Photo by Kim North Barnesville’s Bentley Stephen earns back points before pinning Garaway’s Brennon Featheringham in 30 seconds of their 126-pound bout during the Ohio High School Wrestling Coaches Association Division III regional team duals inside ‘The Greenhouse’ Saturday afternoon. The Shamrocks won, 38-24, to punch their ticket to the state duals next weekend at Marion Elgin High School.

BARNESVILLE — Five Ohio Valley Athletic Conference wrestling teams competed in the Ohio High School Wrestling Coaches Association regional team duals on Saturday, but only one punched its ticket to the state duals next weekend.

Barnesville won both its Division III duals inside ‘The Greenhouse’ over Bidwell River Valley (57-17) and Garaway (38-24) to advance to Marion Elgin High School next Saturday.

It marks the sixth straight appearance — in as many years that the event has been held.

“We finally wrestled as a team today,” veteran Barnesville head coach Jayson Stephen said. “We had to bump up because of who they were sending out. It worked out.”

The Shamrocks won the first five matches in building a huge lead.

“Just starting right off the rip we got the forfeit at 113, but the 120-pound match was a huge one, but so was 126 and 132,” Stephen said as his team bolted to a 28-0 lead after Teigun Frame was awarded a forfeit at 138.

Providing the early points were freshman Hoyt Hartshorn (113) who was also given a forfeit, while classmates Jaxon Aberegg (120) posted a 20-6 major decision and Bentley Stephen (126) registered a lightning-quick pin in just 30 seconds. Sophomore Haden Bowman (132) continued the win streak with a fall in 1:30.

With all the bumping around, freshman Ryder King (144) was paired with the Pirates’ Mitchell Tetreault, a returning state placer. The Garaway junior earned a 8-6 decision to get his team on the scoreboard, 28-3.

“We knew he would have his hands full, but we were confident that he could handle it,” Stephen said. “He was right there and went for it, but just didn’t get it. That was alright, though.”

Barnesville prevailed in the next two matches as junior Colt Carpenter (150) posted a 9-1 major decision and classmate Brayden Trigg (157) won a back-and-forth bout with Alex Hamsher, 13-7. Trigg led 5-0 after one period, but gave up seven quick points in the second before rallying for a reversal and three-point near fall in the final seconds of the second period to take a 10-7 lead. He registered a takedown in the third for a 13-7 victory which bumped the team score to 35-3.

“With the bumping we knocked a kid (freshman Knoxx Mankin) out of our lineup, but these kids know if it doesn’t work, then it’s my fault,” Coach Stephen said. “It worked out this time. Nobody gave us a chance to win, but we found a way.”

Garaway won five of the last six matches, with Barnesville senior Hines Ford collecting a 4-0 triumph at 175 which clinched the dual.

In the Lower Bracket victory over Bidwell River Valley, the Shamrocks won the first seven matches before losing. Bowman, King and Carpenter all recorded pins, while Hartshorn earned a 9-8 decision. Easton Stephen (106), Aberegg and Bentley Stephen were all awarded forfeits.

Ford, Austin Armstrong (190) and Zachary Foster (285) all had pins.

Barnesville won’t know its opponent until sometime Tuesday.

At Waynedale, the top-seeded Golden Bears breezed past No. 4 Union Local, 53-18, in the Upper Bracket championship match after receiving a forfeit from No. 8 Caldwell.

The Jets trailed 47-0 before capturing four of the final five bouts. Gunnar Gossett (165) won by 15-0 technical fall; Ethan Meyer (175) recorded a 7-0 decision; Brody Perzanowski (190) had a pin in 1:11; and Kolten Snyder (215) posted a 17-1 technical fall.

In the semifinals, Union Local outscored No. 5 Martins Ferry, 44-33.

Picking up victories were Max Dubiel (120, forfeit); Cole Rogers (126, pin); Gamble Gossertt (132, pin); Dominic Crum (165, pin); Gunnar Gossett (175, technical fall); Meyer (190, forfeit); Perzanowski (215, pin); and Snyder (285, decision).

Earning points for the Purple Riders were Brycen Yourkovich (106, pin); Jayce Nixon (113, forfeit); Colton Nixon (138, pin); Keenan Lucey (144, pin); Cole Patterson (150, decision) and Mason Baker (157, forfeit).

DIVISION II

At New Lexington, No. 5 Indian Valley upset No. 4 Steubenville, 48-26, in a semifinal match. Big Red then received a bye for third.

Earning points in the loss were Derek Williams (106) and Jailen Steave (113) who staked Steubenville to a 12-0 margin with second-period pins. However, Indian Valley prevailed in the next eight matches — five by pins — to take control.

Big Red received a 4-1 sudden-victory decision by Landon Crosier (175); a 19-4 technical fall from Colt Gamble (215) and a pin in 2:40 by Beau Hudson (285).

Beaver Local, the No. 3 seed, dropped a 36-34 semifinal decision to sixth-seeded Carrollton and then fell, 43-34, to No. 2 Claymont to finish fourth.

New Lexington, the No. 1 seed, defeated Indian Valley in the Upper Bracket finals, 51-27, while No. 7 West Holmes knocked off Carrollton, 37-30, to win the Lower Bracket.

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