average score of 68-9. They won their district 248-0 against Enid, U.S. Grant, and Putnam West. They pinned the entire Grant team in 14:02. They beat the No. 1 team in Kansas 53-24, Broken Arrow 46-21, Ponca City 51-12, Stillwater 59-9, and 3A No. 1 Perry 48-18. The Sandites have ranked wrestlers in twelve divisions and ten State Qualifiers.

The Sandites' first opponent will be No. 11 Norman (15-2). The Tigers have had an outstanding season, but it's tough to assess them against the rest of the Oklahoma field as half of their opponents were out of state. They placed fifth at the Grapevine Duals but they didn't wrestle a single Dual State-qualifying 6A team. Their toughest Oklahoma opponents were No. 9 Mustang and No. 8 Westmoore. They topped the Broncos 42-24, but barely edged out the Jaguars 39-37. They are 7-0 against 6A opponents, winning by an average score of 48-23. The only mutual opponent between the Sandites and Tigers is Midwest City, who fell 69-9 to Sand Springs and 58-13 to Norman.

No. 2 Choctaw (9-0) is still riding the seventeen-straight win streak they started last season. They topped Broken Arrow 38-22 and Edmond North 31-29. The Yellowjackets are 6-0 against 6A opponents, winning by an average score of 53 to 18. They have ranked wrestlers in ten divisions and seven State Qualifiers.

Choctaw will take on No. 10 Stillwater (8-3) in the quarterfinals. The Pioneers are 5-2 against 6A opponents, winning by an average score of 35-33. They fell 59-9 to Sand Springs and 41-24 to Ponca City. Choctaw and Stillwater have two mutual opponents in Deer Creek and Southmoore. Choctaw defeated the SaberCats 69-12 and Stillwater won 56-21. Choctaw defeated the Antlers 60-15, and Stillwater won 35-30. The Pioneers have wrestlers ranked in five divisions and five State Qualifiers.

No. 3 Broken Arrow (8-2) dropped a 38-22 dual to Choctaw and fell 46-21 to Sand Springs, but since then they've returned 195 State Champion Skyler Haynes to their lineup, who was out with a football injury for most of the season. They've recorded two shutouts this season, 73-0 against Muskogee and 78-0 against Bixby. They also topped No. 7 Union 38-20. The Tigers are 7-2 against 6A opponents, winning by an average score of 51-18. They have ranked wrestlers in twelve divisions and seven State Qualifiers.

Broken Arrow's quarterfinal opponent will be No. 5 Yukon (7-2). The Millers hold a 36-30 win over No. 9 Mustang and nearly shut out Lawton at 70-3. Their only losses their season are 40-19 to Edmond North, and 59-0 to 4A No. 1 Tuttle. They are 6-1 against 6A opponents, winning by an average score of 44-25. They have ranked wrestlers in seven divisions and three State Qualifiers. They will travel to Norman Tuesday night in their final dual of the regular season.

No. 4 Edmond North (10-1) may as well be undefeated. They went 10-0 this year before falling 31-29 in their regular season finale at Choctaw. That dual came down to the final match and was far too close to be considered decisive on who would win in a rematch. They have topped No. 9 Mustang 47-24, Yukon 40-19, and No. 8 Westmoore 46-20. They shut out Moore 69-0 and nearly shut out Putnam City West 73-6. All eleven of the Huskies' duals were against 6A opponents, and they won by an average score of 51-16. They have ranked wrestlers in ten divisions and three State Qualifiers. 

Edmond North will take on No. 6 Ponca City (9-2). The Wildcats have a 41-24 win over Stillwater, and a 43-17 win over No. 7 Union. Their only losses are 51-12 to Sand Springs and 36-27 to 3A No. 1 Perry. They are 8-1 against 6A opponents, winning by an average score of 49-21. They have ranked wrestlers in nine divisions and three State Qualifiers.

