Pirates finish 7th in league

By Cort Reynolds

SPENCERVILLE – Bluffton High School sophomore Jett Blackburn won the 138 lbs. division title at the Northwest Conference championship meet in Spencerville Friday night, February 10, as the Pirate wrestling team finished seventh out of eight.

Second-seeded Blackburn went 4-0 with two pins and two decisions to capture the crown at 138. He beat top seed Cody Ricker of Lincolnview 15-9 to win the title.

Columbus Grove unseated Allen East as league champion with 285.5 points, finishing well ahead of Spencerville (215.5) and AE (201.5).

Bluffton scored 88 points to finish a point ahead of last-place Ada.

Pirates Wyatt Knauss (113 lbs.) and Isaiah Mikesell (165 lbs.) both took third place in their respective weight classes. 

Senior Mikeselll finished 3-2 with three pins. Freshman Knauss was 1-2 with one pin.

Bluffton freshmen Zyven Smith (106) and Micah Rehm (1-3 at 132) each finished fourth in their divisions.

Pirate placers by weight class:

106: 1x6 Placers
1st Aizik Myers 11, Allen East
2nd Silas Riblet 9, Ada
3rd Brayden Thompson 10, Jefferson
4th Zvyen Smith 9, Bluffton

113: 1x6 Placers
1st Nyah Hodge-Miller 12, Spencerville
2nd Graden Maag 9, Columbus Grove
3rd Wyatt Knauss 9, Bluffton
4th Skylar Byer 10, Lincolnview

132: 1x6 Placers
1st Carder Miller 12, Spencerville
2nd Levi Schroeder 10, Columbus Grove
3rd Liam Viera 10, Ada
4th Micah Rehm 9, Bluffton
5th Mackenzie Frazier 10, Crestview

138: 2x4 Placers
1st Jett Blackburn 10, Bluffton, Dec 15-9
2nd Cody Ricker 10, Lincolnview
3rd Hayden Tobias 10, Crestview, Fall 1:49
4th Brendon Schwartz 12, Spencerville
5th Evan Pitts 11, Columbus Grove, Dec 12-5
6th Blake Wagoner 10, Jefferson

157: 1x6 Placers
1st Kade Wireman 12, Allen East
2nd Logan Mershman 11, Columbus Grove
3rd Emerson Layman 12, Spencerville
4th Eli Case 9, Jefferson
5th Alex Hefner 9, Lincolnview
6th Evan Grothause 9, Bluffton

165: 2x4 Placers
1st Landen Schroeder 12, Columbus Grove, Dec 13-11
2nd Trenton Gatchell 11, Allen East
3rd Isaiah Mikesell 12, Bluffton, Fall 4:45
4th Blaze Young 9, Spencerville
5th Leyton Parent 9, Jefferson, Fall 4:30

215: 1x6 Placers
1st A.J. Schafer 12, Columbus Grove
2nd Logan Johnson 12, Spencerville
3rd Kyden Culbertson 10, Allen East
4th Evan Walls 11, Crestview
5th Jevin Looser 10, Lincolnview
6th Isaiah Glassgox 10, Bluffton

NWC wrestling meet team scores:

1. Columbus Grove 285.5 points

2. Spencerville 215.5

3. Allen East 201.5

4. Crestview 157.5

5. Lincolnview 133.5

6. Jefferson 95

7. Bluffton 88

8. Ada 87