By Justin Jarrett
LowcoSports.com
Six of the 10 wrestlers from John Paul II who ventured to the SCISA Individual State Tournament on Saturday at Cardinal Newman returned with hardware, including a pair of state champions.
Brian Orta (132) and Daniel Synder (138) both claimed state titles for the Golden Warriors, as a result of grinding against one each other daily in the practice room. The preparation showed as Orta cruised through his bracket with a pair of pins before earning a hard-fought 17-11 decision over top-seeded Cooper Smythe of Cardinal Newman in the finals.
Snyder had a pin and a technical fall en route to the finals, where he fought off his back in the third period and scored a late pin to stun two-time state champion Jason Wagner of Cardinal Newman, avenging a loss in last year’s finals.
Jase Reynolds (120) and Jack Hannagan (150) each fell just short of joining their teammates atop the podium, claiming runner-up finishes. Reynolds lost by pin to Hammond’s Angesom Ladd, while Hannagan placed second for the second straight year, losing by technical fall to perhaps the most dominant wrestler in SCISA history, five-time champion Luke Martin of Hammond.
JPII’s Tripp Thiesen fought through the consolation bracket at 113 to place third, and Archer Dewig placed fourth at 165.
The Golden Warriors who placed in top three will have the opportunity to compete at the National Preps Qualifier at Strong Rock Christian High School in Locust Grove, Georgia, this Saturday. Wrestlers who place in the top three at the qualifier advance to the prestigious National Preps Championship at Lehigh University the following weekend.
“The future is bright for John Paul II wrestling,” JPII coach Greg Lonz said. “As coaches, we could not be prouder of the hard work and the never-give-up attitude of all of our wrestlers.”
SCISA Individual State Championship at Cardinal Newman
Lowco Medalists
113 | Tripp Thiesen, JPII (3rd | pinned Luciano Chavez, Trinity Collegiate)
120 | Jase Reyonds, JPII (2nd | pinned by Angesom Ladd, Hammond)
126 | Jacob Alfonso, THA (3rd | pinned Sam Kipp, Ben Lippen)
132 | Brian Orta, JPII (1st | dec. Cooper Smythe, Cardinal Newman)
138 | Daniel Snyder, JPII (1st | pinned Jason Wagner, Cardinal Newman)
150 | Jack Hannagan, JPII (2nd | tech fall to Luke Martin, Hammond)
150 | Hilton Nettles, PHA (4th | pinned by Charlie Jones, Cardinal Newman)
165 | Carter Sims, CPA (1st | pinned Joseph Sarji Camden, SC (Camden Military)
165 | Archer Dewig, JPII (4th | pinned by Drayton Miller, Trinity Collegiate)
175 | Kai Sobey, PHA (4th | dec. to Job Fitzpatrick, Cardinal Newman)
190 | Luke Sobey, PHA (1st | pinned James Lay, Hammond)
215 | Nicolas Blubaugh, CPA (3rd | dec. Jordan Kennedy, Heathwood)
