Pinning the region

HEDGESVILLE— Seven individual weight bracket champions were able to lift Washington High to the Class AAA, Region II wrestling championship in the tournament held over the weekend.

Washington became one of the four Regional champions that were

Washington had seven weight-class winners at the Region II tournament. The Patriots won their first Regional title.

crowned across the state.

With its first-ever Regional wrestling title in hand, Washington qualified nine individuals for this week’s Class AAA state tournament in Huntington.

The Patriots totaled 195 points in winning the Region II championship. Finishing second was East Fairmont (174 points). North Marion was third with 171 points.

The rest of the team standings showed Fairmont Senior (152), Musselman (143), Martinsburg (108), Hedgesville (95), Hampshire (84.50), Jefferson (70.50), and Preston (67).

Any wrestler finishing at least fourth in his weight division qualified for the state tournament where there will be 16 individuals comprising each weight class.

Beginning with the lightest weight brackets, Washington’s first champion was sophomore Ty Reynolds. Reynolds defeated East Fairmont’s Brody Nesselrotte, scoring a 17-2 technical fall victory in the title match. In Huntington at the state meet, Reynolds will first wrestle fourth-place (Region III) David Pancake (31-19) from George Washington High. Reynolds takes a 52-5 overall record to the state meet.

Tyler Cross gave the Patriots a championship at 113. He was able to pin Fairmont Senior’s Austin Patterson in 3:03. Cross takes a 52-6 record to Huntington where the junior will face Region IV fourth-place finisher Zach Myers (18-20) from University High.

The next Washington titleist was at 120 where senior Austin Reynolds ran his record to 48-8 with a pin fall over Hedgesville’s Steve Hite in 2:54. Reynolds has a first-round match at the state meet against Region III fourth-place finisher Rodello Cerda (31-19) from Beckley Woodrow Wilson.

At 132, it was Gunnar Wilt giving Coach Codie Gustines another weight-division champion. Wilt posted a 9-3 decision over Fairmont Senior’s Anthony Alvaro. The win gave Wilt, a senior, a 51-7 overall record to take against Wheeling Park’s Jonny Davis, the Region I fourth-place finisher whose record is 28-12.

Washington’s fifth individual champion was Dylan Ceravalo at 145 pounds. Ceravalo, a junior, had a 9-0 major decision win over Musselman’s Danny Arndt that improved his overall record to 52-3. At the state meet in Huntington, Ceravalo’s initial match will pit him against Region IV fourth-place finisher Chris Rollyson of Hurricane. Rollyson had a 14-13 overall record.

Micah Skubon was Washington’s 195-pound champion when he won by decision over Jaron Summers of Fairmont Senior. Skubon’s 13-7 win pushed his overall record to 36-9 and sent him to Huntington where his first match will be against Region III’s Daniel Nolte from Buckhannon. The sophomore Nolte compiled a 29-8 overall record.

At 220, Washington’s Ashby Heath became another of the Patriots’ individual champions. Heath registered 4-2 decision over East Fairmont’s Logan Bowman. When he goes into his first match in Huntington, Heath (37-16 overall) will be in against Region IV’s fourth-place wrestler, A.J. Covert, a junior from Winfield High, whose record was 30-9.

Also qualifying for the state meet from Washington were senior Jonathan Wimer at 126 and Zane Bradbury at 160. Wimer finished third and will take his 45-15 record against Region IV runner-up Chance Donahue (19-14 overall) from Huntington High. Bradbury finished fourth in the Region II tournament. The sophomore has a 20-27 record to carry to Huntington where he faces unbeaten Region III champion Elijah Hull (53-0) from Lewis County.

Jefferson High qualified three wrestlers for the state tournament. The Cougars’ highest finish came from 182-pound Keynan Williams. Williams was second when he lost a 6-4 decision in the division finals to Preston’s Terrance Fanning. At Huntington, Williams will go against third-place finisher Nate Constante (University High), whose record is 37-8.

Lane Harder was third at 220 in the Region II tournament. His overall record is now 43-9 and in Huntington his first-round opponent will be Nigale Cabell, a sophomore from Huntington High whose record is 28-10. Cabell is the runner-up from Region IV.

Chris Yenchko, a junior, was fourth at 145 pounds. Yenchko has a 23-30 overall record to take to the state tournament where he will wrestle George Washington junior Jake Smith, the Region IV champion with a 44-5 record.

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