Oklahoma Wrestling: Week Three High School 6A Individual Rankings

/

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

106

  1. Garrett Steidley (Edmond Memorial Freshman) Previously unranked
  2. Braden Fowler (Yukon Senior) Previously #1
  3. Riley Weir (Sand Springs Sophomore Previously #2
  4. Austin Hall (Southmoore Senior) 
  5. Gabe Johnson (Choctaw Freshman) 
  6. Jackson Cockrell (Broken Arrow Freshman)
  7. Joe Lupton (Mustang Junior)
  8. Nate Becker (Edmond North Freshman) Previously #9
  9. Corwin Strachan (Bartlesville Sophomore) Previously unranked
  10. Jacob Hodges (Southmoore Freshman) Previously unranked

Edmond Memorial Freshman Garrett Steidley emerged on the high school circuit with a bang this past weekend, taking second place at the Perry Tournament of Champions after defeating Braden Fowler by 2-0 decision. The 106 division returns only two State qualifiers in Fowler and Riley Weir, allowing the Claremore transfer to leapfrog over the competition to the number one spot. 

113

  1. Colt Newton (Chcotaw Sophomore)
  2. Tanner Ward (Sand Springs Senior) 
  3. Cameron Picklo (Mustang Sophomore) Previously #6 in 120
  4. TJ Long (Union Sophomore) Previously #3 in 106
  5. Andrew Police (Broken Arrow Freshman) Previously #3
  6. Johnathan Warford (Sapulpa Junior) Previously #5
  7. Brayden Strachan (Bartlesville Sophomore) Previously #6
  8. Will Pham (Deer Creek Freshman) 
  9. Noah Hanscom (Yukon Sophomore) Previously unranked
  10. Dominic Derr (Westmoore Sophomore) Previously unranked

Returning State Runners-Up Colt Newton and Tanner Ward handily defended their top spots with first and third place finishes, respectively, at Perry. Cameron Picklo made the cut from 120 for the Mid America Nationals where he placed third with an 11-3 major decision over Brayden Strachan. TJ Long came in fourth at Perry, falling 5-2 to Ward. Noah Hanscom breaks into the rankings after a sixth place finish at Perry. Dominic Derr didn't place at Mid America, but did score a handy tech fall over previous 106 No. 7 David Boucher.

120

  1. Paxton Rosen (Edmond North Senior) Previously #1 in 126
  2. Canon Randall (Westmoore Senior) Previously #1
  3. Tyler Lawley (Broken Arrow Senior) Previously #2
  4. Michael Ritchey (Sand Springs Senior) Previously #3
  5. Chase Slatton (Jenks Senior) Previously #5 in 126
  6. Brandon Blose (Sapulpa Senior) Previously #5
  7. Caron Watson (Union Junior) Previously #7 in 126
  8. Trent Higginbotham (Edmond North Junior) Previously unranked
  9. Laif Jones (Bartlesville Sophomore) Previously #7
  10. Andy Schaepfer (Choctaw Junior) Previously #8

113 State Champion Paxton Rosen didn't get to go head-to-head with 106 State Champion Canon Randall, but he did finish two spots ahead of him at the Mid America Nationals. While Randall fell 6-4 to Tuttle's Rhett Golowenski, Rosen defeated the 4A State Champion 8-4. Chase Slatton made the cut from 126 and took third place at the Chuck West Invitational.

126

  1. Drew Wilson (Midwest City Senior) Previously #3 in 132
  2. Connor Holman (Choctaw Junior) Previously #2 in 132
  3. Tanner Cole (Deer Creek Senior) Previously #2
  4. Blake Sargent (Sand Springs Junior) Previously #3
  5. Spencer Schickram (Ponca City Sophomore) Previously #4 at 120
  6. Wyatt Johnson (Owasso Senior) Previously #4 in 113
  7. Brandon Bright (Edmond North Senior) Previously unranked
  8. Easton Hudson (Bixby Senior) Previously #6
  9. Jacob Swenson (Ponca City Junior) Previously #4
  10. Blake Gonzalez (Broken Arrow Sophomore) Previously #6

Drew Wilson and Connor Holman both made the cut from 132 and the Midwest City Senior leapfrogged the 113 State Runner-Up with a close 3-2 decision at Perry. Wilson and Holman both handled Blake Sargent 7-1, who finished fourth with a 6-3 decision over Wyatt Johnson. Johnson also gave up a 10-3 decision to Spencer Schickram, who finished 5th. Brandon Bright topped State qualifier Easton Hudson 13-7 for a third place finish at the Mid America Nationals.

