The Washington Blue Lions placed fourth out of 19 teams at their own bracket tournament held Saturday.
Campbell County, Ky. placed first with 212.5 points.
Fairmont was second with 168 points, followed by Bethel-Tate in third with 165.5 points and Washington with 148 points.
East Clinton was ninth with 58 points and Paint Valley was 15th with 17.5 points.
The Blue Lions had three weight class champions and three more competitors place in the top four.
Branton Dawes won at 126 pounds, Collier Brown captured the title at 220 pounds and Mason Mustain was first in the heavyweight class.
Kalub Wilkerson placed second at 152 pounds.
Bryce Warner placed third at 113 pounds for the Blue Lions and Josiah Whitt was fourth at 132 pounds.
“It was a very competitive, double-elimination, bracket-style tournament,” Washington head coach Louis Reid said. “We did our tournament this way to help wrestlers and teams prepare for the postseason. In the postseason, the run to the State tournament, it’s bracket-style, with two losses, you’re out of the tournament, in most cases.
“Last year, Bryce Warner (a sophomore) placed fourth at 106 pounds,” Reid said. “This year, he was third at 113. This is only his second year wrestling. He had a great tournament. He picked up three wins on the day. He’s a returning District qualifier for us.
“Branton Dawes (a sophomore) went through the bracket undefeated,” Reid said. “He went 4-0 on the day, including beating a wrestler who was State-ranked at No. 7 at 126 pounds.
“Branton normally wrestles at 120 pounds,” Reid said. “We wanted to get some good matches, so we moved him up (one weight class). Branton is now 36-1 on the year. He’s having a really good season.
“At 132 pounds, we have freshman Josiah Whitt,” Reid said. “In the past three weeks, we’ve seen a huge transformation in Josiah. The hard work he’s put in at the beginning of the season is now beginning to pay off for him in the second half of the season.
“He lost his first match, but won the next four,” Reid said. “That in itself says a lot. He had to forfeit his last match, because you are only allowed to wrestle five matches in a day. He wrestled really tough.
“We had senior Kalub Wilkerson at 152 pounds,” Reid said. “He had been struggling the past two weeks. He rolled his way to the finals. He won three matches by pin and then he was injured and had to forfeit in the finals. It was a shame he didn’t get to wrestle in the finals, but we decided to play it safe so he can be back wrestling this week.
“Senior Collier Brown won at 220 pounds,” Reid said. “He had a fantastic tournament. He was the No. 4 seed and he knocked off the No. 1 seed and the No. 3 seed on his way to the championship. He did it in impressive fashion. His closest match was in finals where he beat that kid, 10-5.
“The kid he beat in the semifinals, from Campbell County, Kentucky, was a returning fourth-place finisher at State in Kentucky,” Reid said. “He actually beat Collier earlier this season, so, that was a great win for Collier to pick up. He beat that kid, 10-2.
“Mason Mustain was a District qualifier last year, as was Collier Brown,” Reid said. “Mason did what he’s been doing all season. When he wins, he’s been pretty dominant. He had two pins, a win by major decision and he won pretty big in the finals (a 9-3 decision). He was a little bit under the weather. It was impressive to see him just manage his matches and kind of dominate on his way to the championship. He didn’t look to be in danger in any of his matches.
“He looks more comfortable now wrestling at heavyweight,” Reid said. “It was a little bit of a change for him. He was at 220 last year. The style difference between 220 and 285, there is a little bit of a difference.”
Washington will be competing in a tournament this weekend, Reid noted. Washington has two options for which tournament they will take part in, but that decision had not been finalized as of Monday at practice, Reid said. It will either be Carlisle or Buckeye Local, Reid said.
