Knauss wins 113 title
Cross & Blackburn 2nd, Basil & Grothause 3rd in respective classes

By Cort Reynolds

VAN BUREN__Five Bluffton High School wrestlers advanced to the district tournament with strong showings at the Div. III Van Buren sectional tournament on Saturday, February 24.

The Pirate grapplers finished a strong fifth at the 16-team meet with 128.5 points. Mohawk won the sectional crown with 225.5 points, followed by Lakota in second (190), and Liberty-Benton (150). 

Elmwood finished fourth, just eight points ahead of Bluffton, with 136.5 points.

Pirate sophomore Wyatt Knauss received two byes into the finals in the three-man 113 lbs. division. He then won his sectional title bout by pin in 3:28 to grab the crown. 

Knauss improved to 23-14 this season with the victory.

Pirate freshman Branden Cross took second in the 120 lbs. division. Cross won his first match by pin in 3:02, then won a 10-3 decision to reach the finals.

In the championship match, he lost a 6-1 decision to Mohawk’s Owen Patrizi. He went 2-1 at the event to improve to 24-12 this season. 

Junior Jett Blackburn went 3-1 to finish second in the 144 lbs. bracket and improve to 24-14 this campaign.

Blackburn won his first two matches by pin, then advanced to the finals with a forfeit win over an injured opponent. In the title round, he lost a 9-2 decision.

Senior Kyle Basil finished third in the 190 lbs. division. He won his first match by pin in 38 seconds, but lost in the semifinals by a 9-6 decision.

Behind a pin in his first consolation match, he advanced to the third-place match. He then captured third with a 21-4 technical fall win. Basil went 3-1 in the tourney to improve to 31-8 this season.

Sophomore Evan Grothause took third in the tough 165 lbs. division. He won his first match by pin, then fell in the semis to drop into the consolation bracket.

He won his first match there by an 8-4 decision, then captured the third-place bout with a 10-2 majority decision.

He authored a 3-1 record to improve to 33-15 this season.

The five Pirates advanced to the Rossford district level March 1-2 with their top four finishes at the VB sectionals 

A top four showing at the Rossford district tournament will qualify a wrestler for the Div. III state meet in Columbus March 8-10.

Pirate freshman Mason Shanks went 3-2 and took fifth at the 215 lbs. bracket. Shanks lost his first match, then won two in a row via pin to advance in the consolation bracket.

A 6-2 decision defeat dropped him into the fifth-place bout, which he won by pin at 2:54 to end his season 17-16.

Junior Ethan Kohli went 2-3 in the 175 lbs. class to finish sixth and run his season record to 26-19. Kohli won his first match by a 9-0 decision, then lost by decision in the semis. 

In the consolation bracket, he won a 5-3 decision but then lost. In the fifth-place bout, he dropped a close 9-7 decision.

Sophomore Micah Rehm lost his first bout, then rebounded to win his first consolation match by pin in 19 seconds. He then lost by a decision to fall into the fifth-place bout, which he dropped by a 4-2 decision.

Rehm went 1-3 at sectionals to finish 16-18 this season.

Pirate top six placers, w/bracket champs and season records

113 Pounds
1st Wyatt Knauss BLUF (10) 23- 14

120 Pounds
1st Owen Patrizi MOHA (10) 33- 12
2nd Branden Cross BLUF (9) 24- 12 

144 Pounds
1st Braxton Frisch MOHA (10) 28- 11 
2nd Jett Blackburn BLUF (11) 24- 14

157 Pounds
1st Braxton Quaintance LAKO (11) 40- 2 
2nd Kydin Reed RDAL (9) 23- 10 
3rd Evan Grothause BLUF (10) 33- 15 

190 Pounds
1st Reid Blankenmeyer CAR (11) 34- 10 
2nd Wyatt Crow HLOU (11) 35- 15 
3rd Kyle Basil BLUF (12) 31- 8 
4th Luke Bostlman PHEN (12) 34- 12

215 Pounds
1st Braylan Mullholand MOHA (11) 37-8 
5th Mason Shank BLUF (9) 17- 16

138 Pounds
1st Cody Biddle LAKO (12) 21- 9 
6th Micah Rehm BLUF (10) 16- 18 

175 Pounds
6th Ethan Kohli BLUF (11) 26- 19