132

  1. Daton Fix (Sand Springs Senior)
  2. TaJuan Daniels (Broken Arrow Senior) Previously #4
  3. Dylan Schickram (Ponca City Junior) Previously #9 in 138
  4. Dawson Hunt (Ponca City Senior) Previously #5
  5. Bobby Robinson (Deer Creek Sophomore) Previously #7
  6. Jacob Blumenthal (Westmoore Senior) Previously #8
  7. Broc Bailey (Yukon Junior) Previously unranked
  8. Ashad Rufia (Union Junior) Previously #9
  9. John Ritchey (Stillwater Junior) Previously #10
  10. Angelo Wythe (Yukon) Previously unranked

Despite a bye week, TaJuan Daniels jumped in the rankings thanks to Drew Wilson and Connor Holman cutting for Perry. Dylan Schickram cut from 138 for Perry and majored teammate Dawson Hunt 16-6, then handled John Ritchey 11-7 for a third place finish. Hunt came in sixth after pinning Rufia and scoring a 4-0 decision over Broc Bailey. Bailey entered into the rankings after a 6-4 decision over Ritchey.

138

  1. Jaxen Gilmore (Yukon Junior) Previously #1 in 145
  2. Kruz Simons (Edmond North Sophomore) Previously #1 at 152
  3. Jack Karstetter (Sand Springs Senior) Previously #1
  4. Sam Avant (Norman North Senior) Previously #3
  5. Tyler Dieringer (Stillwater Senior) Previously #3 in 145
  6. Seth Graves (Edmond Memorial Senior) Previously #4
  7. Josh Suter (Norman Senior) Previously #6
  8. Bryce Mattioda (Broken Arrow Freshman) Previously #7
  9. Baylor Smith (Owasso Junior) Previously #8
  10. Keanu Quinn (Sapulpa Senior)

Jaxen Gilmore cut from 145 for the Perry Tournament and took second place with a 7-1 decision over Tyler Dieringer. Jack Karstetter came in third at Perry with a pair of decision over Baylor Smith and a 6-0 defeat of Seth Graves. Dieringer cut from 145 and took sixth at Perry, defeating Graves 3-1. Kruz Simons cut from 152 for the Mid America Nationals and placed third. Baylor Smith took fourth at Perry.

145

  1. Beau Bratcher (Sand Springs Senior) Previously #2
  2. Chasen Umholtz (Jenks Senior) Previously #4
  3. Ryan Swanson (Westmoore Junior) Previously #4 in 152
  4. Brady Mattioda (Broken Arrow Junior) Previously #5
  5. Brandon Conrad (Owasso Senior) Previously #8
  6. Blake Muse (Choctaw Sophomore) Previously unranked
  7. Connor Simpson (Edmond Memorial Junior) Previously unranked
  8. Cameron Taylor (Union Junior) Previously #6
  9. Marshall Massad (Deer Creek Senior) Previously unranked
  10. Noah Austin (Edmond North Senior) Previously unranked

138 State Runner-Up Beau Bratcher took first place at Perry with a 9-3 decision over Brandon Conrad, Chasen Umholtz took sixth at the Chuck West Invitational, and Ryan Swanson took fifth at the Mid America Nationals. Conrad came in third at Perry and Blake Muse made his way into the rankings with a fifth place finish at Perry, falling only 3-1 to Conrad. Connor Simpson made his way into the rankings after defeating Cameron Taylor 8-1 at Perry. Marshall Massad found his way into the rankings with a third place finish at the Deer Creek Invitational, and Noah Austin took the final spot with a seventh place finish at the Mid America Nationals.

152

  1. Kyle Knowles (Edmond Memorial Freshman) Previously unranked
  2. Robert "RJ" Walker (Midwest City Senior) Previously #3
  3. Connor Wilcoxen (Stillwater Senior) Previously #5
  4. Jeff Speer (Choctaw Junior) Previously #6
  5. Kendon Lee (Stillwater Senior) Previously #2 in 138
  6. Zach Johnson (Westmoore Sophomore) Previously #5 in 138
  7. Jermain Harring (Union) 
  8. Cody Mathis (Sand Springs Junior) Previously unranked
  9. Nenebah Biggoose (Ponca City Junior) Previously #8
  10. Austin Loza (Enid Senior) Previously #9 in 160

Freshman Kyle Knowles turned heads at the Perry Tournament, pinning State-qualifier RJ Walker and defeating State-placer Jeff Speer 7-5 for a third place finish. Walker came in fourth, defeating Speer 1-0. Zach Johnson stepped up from 138 at the Mid America Nationals and finished seventh. Sand Springs junior Cody Mathis won a close 12-9 decision over Nenebah Biggoose at Perry.

