T-LPhoto/KIM NORTH WHEELING PARK’S Canon Welker tries for a reversal against Indian Creek’s Reese Spencer during their 160-pound bout Wednesday night at the seventh annual OVAC Bill Hinegardner Class 5A Dual Meet Championships inside the Moundsville Junior High Fieldhouse. Welker earned a 17-2 technical fall as the Patriots defended their title with wins over Weir and Indian Creek.

MOUNDSVILLE — A year ago, Wheeling Park won the OVAC Bill Hinegardner Class 5A Dual Meet Championship on paper due to Mother Nature. Wednesday night, the battle-tested Patriots breezed to the same crown with lop-sided victories over Weir and Indian Creek.

A late January ice storm forced postponement of last year’s event, with the top seed in each division being awarded the championship.

The top-seeded Patriots roared past the No. 4 Red Riders, 76-6, in the semifinals, while the No. 2 Redskins outlasted fourth-seeded Jefferson County rival Steubenville, 34-29. Wheeling Park topped Indian Creek, 50-23. Steubenville bested Weir, 66-12, for third place.

“We weren’t 100 percent tonight but the guys came in and wrestled hard. It’s tough for any team to be 100 percent after OVACs while trying to peak for the state tournament,” second-year Wheeling Park head coach Brian Leggett said. “Coming here and getting to wrestle good teams and winning like we did just proves how hard these guys work in the (wrestling) room.”

The Patriots were without Hunter Nixon (170) and a heavyweight.

The championship match started at 113 and Wheeling Park wasted little time in taking command as OVAC Ron Mauck Tournament champion Cody Taggart gave the Patriots a 6-0 lead with a first-period pin of Tyler Sipes. A forfeit win by Nate Shelek (120) and a lightning-quick 32-second fall for Bradyn Lucas (126) made it 18-0.

Nathan Martin (132) stopped the Ohio Countians run when he pinned Lucas Nolte late in the first period.

However, the Red-White-and-Blue captured the next four bouts — a decision, a major decision and two technical falls — for a commanding, 35-6, margin.

OVAC Ron Mauck Tournament champion Andrew Shelek (138) started the winning stretch with a 11-6 decision over C.J. Spencer and Stevie Mitchell (145) scored a 17-7 major nod over Jeremy Brown. Back-to-back technical falls came from Billy Gooch (152) and Canon Welker (160). Gooch prevailed 16-1 and Welker, who had to withstand a bloody nose for most of his match, 17-2.

Austin Starr (170) got the Redskins back in the win column when he pinned Adam Angel in 3:40.

The Patriots’ Erick Brothers (182) didn’t waste any time in pinning Gavin Dondzila in a mere 51-seconds. Charlie Tamburin (220) doubled up Tyler Smarrella, 4-2. The other Wheeling Park victor was Quinton Velas (106) who won by forfeit.

Indian Creek’s Elijah Llewellyn (195) posted a 16-0 technical fall over Garret Parsons.

“We’re happy with the way we performed tonight. We knew Wheeling Park was really good. We knew Steubenville was really good,” Indian Creek head coach Brandon Pendleton said. “We knew we had to come in and battle, and that’s what we do every time we hit the mat.

“I can’t say my guys backed down from them. I thought we wrestled well.”

Andrew Shelek said it feels good to double up.

“This was one of our goals we set before the season started. Two weeks ago we wanted to win the OVAC Ron Mauck Tournament, but we came up short but now we win this tonight,” he said. “It’s a great feeling … a truly unbelievable one right now.”

In the semifinals, Wheeling Park received first-period pins from Nate Shelek, Gooch, Welker and Brothers, with Brothers needing a mere 27 ticks, in their rout of the Red Riders, whose lone win came from heavyweight Jordan Brueck by forfeit.

Indian Creek out-pointed Steubenville in a back-and-forth match that saw seven lead changes, with the lead switching hands in each of the last five bouts.

Big Red took a 29-28 lead after 220-pound Spencer Ostovich recorded a takedown just ahead of the final buzzer for a 3-1 lead. However, the Redskins claimed the match when heavyweight Evan Merryman pinned Peyton Tuttle in 45 seconds.

“I’m really happy with our performance in that match,” Pendleton said of his first win over Steubenville. “We lost to them earlier in the season.

It marked the first time Indian Creek has defeated Big Red in dual-meet action since current Steubenville head coach Mike Blackburn was leading the Redskins some 15 years ago.

Steubenville competed without three starters who were out with injuries. They included Anthony Hill, Ethan Waggoner and Tyler Muldrew.

PIN FALLS

∫ The event’s namesake, Bill Hinegardner, was in attendance along with former JM coaches Ed Dugas and Ted Zervos; OVAC Ron Mauck Tournament Director Dr. Dan Doyle; Tournament namesake Ron Mauck; and OVAC representatives Tom Rataiczak and Dirk DeCoy.

∫ The Class 3A/4A and Class 1A/2A portions of the championship duals will be held tonight at Brooke High School in Wellsburg. Wrestling begins at 6.