File Photo Wheeling Central’s Isaac Martin was one of two Maroon Knights to capture championships Saturday night at the Panther Classic inside Buckeye Local High School. He won the 215-pound weight class. Wyatt Brady (165) was the other.

CONNORVILLE — Perennial W.Va. Class AA Fairmont Senior is 4-for-4 in trips to the Ohio Valley over the last two wrestling seasons. Saturday night, the Polar Bears defended their team title at the Panther Classic inside Buckeye Local High School with 277 points, which was nearly 100 better than runner up Hilliard Bradley (186).

The Marion Countians also had five individuals crowned as champions. Only two other schools — Indian Creek and Wheeling Central had more than one as both had two.

Five other schools had one each, including Bridgeport, Edison, Fairless, Indian Valley and Mercer (Pa.).

Fairless finished third with 175.5, which nipped Indian Valley (175). Martins Ferry was fifth with 161.5 while Indian Creek (160); Weir (146) and Wheeling Central (142.5) were sixth, seventh and eighth, respectively. The host Panthers and Edison tied for ninth at 138. The host Panthers and Edison tied for ninth at 138. Fairmont Senior has also won back-to-back titles at the Cameron Invitational.

“The kids wrestled well today,” Fairmont Senior head coach Mike Fortier said. “This is a great tournament. We like coming here.

“We had four holes in our lineup, but all the kids who came up here today wrestled their guts out. They always do. It’s wrestling. We had five freshmen in the lineup. I’m super proud.”

Claiming titles for the Polar Bears were Bryce Nichols (106); Maximus Fortier (144); Hunter Spitznogle (150); Gavin Michael (175) and Kaleb Arbogast (285). Spitznogle, who is ranked No. 1 in the Mountain State, was voted the Most Outstanding Wrestler by tournament coaches and presented the Gary Glover Memorial Trophy. He won by pin in 4:10. Nichols, Fortier and Arbogast are all second in their respective Class A/AA weight classes, according to wvmat.com. Michael is third.

Despite a short-handed lineup, head coach Rick Welker was proud of how his Maroon Knights competed, especially champions Wyatt Brady (165) and Isaac Martin (215).

Brady, who is listed as No. 2 in W.Va. Class A/AA, recorded four takedowns in avenging a loss to Indian Creek’s Ethan Llewellyn, 10-3.

“Wyatt lost to that kids in the OVACs but he came out today and did a nice job. I don’t think he could have wrestled any better today,” Welker noted. “It was a dominant performance. He was in control the entire match.”

Martin, who is also No. 2, had a little easier time as he dispatched Indian Valley’s Jaxon Burcher in 1:54. Martin went ahead 2-0 with a takedown and put Burcher on his back shortly after that.

“That kid is a good kid. I think he is ranked in the top 10 in Ohio Division II. Isaac really feels comfortable in scrambles and I don’t think we caught the kid, but Isaac was in the right position.”

The Redskins two titlists were Gavin Pownall (157) and Luke McMillion (190). Pownall posted a pin of Edison’s Cole Pittman in 4:53 while leading 9-0. McMillion decisioned Weir’s unseeded Joshua DeFelice 11-5 for his title.

Bridgeport’s Josh Noble (132) and Edison’s Caiden Cooley (138) were the other two local champs. Noble pinned Ellwood City’s Gavin McClure in 2:27 and Cooley pinned Fairmont Senior’s Caden Michalski in 3:48.

Other titlists included Fairless’s Joe Slatzer (113) who pinned Fairmont Senior’s top-ranked Triston Wills in 2:46; Indian Valley’s Nile Abbuhl (120) who outlasted Fairmont Senior’s Haydyn Spitznogle, 3-1, in overtime; and Mercer’s Carter Wise (126) who posted a technical fall over Buckeye Local’s Aiden Dentz.