160

  1. Jaryn Curry (Choctaw Junior) Previously #2
  2. Joseph Messer (Norman North Senior) Previously #3
  3. Chase Vincent (Yukon Senior) Previously #4
  4. Trey Painter (Westmoore Senior) Previously #5
  5. Caleb Wise (Broken Arrow Junior) Previously #6
  6. Payton Scott (Sand Springs Junior) Previously #2 in 152
  7. Cooper Meadows (Mustang Senior) Previously #4 at 170
  8. Ezequiel Rubio (Ponca City Senior) 
  9. Nano Martinez (Edmond Santa Fe Sophomore) Previously unranked
  10. Austin Manley (Bartlesville Junior)

145 State Champion Jaryn Curry won the Perry Tournament with a pair of close 3-2 decisions over Chase Vincent and Payton Scott, who finished second and third, respectively. 152 State Runner-Up Joseph Messer made a huge statement at the Mid America Nationals, pinning Cooper Meadows and Trey Painter for a first-place finish. Caleb Wise took seventh at the Walsh Ironman, Scott pinned Zeke Rubio who took fifth at Perry, and Nano Martinez took ninth at the Mid America Nationals after a close 7-5 decision to Cooper Meadows.

170

  1. Zane Basma (Sand Springs Senior) Previously #2 
  2. Zane Coleman (Choctaw Sophomore) Previously #1
  3. Jace Brownlee (Stillwater Senior)
  4. Payden Brown (Putnam City Senior) Previously #5
  5. Sam Hensley (Edmond Memorial Junior) Previously #7 in 160
  6. Gage McBride (Mustang Senior) Previously #7 in 182
  7. Joe Speno (Edmond Santa Fe Senior) Previously unranked
  8. Kaleb Mertz (Owasso Junior) 
  9. Trey Odam (Union Junior) Previously #6
  10. Jerry "JT" Stambeck (Norman North Sophomore) Previously #7

160 State-placer Zane Basma topped 152 State Champion Zane Coleman for a second place finish at Perry. The Sandite also pinned State-qualifier Sam Hensley. Joe Speno jumped into the rankings with a fourth place finish at Mid America, defeating JT Stambeck 4-2. Stambeck placed fifth at the event. Kelb Mertz teched Trey Odam at Perry, where neither of them placed. 

182

  1. Easton Rendleman (Choctaw Junior) Previously #2
  2. Christian Bahl (Stillwater Senior) Previously #1 in 160
  3. Shane Flandermeyer (Westmoore Junior) 
  4. Justin "JD" Johnson (Owasso Junior) Previously #5
  5. Jakob Ogden (Stillwater Senior) Previously #6
  6. Noah Hooks (Edmond North Junior) Previously unranked
  7. John Bolton (Union Senior) Previously #8
  8. Declan O'Brien (Deer Creek) Previously unranked
  9. Jaylen Childs (Putnam North) 
  10. Joe Curtis (Bixby Sophomore) 

State Runner-Up Easton Rendleman scored a close 4-3 decision over State Champion Christian Bahl for first-place finish at Perry. Bahl pinned John Bolton and decisioned JD Johnson. 

195

  1. Zach Marcheselli (Broken Arrow Sophomore) Previously #1 in 182
  2. Cody Adams (Bixby Junior) 
  3. Dakota Carnes (Sapulpa Senior) 
  4. Blake Minnick (Edmond North Sophomore)
  5. Colin Foster (Yukon) Previously unranked
  6. Bradyn Pressnall (Ponca City Senior) Previously unranked
  7. Rafe Johnson (Deer Creek Freshman) Previously #6
  8. Gary Dockery (Choctaw Junior) Previously #7
  9. Jesse Wetherington (Norman North) Previously unranked
  10. Arin Copas (Mustang Senior) Previously #9

State Champion Zach Marcheselli moved up to 195 and took first at the Gardner Edgerton Invitational. Colin Foster jumped into the rankings with a 5-3 defeat of Gary Dockery for a second place finish at Perry. Bradyn Pressnall also defeated Dockery, 3-2, at Perry for a third place finish, and Rafe Johnson pinned Dockery in the third period. Dockery came in sixth. Jesse Wetherington bumped Arin Copas down a spot with a 6-2 decision for eighth place at the Mid America Nationals.

