Teams of the Week – Dec. 14
Team(s) of the Week: St. Edward takes its shot; Don’t forget Hermiston (Oregon), Tulsa (Oklahoma) Union and Wichita (Kansas) Bishop Carroll High Schools
By Rob Sherrill, W.I.N. High School Editor
For the first time in at least four years, Lakewood (Ohio) St. Edward High is No. 1.
The Eagles made up for some recent near-misses in the Walsh Jesuit Ironman Invitational last week with a 260-237 victory over nemesis Blairstown (N.J.) Blair Academy that was, in fact, a true-team effort.
The Eagles didn’t have the most champions … with upper-weight OW Chris Honeycutt (189) their only individual winner, St. Edward finished third in that department behind Blair (four champions) and fourth-place Lombard (Ill.) Montini High (two).
They didn’t have the most finalists; their three tied them with intra-state rival St. Paris Graham High, well behind Blair’s six.
But St. Edward’s five third-place finishers — three of whom finished their tournaments with four consecutive victories — provided more than enough for the winning margin of victory. Overall, the Eagles placed 10, eight in the top three.
St. Edward, however, did have some competition for Team of the Week honors.
• With four champions, Hermiston (Ore.) High won the four-state, 19-team Inland Empire Invitational at Veradale (Wash.) Central Valley High. Hermiston’s loaded middle and upper weights were dominant in the event as seven wrestlers from 140 up advanced to the finals. Taking titles were Ryan Barton (152), Randy Larson (160), Troy Kessell (215) and Garrett Later (285). Even an upset loss by state champion Brent Parks — he fell 7-4 to Washington state place-winner Anthony Varnell of Spokane Lewis & Clark High in the 140-pound final — couldn’t derail the Hermiston express. Cadet National place-winners Braden Mowry (103) of Coeur d’Alene (Idaho) High, Jake Love (112) of Missoula (Mont.) Sentinel High and Brian Owen (125) of Spokane University High were other notable champions.
• Despite Junior National champion Jamal Parks’ 3-2 loss to Dallas (Texas) Bishop Lynch High’s Luke Silver in a battle of future Oklahoma State teammates in the 140-pound final — a victory that earned Silver OW honors — Tulsa (Okla.) Union High romped in its own tournament, scoring 284.5 points to 182 for El Reno High and 180 for Broken Arrow High. Heath Jackson (119) and Oklahoma recruit Seth Vernon (145) won titles for Union, which ruled the middle weights and placed 10. Junior National placewinner Matt Bryan (135) of Broken Arrow also turned in a signature win, blanking Cadet National champion C.J. Napier of Columbus (Kan.) High, 7-0. At 152, El Reno’s Chris Hacker turned around the rankings as well with his 7-3 victory over Bishop Lynch’s Johnny Koepp. Bishop Lynch (147 points) finished fifth.
• Spurred by Josh Keller’s 5-2 victory over Cadet National place-winner Ladd Rupp of Perry (Okla.) High in a battle of state champions in the 103-pound final, defending Kansas Class 5A champion Wichita Bishop Carroll High (168.5) edged Oklahoma powers Catoosa High (163.5), Ponca City (162.5), Midwest City High (158.5) and Muskogee High (150) in the Perry Tournament of Champions. Twin brother Jordan Keller also won at 112, as did Mitch Arnold (140), 7-4 over state champion Derek Ward of Locust Grove High, and Kyle Detmer (145). At 130, Catoosa freshman Ben Morgan scored a technical fall over two-time state champion Trey Branscum of Ponca City and Cadet National place-winner Dallas Bailey also won at 152, as did Stillwater High state champions Chris Perry (171) and Walter Clarke (189).
By Rob Sherrill, W.I.N. High School Editor
For the first time in at least four years, Lakewood (Ohio) St. Edward High is No. 1.
The Eagles made up for some recent near-misses in the Walsh Jesuit Ironman Invitational last week with a 260-237 victory over nemesis Blairstown (N.J.) Blair Academy that was, in fact, a true-team effort.
The Eagles didn’t have the most champions … with upper-weight OW Chris Honeycutt (189) their only individual winner, St. Edward finished third in that department behind Blair (four champions) and fourth-place Lombard (Ill.) Montini High (two).
They didn’t have the most finalists; their three tied them with intra-state rival St. Paris Graham High, well behind Blair’s six.
But St. Edward’s five third-place finishers — three of whom finished their tournaments with four consecutive victories — provided more than enough for the winning margin of victory. Overall, the Eagles placed 10, eight in the top three.
St. Edward, however, did have some competition for Team of the Week honors.
• With four champions, Hermiston (Ore.) High won the four-state, 19-team Inland Empire Invitational at Veradale (Wash.) Central Valley High. Hermiston’s loaded middle and upper weights were dominant in the event as seven wrestlers from 140 up advanced to the finals. Taking titles were Ryan Barton (152), Randy Larson (160), Troy Kessell (215) and Garrett Later (285). Even an upset loss by state champion Brent Parks — he fell 7-4 to Washington state place-winner Anthony Varnell of Spokane Lewis & Clark High in the 140-pound final — couldn’t derail the Hermiston express. Cadet National place-winners Braden Mowry (103) of Coeur d’Alene (Idaho) High, Jake Love (112) of Missoula (Mont.) Sentinel High and Brian Owen (125) of Spokane University High were other notable champions.
• Despite Junior National champion Jamal Parks’ 3-2 loss to Dallas (Texas) Bishop Lynch High’s Luke Silver in a battle of future Oklahoma State teammates in the 140-pound final — a victory that earned Silver OW honors — Tulsa (Okla.) Union High romped in its own tournament, scoring 284.5 points to 182 for El Reno High and 180 for Broken Arrow High. Heath Jackson (119) and Oklahoma recruit Seth Vernon (145) won titles for Union, which ruled the middle weights and placed 10. Junior National placewinner Matt Bryan (135) of Broken Arrow also turned in a signature win, blanking Cadet National champion C.J. Napier of Columbus (Kan.) High, 7-0. At 152, El Reno’s Chris Hacker turned around the rankings as well with his 7-3 victory over Bishop Lynch’s Johnny Koepp. Bishop Lynch (147 points) finished fifth.
• Spurred by Josh Keller’s 5-2 victory over Cadet National place-winner Ladd Rupp of Perry (Okla.) High in a battle of state champions in the 103-pound final, defending Kansas Class 5A champion Wichita Bishop Carroll High (168.5) edged Oklahoma powers Catoosa High (163.5), Ponca City (162.5), Midwest City High (158.5) and Muskogee High (150) in the Perry Tournament of Champions. Twin brother Jordan Keller also won at 112, as did Mitch Arnold (140), 7-4 over state champion Derek Ward of Locust Grove High, and Kyle Detmer (145). At 130, Catoosa freshman Ben Morgan scored a technical fall over two-time state champion Trey Branscum of Ponca City and Cadet National place-winner Dallas Bailey also won at 152, as did Stillwater High state champions Chris Perry (171) and Walter Clarke (189).