Blackwell wrecks competition at Regionals- Moves onto state

by John Mitchell

One week after winning the class 3A Dual State Championship, the Blackwell Maroon grapplers travelled to Perry to participate in the Class 3A Regional Tournament. The Maroons made short work of the competition, carrying a 95-point lead over the closest competitor, Comanche, into the second day of the tournament.

12 out of 15 Maroons made it to the championship matches on the second day, with the other three making it to the third and fourth place matches.

The Maroons finished the tournament with 324.5 points, with Comanche a distant 2nd with 214.5 points and Perry even further back, finishing in 3rd place with 182.5 points. Rounding out the rest of the field of teams were Sulphur with 177 points, Vinita with 152 points, Pawnee with 139 points, Watonga with 124 points, Hinton with 119.5 points, Tonkawa with 96.5 points, Kingfisher with 89 points, Davis with 83 points, Perkins-Tryon with 75 points, Little Axe with 71.5 points and Newkirk with 97 points. The Maroons are one step closer to the team goal of two championship trophies for the 2022-2023 season.

12 Maroon wrestlers advanced from the regional tournament to the 2023 Class 3A State Tournament which will be held at the “Big House”, Jim Norick Arena, at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds in Oklahoma City Friday, February 24th, and Saturday, February 25th. A pep assembly will be held on Wednesday, February 23rd from 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm at the Charles Hetrick Fieldhouse. The boys’ send-off will be held Thursday, February 25th at 12:30 pm. The team will travel north on Main Street and then west on Doolin Ave. Fans are encouraged to line the path with signs, horns, and voices to show support as the team leaves town.

2023 Class 3A Regional Tournament Results:

106 lbs Jaxson Brown placed 1st and scored 30.0 team points. Champ. Round 1 – won by fall over Drew Ensey (Hobart) 2-15 (Fall 0:13) Quarterfinal won by fall over Koby Stokesberry (Tonkawa) 0-2 (Fall 0:48) Semifinal - won by fall 27-12 over Ryker Ernce (Perry) 4-1 (Fall 3:55) 1st Place Match - won by fall over Noah Heitland (Sulphur) 21-9 (Fall 1:21)

113 lbs Louden Wolfe (29- 12) placed 2nd and scored 23.5 team points.Champ. Round 1 - won by fall over Jarret Thomas (Little Axe) 16-14 (Fall 1:07) Quarterfinal - won by fall over Ethan Bradley (Pauls Valley) 0-2 (Fall 0:48) Semifinal - won by tech fall over Landon Jones (Sulphur) 25-8 (TF-1.5 5:08 (16- 0))1st Place Match – lost by decision 4-0 to Zane Donley (Vinita) 41-3 120 lbs Beau Murphy (29- 12) placed 1st and scored 27.0 team points. Champ. Round 1 - won by fall over Alijandro Rivera (Mangum) 1-2 (Fall 2:49) Quarterfinal - won by major decision 13-1 over Carson Avery (Perry) 1-2, Semifinal - won by fall over Colton Mills (Newkirk) 29-10 (Fall 3:33) 1st Place Match - won by decision 11-8 over Cadyn Burns (Perkins-Tryon) 21-8

126 lbs Kaiden Ailey (30- 10) placed 1st and scored 33.0 team points. Champ. Round 1 - won by fall over Austin Compton (Cashion High School) 1-2 (Fall 0:31) Champ. Round 2 - won by fall over Brycen Rasnic (Hinton) 23-14 (Fall 1:34) Quarterfinal - won by fall over Chase Moore (Tonkawa Jr Sr) 1-2 (Fall 0:41) Semifinal - won by fall over Ean Wells (Community Christian) 23-9 (Fall 4:43) 1st Place Match - won by major decision 14-4 over Gant Browning (Kingfisher) 29-11

132 lbs Jake Miller (32- 7) placed 1st and scored 31.0 team points. Champ. Round 1 - won by fall over Blain Gibbs (Plainview) 19-8 (Fall 5:19) Champ. Round 2 - won by major decision 11-3 over Brandon Lamar (Vian) 18-13 Quarterfinal - won by fall over Jayden Drake (Perkins-Tryon) 4-11 (Fall 0:25) Semifinal - won by major decision 16-5 over Jagor Turner (Hinton) 23-12 1st Place Match - won by major decision 15-3 over Legend Yates (Comanche) 26-1.