220

  1. Delvin Jordan (Sand Springs Senior) 
  2. Mason Lancaster (Putnam City Junior)
  3. Jon Martinez (Westmoore Senior)
  4. Austin Fry (Ponca City Senior) Previously #4 in 182
  5. Caulin Poole (Choctaw Junior) Previously #4
  6. Keland Bearpaw (Sapulpa Junior) Previously #5
  7. Yousef Aliya (Union Senior) Previously #6
  8. Julian Flores (Broken Arrow Junior) Previously #7
  9. Griff Stanley (Deer Creek Junior) Previously #8
  10. Beltazar Reyes (US Grant) Previously #9.

State qualifier Delvin Jordan handily won the Perry Tournament with four pins in under four minutes total, including taking down State qualifier Austin Fry in 0:38. Fry moved up from 182 and knocked down Caulin Poole a spot with a 3-1 decision for third at Perry. 

285

  1. Brey Walker (Southmoore Junior) 
  2. Gage Johnson (Norman North Senior)
  3. Trenton Lieurance (Broken Arrow Senior) 
  4. Zach Austin (Choctaw Senior)
  5. Elwood Tomlin (Union Senior)
  6. Ryan Tilbury (Midwest City Senior)
  7. Malik McGee (US Grant)
  8. Trey Cossey (Mustang Senior) Previously #9
  9. Gage Fain (Sand Springs Junior) Previously #5 in 195
  10. Brett Bridges (Ponca City) Previously unranked

Heavyweight remained mostly unchanged. Trenton Lieurance took second at the Walsh Ironman. Zach Austin pinned Gage Fain for a second place finish at Perry. Fain placed third and majored Brett Bridges, who placed fifth. 

All-American Jack Karstetter places eighth at USAW National Championship

/

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Two Sandites competed at the 2016 USAW Junior Men's Greco-Roman Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota this week. Charles Page High School senior Jack Karstetter placed eighth in the tournament. Class of 2016 graduate Sage Singleton also competed, but didn't place.

The USA Wrestling event is considered by many to be the most prestigious national tournament a Cadet or Junior-aged wrestler can compete in. 

Karstetter rode an impressive wave of victories into the event. In February he came in Runner-Up at the Oklahoma High School State Championship, then came in Runner-Up at the United World of Wrestling Cadet Greco Nationals in June. Earlier this month he competed at the Cadet Pan-American Championship in Lima, Peru and took Silver.

At Fargo Karstetter stepped up to a higher age-division and competed at the Junior level in the 126 pounds bracket.

The Sandite got off to a great start with back-to-back 10-0 technical falls. The first opponent to fall was two-time Arizona State-Placer Tanner Borneman, followed by Kyle Clough of Illinois. He had a tough quarterfinal matchup in former Flonationals Champion Cole Manley, but prevailed with a 6-2 decision over the Pennsylvanian. 

Karstetter finally met his match in the semifinals against West Virginia University freshman Matthew Schmitt. The two-time Fargo Runner-Up and three-time Missouri State Champion defeated the Sandite by decision and went on to win the tournament. 

Moving to the consolation quarterfinals, Karstetter won a close 10-9 decision over three-time Montana State Champion Clayton Currier. From there he was defeated 7-1 by UWW National Champion Paul Bianchi and 12-8 by four-time Kansas State Qualifier Taylor Jokerst, but secured eighth place and All-American status for the second year in a row. 

Singleton competed at 120 pounds and was eliminated after two matches. In the first round he was pinned in 0:34 by former Fargo Runner-Up Brandon Meikel of Utah. In the consolations he was teched 10-0 by Marquel Parks of Washington. The winner of the 120 bracket was fellow Oklahoma Dalton Duffield of Westmoore High School.