PENDLETON, Ind. —
Pendleton Heights’ Mason Todd and Alexandria’s Luke Blanton won championships in their respective weight classes at Saturday’s Pendleton Heights Wrestling Regional as 15 local competitors survived to wrestle another week.
Both kept their undefeated records intact but the final match of the day couldn’t have gone any more differently.
Todd came into the 120-pound final against Lawrence North’s Alex Spraks ranked No. 1 by IndianaMat.com and No. 9 nationally in the weight class. Sparks is rated seventh in the state.
Todd was leading 4-2 when a gamble nearly cost the Arabians senior the regional title.
Todd dove for a takedown from a long way out without setting up his shot. Sparks got a hold of Todd’s head and then secured a leg and before a stunned crowd at Pendleton Heights, put Todd on his back.
If not for posting himself on his elbow to keep his shoulders off the ground, Todd would have been pinned by Sparks. Instead he trailed his opponent 7-4 going into the second period.
“I shot in without setting up and of course he put me straight (on) my back,” Todd said. “I kept my elbow down so my shoulder was up the whole time, but it was scary. I got caught, it happens. I’m moving on to semistate.”
“He got caught on bad wrestling,” PH coach Dave Cloud said. “It darn near cost him. He showed a lot of will there fighting off his back.”
Todd would outscore Sparks 12-3 in the final two periods for a 16-10 decision victory. But not without controversy.
Lawrence North coaches felt that Todd used an illegal move in the second period to secure a takedown and earn points for nearly pinning sparks. Only problem was they voiced their protest after the conclusion of the match.
“It was a question if he used a move that we call a Gable Turk, which is legal, or if it was a back bow cradle, which is illegal. If it’s a back bow you’re going up the spine and could break his neck. The Gable, you’re going across so there’s not pressure on (the neck),” Cloud said. “They’re coaches had a photo saying it was a back bow. I asked one of the other officials, who’s not on the mat and can’t make a call, ‘isn’t a Gable Turk still legal?’ He said yes. So now the question is what do we do if it was illegal? We can’t go back and change anything in the second after we’ve started the third (period). They wanted to go back, penalize Mason for the move and take away the points for the near fall. You can’t go back and re-wrestle once a period ends and you start the third.”
Luke Blanton’s match was much less harrowing.
The state’s No. 3-rated wrestler at 132 pounds pushed his record to 40-0 with a pinfall win over Manual’s Stephon Wilkins.
In the opening moments of the match, both wrestlers were looking for an opening. Wilkins got his hands on one of Blanton’s leg. In the blink of an eye, the Alexandria junior had his opponent on his back and hooked the legs for quick pinfall victory.
“He got in on a shot pretty easy, and I’m thinking ‘he shouldn’t have gotten that,” Blanton said. “I tried to switch (positions) and got my hand on his leg. I thought of the move and just (cradled) him.”
“Luke has just been unbelievable all year,” Tigers coach Jack Grimaldi said. “He hasn’t been tested really all year. He’ll be tested next week (at New Castle). Hopefully we’ll get the right draw so we see the toughest guy in the finals. That’s the way should be.”
Each will have plenty of company at the New Castle Semistate. Both from Madison County and their own wrestling rooms.
Joining Todd from Pendleton Heights will be Andrew Foley, Clint Nicholson, Jake Stillwell and Kyle Babb.
Blanton will be joined by brothers Josh Blanton and Jon Blanton and Ben Branson and Lincoln Kyle.
Frankton will be represented by the trio of Jake Beasley, Stephen Back and Connor Crawford.
Anderson, Elwood and Lapel each will have one wrestler in the field next week.
Lapel’s Kyle Nardi will make his second-straight trip to the semistate after winning his third-place match at 145 pounds against Broad Ripple’s Tyree Avery. The Indians’ Zach Chism advanced with a runner up finish at 182 pounds. Elwood’s Will Maluvac moved on with a third-place win at 195 pounds.
Sports
Related Photos
-
Pendleton Heights' Mason Todd wrestles Alexandria's Lincoln Kyle in the 136-pound match at the Madison County Tournament. Don Knight
Discussion
Todd, Blanton grab regional crowns
15 locals move on to semistate
- Sports
-
-
Triumphant Tribe
Seventeen years of frustration and disappointment for the Anderson Indians baseball team ended in a jubilant dog pile atop junior pitcher Curtis Wilson on Monday night at Pendleton Heights’ Field of Dreams.
-
Argylls squeeze into crown
Madison-Grant coach Ben Rodriguez liked his squeeze play so much that he called it again in the pivotal inning of the Class 2A, Sectional 39 championship game at Eastern High School on Monday night in Greentown.
-
Bulldogs’ comeback falls just short
Not even a heroic seventh-inning rally could save the Lapel baseball team in the Class 2A sectional title game at Frankton on Monday afternoon. The Bulldogs scored four runs in the seventh inning but still came up a run short as the Wapahani Raiders won the championship 9-8.
-
Tribe rallies past Pendleton Heights into final
This is the stuff of legend.
The kind of game that defines a rivalry.
The kind of victory that breathes new life into a program.
And the kind of defeat that won’t ever be forgotten. -
George Bremer: In with Orton, out of Luck?
There really is no offseason anymore in the National Football League.
The Indianapolis Colts haven’t played a game since Jan. 1, but look at all the headlines they’ve generated since that date. -
Kahne keeps Hendrick success rolling at Charlotte
Kasey Kahne powered to victory in the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday night, taking NASCAR's longest race for the third time for his first win with Hendrick Motorsports.
-
Spurs strike first in West finals, win 19th in row
Manu Ginobili scored 26 points and the San Antonio Spurs won their 19th in a row to tie the NBA record for longest winning streak kept alive in the playoffs, beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 101-98 to open the Western Conference finals on Sunday night.
-
Konerko hits go-ahead HR, White Sox sweep Indians
Paul Konerko got a big milestone home run and the White Sox got a sweep of the only team between them and the AL Central lead.
-
Reds outslug Rockies on record day for HRs
Here's how easy it looked to hit home runs at Great American Ball Park on Sunday: Todd Frazier lost his grip on the bat during a swing. The ball wound up in the seats anyway.
-
Cubs lose 12th straight, 10-4 to Pirates
The Chicago Cubs didn't come to close to ending their longest losing streak in more than 15 years. Pedro Alvarez, Andrew McCutchen and Garrett Jones homered, Erik Bedard pitched six shutout innings and the Pirates beat Chicago 10-4, sending the Cubs to their 12th consecutive loss.
- More Sports Headlines
-
Police: 5-time Champ Johnny Tapia Found Dead
Native Americans' Olympic Medals Displayed in DC
Manning on Target at First Practice
Raw Video: Olympic Torch Relay Begins in England
Raw Video: Olympic Torch Passed to London
Selig: Oakland Move Might Be Considered
McNamee: Clemens, Canseco Had Steroids Talk
Laurie Fine: My Life Has Been Destroyed
MLB: Mets Get 2013 All Star Game
Bernie Fine's Wife to Sue ESPN
Kyrie Irving Named NBA's Top Rookie
McNamee Says He Gave Clemens Steroids in 1998
Phelps Looks to Add to Medal Haul in London
Raw Video: McNamee Arrives at Clemens Trial
Bulls Bounced From Playoffs
Former NFL Star Junior Seau Found Dead
NFL Suspends 4 Players for Saints' Bounties
Reigning U.S. Champ Eying Olympic Gold in London
Knicks Fans Disappointed in Stoudemire
