By Cort Reynolds

HARROD __ The well-balanced Bluffton High School wrestling team captured the annual eight-team Northwest Conference championship in a title meet hosted by Allen East on February 15.

The Pirates tallied 217.5 points to defeat perennial power host AE (207) by 10.5 points to win the crown. Defending champion Columbus Grove took third with 199 points.

It was the fourth NWC title won by Bluffton in wrestling.

Three Pirate wrestlers won individual league championships, and four others finished second.

Freshman Ronald Kaufman won the 106 lbs. division NWC title.

Sophomore Branden Cross copped the 120 lbs. bracket league banner.

Sophomore Mason Shank captured the heavyweight class conference crown.

Pirate senior Jett Blackburn came in second at the 150 lbs. bracket. Freshman Alex Nance was second in the 113 lbs. division. Freshman Hephaestion Weyer also took second at 126 lbs. Junior Wyatt Knauss captured second place at 132 lbs. 

Junior Micah Rehm took third at 144.

Three Pirates came in fourth at their respective divisions: junior Javen Crawfis (157), junior Evan Grothause (190) and freshman Jesus Rivera (215).

Kaufman went 2-0 at 106 with a pin and a technical fall 15-8 victory.

Cross fashioned a 4-0 record with three pins en route to the 120 lbs. title.

Shank won all three of his matches via pin to easily grab the heavyweight crown.

Blackburn authored a 3-1 record with a pin and two decision wins at 150 lbs. Nance was 2-1 at 113 with a pin and a decision win. Weyer posted a 3-1 record with a pin and two decisions at 126. Knauss fashioned a 2-1 mark at 132 with a pin and tech. fall win up 18-3.

Rehm went 2-1 in pool play with a pair of decision wins. In the 144 lbs. tournament, he lost by pin to the eventual champion. But he rebounded to win the third-place bout by pin.

Crawfis went 2-1 in pool play, then lost the semifinals and the third-place bout. Grothause had one pin win at 190. Rivera also recorded a pin victory at 215.

NWC team scores

1. Bluffton 217.5

2. Allen East 207.0

3. Columbus Grove 199.0

4. Spencerville 149.0

5. Lima C.C. 132.0

6. Crestview 105.5

7. Lincolnview 55.5

8. Delphos Jefferson 39

NWC Placers

106: 1x3 Placers
1st Ronald Kaufman 9, Bluffton
2nd Zaine Schroeder 9, Columbus Grove
3rd Grant Grubb 9, Crestview

113: 1x4 Placers
1st Colt Larrison 9, Allen East
2nd Alex Nance 9, Bluffton
3rd Jacob Palte 9, Columbus Grove
4th Analeigh Hood 10, Spencerville

120: 1x5 Placers
1st Branden Cross 10, Bluffton
2nd Kellen Wireman 9, Allen East
3rd Robert Tyas 10, Crestview
4th Brayden Thompson 12, Del. Jefferson
5th Brennen Langhals 10, Columbus Grove

126: 1x5 Placers
1st Abel Rodriguez 9, Crestview
2nd Hephaestion Weyer 9, Bluffton
3rd Kyllan Martin 9, L. C.C.
4th Kayden Carroll 9, Lincolnview
5th Nicholas Goecke 11, Columbus Grove

132: 1x4 Placers
1st Alex Meyer 9, Columbus Grove
2nd Wyatt Knauss 11, Bluffton
3rd Logan Miller 11, Del. Jefferson
4th Mariah Ringwald 9, Spencerville

138: 1x4 Placers
1st Antwain Adams 11, L.C.C.
2nd Steven Emerick 9, Allen East
3rd Boat Thompson 12, Columbus Grove
4th Brayden Barnes 10, Crestview

144: 2x4 Placers
1st Jordan Neal 10, L.C.C., Fall 2:35
2nd Austin McMichael 11, Spencerville
3rd Micah Rehm 11, Bluffton, Fall 4:25
4th Graden Maag 11, Columbus Grove
5th Eli Case 11, Del. Jefferson, Dec 8-6
6th Jesse Torres 9, Allen East
7th Joe Gerardot 9, Crestview, Fall 0:36
8th Lorelai Boroff 10, Lincolnview

150: 1x5 Placers
1st Keaton Jacobs 9, Spencerville
2nd Jett Blackburn 12, Bluffton
3rd Luke Sawmiller 9, Crestview
4th Collin Sautter 11, Columbus Grove
5th Aiden Muter 9, Lincolnview

157: 2x4 Placers
1st Miles McDorman 10, Allen East, tf17-2
2nd Cody Ricker 12, Lincolnview
3rd Levi Schroeder 12, Columbus Grove, Fall 2:36
4th Javen Crawfis 11, Bluffton
5th Isaac Leppert 12, L. C.C., md13-5
6th Royce Kill 11, Spencerville
7th Leyton Parent 11, Del. Jefferson, Fall 1:28
8th Kade Dey 9, Crestview

165: 1x4 Placers
1st Jacob Pinks 12, Allen East
2nd Wylex Lloyd 12, Spencerville
3rd Layton Blankemeyer 12, Columbus Grove
4th Ethan Renner 9, Lincolnview

175: 1x4 Placers
1st Ayden Martin 12, Crestview
2nd Jacob Hawk 9, Allen East
3rd Grant Eversole 12, Columbus Grove
4th Braylon McNett 10, Spencerville

190: 1x5 Placers
1st Carter Lester 9, L.C.C.
2nd Braylon Paxson 10, Allen East
3rd Gavin Schroeder 12, Columbus Grove
4th Evan Grothause 11, Bluffton
5th Conner Heistan 9, Spencerville

215: 1x5 Placers
1st Kyden Culbertson 12, Allen East
2nd Ty Meyer 12, Columbus Grove
3rd Javier Franco 12, Spencerville
4th Jesus Rivera 9, Bluffton
5th Kaedyn Wireman 9, L.C.C.

285: 1x4 Placers
1st Mason Shank 10, Bluffton
2nd Henry Wiss 10, Spencerville
3rd Brady Fuerst 12, Columbus Grove
4th Murat Akkoc 11, LC.C.