
DANE FUELLING
WZBD.com
Sawyer Miller’s first season as head coach saw the South Adams Starfires come one match away from sending eleven out of eleven wrestlers to next week’s regional, giving the team a fourth-place finish and a great start to the postseason.
Still with three forfeits like nearly the entire season, the Starfires’ best result was going to be 11 regional qualifiers and a couple of champions. As they boarded the bus Saturday afternoon to head back to Berne, they had to have done so with a smile after capturing three individual titles and sending ten on to next week.

Much of the success can be attributed to the way the day began and the presumed preparation and attitude by the team as they went 11-0 in the quarterfinals, seizing the early team lead because of their perfect start. The biggest win in the first round came from Eli Loshe, who upset Union City’s Gavin Elmore with a 7-5 decision at 138.

The Stars then put four boys into the finals with all four wins coming by pin or tech fall. Wyatt Mann’s victory in the semis at 144 was a welcome surprise after Mann never got the opportunity to wrestle Parker Nash of Bluffton in last week’s ACAC tourney.
Brock Sprunger’s loss in the blood round at 106 was a spark that the Stars needed as they went on to win the other six bouts in that round and eight more overall on the day. Each of the regional spot-clinching wins came by either tech fall or pin.



In the finals, Dakota Sprunger backed up last week’s win over Kale Beer in the finals with a 4-0 win at 126 to give the Stars their first champ. They only waited five minutes for their second, with Will Patterson happy to accept a rematch with Jason Landers, an opponent he pinned in the first period in last week’s ACAC semis at 132.

ACAC champ Jarin Frauhiger was pinned by Landers in the semifinals and did not appear in the rest of the event.


While Wyatt Mann had to settle for a second straight weekend defeat to AJ Heskett in the 144 final, it was the highlight of the day for Starfire fans when Wes Summersett (pictured above) pinned Matt Heiser to claim the 175 title in impressive fashion.

Follow WZBD all postseason long for coverage of the Starfires on 92.7 FM.
Team Scores: Bellmont 250.5, Adams Central 230, Jay County 208, South Adams 193, Bluffton 141.5
Championship Bouts
126-Dakota Sprunger (SA) d. Kale Beer (AC), 4-0

132-Will Patterson (SA) p. Jason Landers (JC), 4:24

144-AJ Heskett (JC) t.f. Wyatt Mann (SA), 17-1

175-Wes Summersett (SA) p. Matt Heiser (AC), 2:24

Third-Place Bouts
113-Max Adams (SA) p. Joseangel Perez (UC), 2:13
120-Sylas Wenk (JC) p. Titus Loshe (SA), 1:59
138-Parker Barnes (Blf) d. Eli Loshe (SA), 18-11
150-Luke Dreiband (Nor) m.d. Braxtyn Hough (SA), 13-1
157-Isaiah Meyer (SA) p. Austin Roth (UC), 1:56
165-Nathan Plattner (SA) d. Owen Reynolds (Nor), 8-4

Fifth-Place Bouts
106-Brock Sprunger (SA) p. Payton Taylor (UC), :38
Consolation Semifinals (Blood Round)
106-Ezra Liechty (AC) d. Brock Sprunger (SA), 6-2
113-Max Adams (SA) m.d. Jacob Bleeke (Bell), 14-0
120-Titus Loshe (SA) p. Aiden Carrol (SW), :46
138-Eli Loshe (SA) t.f. Alex Rivers (JC), 18-3
150-Braxtyn Hough (SA) t.f. Chandler Murphy (JC), 15-0
157-Isaiah Meyer (SA) p. Caleb Sibray (JC), :54
165-Nathan Plattner (SA) p. Mohammed Nashwan (Blf), 2:12
Semifinals
106-Corbin Lothridge (JC) p. Brock Sprunger (SA), 6-2
113-Myles Kaehr (AC) d. Max Adams (SA), 15-12
120-Ben Mills (Bell) p. Titus Loshe (SA), 2:19
126-Dakota Sprunger (SA) p. Gabe Myers (Bell), 3:44
132-Will Patterson (SA) t.f. Jackson Bingham (AC), 16-1
138-Dylan Ogg (AC) t.f. Eli Loshe (SA), 18-0
144-Wyatt Mann (SA) p. Parker Nash (Blf), 3:40
150-Brason Schortgen (AC) p. Braxtyn Hough (SA), 1:13
157-Cody Cox (Nor) p. Isaiah Meyer (SA), 3:44
165-Gavin Davis (Bell) p. Nathan Plattner (SA), :45
175-Wes Summersett (SA) t.f. Landon Rich (Bell), 17-2
Quarterfinals
106-Brock Sprunger (SA) d. Briggs Fiechter (SW), 15-11
113-Max Adams (SA) p. Kaleb Boots (SW), 1:34
120-Titus Loshe (SA) p. Coltan Everett (AC), 2:58
126-Dakota Sprunger (SA) WBF
132-Will Patterson (SA) p. Ethan Curtis (Bell), 1:19
138-Eli Loshe (SA) d. Gavin Elmore (UC), 7-5
144-Wyatt Mann (SA) m.d. Colton Boone (SW), 20-9
150-Braxtyn Hough (SA) p. Josiah Plessinger (UC), 3:14
157-Isaiah Meyer (SA) WBF
165-Nathan Plattner (SA) p. Mario Ardizzone (JC), 3:05
175-Wes Summersett (SA) p. Camden Connet (Nor), 1:18