By Cort Reynolds
VAN BUREN – Several Bluffton High School grapplers finished in the top four of their individual weight brackets at the Div. III wrestling sectionals in Van Buren Saturday, February 25.
The Pirates finished a solid fifth at the 13-team competition. Liberty-Benton won the sectional team title, followed by Elmwood and Carey.
Bluffton sophomore Jett Blackburn went 2-1 with a pin and a 13-2 decision in the 138 lbs. bracket to finish second. In the title bout, he lost a 10-2 decision to Hopewell-Loudon’s Isreal Ortiz.
Freshman Micah Rehm took second at 132 lbs. with two pin wins. He lost by pin in the finals to Peyton Schafer of Elmwood.
Pirate senior Isaiah Mikesell took fourth in the 165 lbs. division. After a first round bye, he won his semifinal bout by a 7-1 decision. He then lost by pin at 3:33 in the third-place match.
Bluffton sophomore Jaiden Smith finished fourth in the 126 lbs. bracket by going 2-2 with two pins.
Freshman Zyven Smith came in third in the three-man 106 lbs. bracket after going 0-1.
Pirate freshman Wyatt Knaus went 1-1 at 113 lbs. to finish fifth.
Top four finishes at the sectional tournament typically qualify a wrestler for the district meet March 3-4 at Rossford.
Bluffton placers by weight class (with Pirate season records):
Place - Name - School - Year
Weight: 106
1 Patrick Ebright - Arcadia - 9
2 Jimmy Eisentrager - Liberty-Benton - 9
3 Zvyen Smith - Bluffton - 9
Weight: 113
1 Kaylor Reynolds - Calvert -12
2 RJ Coldren - Liberty-Benton - 12
3 Brooks Hill - Van Buren - 9
4 Grady Nekoranec - Elmwood - 12
5 Wyatt Knauss - Bluffton - 9 (6-12)
6 Noah Locke - Riverdale - 9
Weight: 126
1 Zach Ponx - Liberty-Benton - 11
2 McKoy Morlock - Elmwood - 9
3 Trenton Coppler - Riverdale - 11
4 Jaiden Smith - Bluffton - 10
5 Aiden Bisignano - Cory-Rawson - 10
6 Carter Aufdencamp - Arcadia - 9
Weight: 132
1 Peyton Schafer - Elmwood - 10
2 Micah Rehm - Bluffton - 9 (11- 12)
3 Lee Woods - Liberty-Benton - 11
4 Jaidem Rutter - Patrick Henry - 9
5 Eli Benner - Hopewell-Loudon - 9
6 Levi Crawford - Arcadia - 10
Weight: 138
1 Isreal Ortiz - Hopewell-Loudon - 12
2 Jett Blackburn, Bluffton - 10 (14- 9)
3 Colin Campbell - Elmwood - 11
4 Trevor Weyer - Liberty-Benton - 10
5 Kayden Burgei - Carey - 10
6 Blake Francis - Van Buren - 11
Weight: 165
1 Collin Wagner - Van Buren - 11
2 Thomas Tyson - Elmwood - 11
3 Reid Blankenmeyer - Carey - 10
4 Isaiah Mikesell - Bluffton - 12 (14-13)
5 Cale Parkins - Cory-Rawson - 12
6 Lane Bideersteadt - Patrick Henry - 9
Team scores:
1 - 226.5 points Liberty-Benton
2 - 171 Elmwood
3 - 111.5 Carey
4 - 105 Van Buren
5 - 78 Bluffton
6 - 77.5 McComb
7 - tie 73 Cory-Rawson
7 - tie 73 Patrick Henry
9 - 68 Arcadia
10 - 61 Calvert
11 - 60 Hopewell-Loudon
12 - 16 Riverdale
13 - 0 Pandora-Gilboa
2022-2023 BHS WRESTLING TEAM ROSTER:
Jett Blackburn 11
Evan Grothause 09
Wyatt Knauss 09
Ethan Kohli 10
Isaiah Mikesell 12
Micah Rehm 09
Jaiden Smith 10
Zyven Smith 09
Kaedence Ingram, manager
Riley Herriman, manager
Nick Siferd, Head Coach
Mike Nuzum, Asst. Coach
Tyrel Nuzum, Asst. Coach
Jeff Kleman, Asst. Coach
