BATAVIA — One week before the team heads to Columbus for the state quarterfinals, the Western Brown Broncos wrestling team had other business to take care of.
The Broncos joined the Bethel-Tate Tigers and the rest of the Southern Buckeye Athletic and Academic Conference at Batavia High School Saturday morning for the SBAAC Tournament.
When the dust settled, the Broncos took home the league trophy, earning 229 points to defeat the Williamsburg Wildcats by 65. The Tigers came in third, 11 points behind the Wildcats.
Jed Marlow and Trey Sander represented the Broncos and Tigers, respectively, in the 106 pound class. Marlow pinned Batavia’s Josh Asbury in 38 seconds to advance to the semifinals, where he earned a victory over CNE’s Zack Gutknecht to earn a trip to the title match. Sander had a bye in the quarterfinals, but he defeated Norwood’s Jasper Johnson in the semis to advance in the bracket. Marlow picked up the win for the Broncos, pinning Sander in 2:10.
The Tigers and Broncos met again in the championship of the 113 pound class. Brandon Lucas pinned New Richmond’s Elijah Worley while Brad Young earned a major decision victory (16-4) over Williamsburg’s Caleb Nipper. Lucas then tech falled Young 18-1 to win the title.
In the 120-pound class, Seth Taylor started his round with a pin of Bethel senior Eric Perry. He then pinned Williamsburg’s Ezra Wallace in 1:37 before earning a 7-0 decision victory over Blanchester’s Brent Hopkins in the finals.
Bethel’s Jacob Petri and Western Brown’s Jordan Hamblin squared off in the first round of the 126-pound weight class. Hamblin earned the victory via a tech fall (15-0). In the semifinals, Hamblin again earned the win, pinning New Richmond’s Lane Dees in 3:56 to advance to the championships. However, Norwood sophomore and top-seed Casey Ragle would earn the 5-2 decision victory to take the title.
Western Brown’s Jacob Haggerty lost his quarterfinal match to Williamsburg senior and top-seed Kendal Johnson in the 132-pound class. Haggerty fought through the consolation bracket, defeating Bethel’s Matt Hall along the way, en route to a fourth-place finish.
In the 138-pound class, the Broncos and Tigers again met for a title. Top-seed Justin Hixson pinned Blanchester’s Hayden Tedrick in 1:53 to win his quarterfinal match. Meanwhile, Western Brown’s Derek Spears advanced with a pin of Batavia’s Brennen Smith in just 23 seconds to move to the semifinals.
Spears earned a 7-3 decision victory to move to the championship match against Hixson, who pinned Norwood’s Toron Brown in 5:32 to advance. Spears would earn the major decision victory (10-2) over Hixson.
Jake Henderson picked up another individual title for the Broncos in the 145-pound class. Henderson pinned Bethel’s Jonah Blankenship in 1:02 to move to the semifinals. He then pinned Blanchester’s Ramiro Torres in 3:01 to advance to the championship, where a pin of Batavia’s Jordan Cahall in 1:24 gave him the title.
Malachi Marlow also won an individual championship for Western Brown. Marlow won all three of his matches in the 152-pound class via pin, including one that lasted just 54 seconds. In the championship match, Marlow pinned Williamsburg’s Randy Thornberry in 1:06 to earn the title, his fourth SBAAC title in four years.
Western Brown’s Eric Altman drew the top seed in the 160-pound class and showed why, quickly dispatching Clermont Northeastern’s Noah Pennington in the quarterfinals. A 14-4 major decision victory over Bethel’s Owen Holtke sent Altman to the championship, where he won via forfeit. Holtke would finish fourth for the Tigers.
Western Brown’s Dylan Mosher and Bethel-Tate’s Jordan Newberry both fell to Williamsburg senior Dawson Davis in the 170-pound class. Mosher lost in the quarterfinals via pin at 1:31 while Newberry fell in the semis. Davis defeated Norwood’s Shavez Jackson 4-2 to earn the title.
The 182-pound class started a bit of a run for the Bethel-Tate Tigers. B.J. Ratcliff pinned Blanchester’s Austin Walker in 2:52 to addvance to the semifinals against Williamsburg’s Spencer Clowery. Ratcliff won that match, a 4-0 decision, as well, and earned the individual title by forfeit.
In the 195-pound class, Bethel-Tate senior Jeffrey Botts defeated New Richmond’s Gavin Kirshner via pin in 1:49 to advance to the championship match against Western Brown’s Jacob Altman. Botts won a 17-7 major decision to earn the title.
Wyatt O’Neil defeated Blanchester’s Cade Huston via a pin in 58 seconds to advance to the semifinals of the 220-pound class. O’Neil then defeated Williamsburg’s Dylan Bailey via a pin at the 2:35 mark to advance to the title match, where he fell to Norwood’s Mikey Addis.
The final weight class went to the Tigers. Kermit Beckworth won a 4-2 decision over Williamsburg’s Brian Stears to take the championship in the 285-pound class. Western Brown’s Zach Stacy lost to Beckworth in the quarterfinals, but rallied for a fourth-place finish.
Broncos head coach Wendel Donathan was named coach of the year in the SBAAC American Division. Lucas and Malachi Marlow were named co-wrestlers of the year in the American while Botts earned that honor in the National Division.
The Broncos return to action Sunday Feb. 14 at 11 a.m. against Mentor Lake Catholic in the quarterfinals of the state tournament.