138 lbs Kasen O`Dell (30- 12) placed 2nd and scored 23.0 team points. Champ. Round 1 - received a bye Champ. Round 2 – won by major decision 12-2 over Davis Reents (Hobart) 18- 16 Quarterfinal - won by fall over Dalton Pierce (Tonkawa Jr Sr) 3-3 (Fall 3:35) Semifinal - won by decision 9-4 over Coleman Kauffman (Vinita) 27-16 1st Place Match – lost by decision 9-2 to Grady Mittasch (Pawnee) 43-1

144 lbs Grant Rowe (29- 13) placed 3rd and scored 22.0 team points. Champ. Round 1 - received a bye, Champ. Round 2 - won by fall over Beau Berry (Perry) 3-2 (Fall 1:11) Quarterfinal - won by decision 4-1 over Ethan May (Davis) 30-9 Dec Semifinal – lost by fall to Dakota Dahlenburg (Hinton) (Fall 5:42) Cons. Semi-won by fall over Ayden Perez (Watonga) 33-10 (Fall 1:02) 3rd Place Match - won by fall over Ethan May (Davis) 30-9 (Fall 3:32)

150 lbs Lawson Lusk (24- 13) placed 3rd and scored 24.0 team points. Champ. Round 1 - received a bye, Champ. Round 2 - won by fall over Aidan Withrow (Bethel) 0-2 (Fall 1:18) Quarterfinal - won by fall over Levi Owen (Vinita) 17-20 (Fall 1:47) Semifinal – lost by fall to Jadin Howard (Tonkawa Jr Sr) 34-5 (Fall 1:41) Cons. Semi-won by fall over David Ramos (Little Axe) 22-12 (Fall 1:10) 3rd Place Match - won by fall over Maddax Mobly (Sulphur) 27-8 (Fall 4:24) 157 lbs Laker Ingram (6-6) scored 4.0 team points. Champ. Round 1 - won by fall over Julio Ramirez (Hennessey) 3-23 (Fall 0:15) Quarterfinal – lost by fall to Noah Presgrove (Comanche) 35-5 (Fall 3:00) Cons. Round 2 – lost by decision 5-4 to Kaleb Madron (Sulphur) 14-11

165 lbs Zaine McDonald (8-8) scored 9.0 team points. Champ. Round 1 - won by fall over David Gonzalez (Hennessey) 1-11 (Fall 0:41) Champ. Round 2 - won by fall over Robert Hughes (Little Axe) 28-10 (Fall 5:09) Quarterfinal – lost by decision 11-6 to Dayson Cash (Watonga) Cons. Round 4 - won by decision 11-9 over Caleb Medlock (Vinita) 20-21 Cons. Round 5 - lost by fall to Luke Johnson (Davis) 32-13 (Fall 7:38) 175 lbs Jason Osgood (27- 12) placed 2nd and scored 24.0 team points. Champ. Round 1-received a bye, Champ. Round2 - won by fall over Jake Green(Mangum) 2-2 (Fall 0:55) Quarterfinal - won by fall over TristanDobbins (Watonga) 28-11 (Fall1:14) Semifinal - won by decision 3-0 over Langston Pratt(Hinton) 31-12 1st Place Match– lost by decision 3-2 to KalebOwen (Perry) 43-2

190 lbs Kruz Goff (35- 4) placed 1st and scored 32.0team points. Champ. Round 1 -received a bye, Champ. Round2 - won by fall over Robert Barnett (Kingfisher) 16-13 (Fall0:57) Quarterfinal - won by fallover Garren Green (Sulphur)2-2 (Fall 0:25) Semifinal – won by fall over Rance Digby (Davis) 24-12 (Fall 0:44) 1st PlaceMatch - won by fall over TregBowman (Perry) 44-7 (Fall 1:34)

215 lbs Kolby Looper (28- 11) placed 2nd and scored 26.0team points. Champ. Round1 - won by fall over Joe Wilson(Cordell) 1-2 (Fall 1:46) Champ.Round 2 - won by fall over Landon Schroeder (Kingfisher) 2-18(Fall 1:46) Quarterfinal - won byfall over Mason Tomlinson (Davis) 25-12 (Fall 0:51) Semifinal- won in the ultimate tiebreaker6-5 over Ryan Lytal (Hinton)34-8, 1st Place Match – lost bydecision 5-1 to Kooper Doucet(Comanche) 31-4

285 lbs J.D. McCleary (28- 9) placed 4th and scored 16.0team points. Champ. Round1 - received a bye, Champ.Round 2 - won by fall over Connor McClendon (Pawnee) 29-16(Fall 3:29) Quarterfinal - won intiebreaker #1 2-1 over BraxtonShellstrom (Kingfisher) 19-10,Semifinal – lost by fall to JustusGilliam (Sulphur) 34-1, Cons.Semi-won by decision 8-1 overTitan Hix (Hennessey) 28-8, 3rdPlace Match – lost by decision3-0 to Chadd Kriz (Little Axe)30-4