Photos by Karen Clark | Greene County News
Beavercreek’s Jeremy Sibrel takes on Mason’s Samer Sherman in the first-round of the district tournament Saturday. Sibrel won that match and finished fourth at 106 pounds to qualify for state.
Beavercreek’s Hunter Martin looks for some advice from his coach during a first-round match against West Clermont’s Cameron Mahaffey at 150 pounds. Martin won his first two-matches and finished fourth to qualify for state.
Tyler Hicks clings to Lakota West’s Will Allen during the 165-pound semifinals Saturday at Fairmont High School. Hicks won that match, 8-6, and finished second to become a three-time state qualifier.
KETTERING — Beavercreek will send three wrestlers to the state tournament this week in Columbus.
After not qualifying anyone last year, the Beavers had freshman Jeremy Sibrel (fourth at 106), senior Hunter Martin (fourth) at 150, and senior Tyler Hicks (second at 165) advance from the district tournament at Fairmont Saturday. Hicks is a three-time qualifier, while Martin becomes the third generation of his family to make it to state, following his father, Jarrod, and his grandfather, Barry.
Xenia had four qualify for the district — junior Devon Dodge (132), freshman Otis Boyette (138), sophomore Ronnie Butler (215), and senior Jamell Smith (285). An injury kept Smith, a returning state qualifier, from participating. Fairborn had junior Jeremy Sanchez at 215.
Sibrel won his first match by 12-3 major decision over Samer Sherman of Mason and then beat Miamisburg’s Matthew Wright 7-4 to reach the semis. He was pinned by eventual champ Adam Gelman of Sycamore in 4:47. In his first consolation match, Sibrel beat Demarco Kates of Colerain, 2-1 before losing the third place match to Harrison’s Brody Palm by fall at 2:59.
Sibrel will face Hoover district champion Rylan Seacrist, a freshman from Brecksville-Broadview Heights.
Martin beat Cameron Mahaffey by 11-2 major decision in the first round and then beat Sammy Dillon of Talawanda by 18-3 tech fall in the second round. Martin lost, 12-6, to Eugene Haney of Sycamore in the semifinals. In the consolation semis, Martin beat Maddox Carter of Harrison, 4-2, before dropping a 5-3 decision to Flint Guerra of Lebanon in the third-place match.
That match was 2-2 heading into the third period but an early escape and a takedown with 34 seconds gave Guerra the match. Martin earned an escape with 23 seconds left but could not come up with the tying takedown. Martin will face Hilliard Davidson district champion Tyler Deericks, a junior from Powell Olentangy Liberty.
Hicks pinned Lakota East’s Tyler Bryant in 1:05 in the first round and defeated Milford’s Austin Holman, 7-2, in the second round. In the semis, Hicks beat Lebanon’s Brycen Alley, 8-6. In the championship match, Hicks and Carson Thomas of LaSalle wrestled to a scoreless first period before Thomas took control in the second, going up 3-0 and 5-1 before the winning fall at 3:49.
Hicks will face Hoover district champion Caleb Ridgley, a senior from Macedonia Nordonia.
“Going 0 for three in the finals, that’s a little bitter pill to swallow,” Coach Gary Wise said. “(But) the point is to get (to state). We’ll have No. 1s in two of those weight classes, No. 3 in the other. I’m OK with that, they’ve shown they can compete.”
After not qualifying last year, Wise said Hicks didn’t change anything other than dropping down a weight class.
“Just got working,” Wise said. “He put a lot of time in, that’s for sure.”
Dodge lost his first match by fall in 5:18 to eventual champ Molden Huhn of LaSalle and then lost his first consolation match, 8-6, to Isaiah Nichols of Trenton Edgewood.
Boyette lost his first match to Fairfield’s Tannar Beermann by fall in 54 seconds and beat Carson Leach of Monroe 8-3 in the first consolation match before being pinned by Centerville’s Griffin Burkle in 3:35 in the second consolation match.
Butler beat Lakota West’s Cory Whatley, 8-3, in the first round before losing, 3-2, to Lebanon’s Tanner Smith in the second round. He lost his first consolation match by 12-4 major decision to Justin Hicks of West Clermont.
Sanchez lost by fall in 1:49 to eventual runner-up Aidan Weimer of Springboro and then pinned Jay Taylor of Middletown in 1:52 in the first consolation match. He lost by fall in 3:27 to Brentan Simmerman of Little Miami in his second consolation match.
Contact Scott Halasz at 937-502-4507.
