Unsung wrestlers important for Patriots
Mar. 1—Jesse Adams has been wrestling most of his life. He comes from a wrestling family and entered his freshman year at Independence already with a load of credentials at the middle school level.
So it should come as no surprise that he was able to recruit a couple of classmates to give the sport a try.
"Jesse Adams," freshman Tyson McGinnis said of why he decided to get into wrestling. "He came up eighth grade year and he got me into it."
"My friends mostly," said Luke Mullins, another freshman who is wrestling for the first time. "They all wrestled so I just figured I'd try it, and I've liked it so far."
Those friends?
"Jesse Adams and Tyson McGinnis."
It's turned out to be a beneficial deal for the Patriots. That duo, along with classmate Hunter Whittaker, has turned in some key moments for Independence. That includes helping the Patriots qualify 13 wrestlers for the state tournament, which starts Thursday at Mountain Health Arena in Huntington.
Independence had been unable to field a full team most of the season because of injuries and sickness. That is, until regionals, when the Patriots filled all 14 weight classes.
Along the way, however, the likes of McGinnis, Mullins and Whittaker have done their jobs.
There's also junior Bradyn Cox, who combined with Mullins and Whittaker to score 17 points at the WSAZ Invitational.
All 17 were important — the Patriots dethroned WSAZ champion Point Pleasant by a half point.
"You take 17 away and we slide four or five places back," head coach Cliff Warden said.
It's that kind of contribution that would come in handy if the Patriots are to accomplish their goal of winning their first state title since 2018.
"That's what it's going to take is those guys right there. I guess if you're playing football, (they are) the linemen," Warden said. "The guys who are probably not going to wrestle Saturday night (in the finals). Be lucky if they're wrestling Saturday morning.
"But if they can do enough damage Thursday night and Friday morning, then that's going to for sure help."
That's what each of them wants to do.
"I want to score as many points as I can," said Whittaker, who has been wrestling for nine years. "Put as many points as I can for our team. and maybe place."
The chance to help the team is certainly a driving force.
"I'm trying to be there for my team," McGinnis said. "I'd like to put some points up in the state tournament. Pull off some upsets."
"I think I'll do a lot more than people expect up there and pull off a couple of upsets," Mullins said.
The Patriots wrestled a lot of duals this season, which could have been a discouraging thing. Independence was not strong in duals because of the inexperience, and the injuries forced several forfeits.
However, the duals got the wrestlers ready for the business end of the season because of the number of matches they wrestled. McGinnis, for example, has wrestled 59 times.
"You go to Point Pleasant for (the Jason Eades Memorial) duals, or up to Washington. Those guys are getting beat up on, but you know guys are going to get their four or five matches," Warden said. "That's better than going to a bracket (tournament) with those young guys and possibly only getting two matches or maybe three.
"Those freshmen, besides Jesse, it's sort of their second year wrestling. They need an official and a mat, and more matches is better. Painful as a team, but good for the individuals that needed it."
Of course, the Patriots will also have all their stars on the mat, among them top-ranked Dillon Perdue (106 pounds), Judah Price (150) and Colten Caron (175). Perdue and Caron won titles last season and Price is favored to end his career with his first state title after two runner-up finishes.
Four-time defending champion Point Pleasant will have 11 wrestlers and Fairmont will have 12. Warden is confident, but knows those numbers will only matter in how they translate to the mat.
"Like I said at regionals, it just depends upon how many points your individuals score," Warden said. "I think each of our individuals is going to be ready to max out on points, and hopefully pull a surprise or two."
Area wrestlers' first-round matches
Class AA/A
106 pounds
Brooklynn McClure (Shady Spring) vs. Bryce Nichols (Fairmont); Dillon Perdue (Independence) vs. Aiden Anderson (Oak Glen); Austin McKenzie (Greenbrier West) vs. Xaden Willett (East Fairmont)
113 pounds
Walker Furrow (Shady Spring) vs. Grant Boyce (Wirt County); Luke Kelly (Nicholas County) vs. Alex Short (Buffalo); Luke Mullins vs. JoJo High (Sissonville)
120 pounds
Sailor McKinney (Nicholas County) vs. Jordan Varney (Ravenswood); Tucker Lilly (Greenbrier West) vs. Ben Short (Buffalo); Seth Snuffer (Independence) vs. Nathan Wood (Point Pleasant)
126 pounds
Colton Tolliver (Liberty) vs. Blake Ringer (East Fairmont); Josh Dudley (Richwood) vs. Slaton Pettit (Cameron); Noah Hines (Nicholas County) vs. Jason Walker (Fairmont)
132 pounds
Hunter Whittaker (Independence) vs. Brogan Chambers (Nitro); Clayton Robinson (Greenbrier West) vs. Connor Lambert (Wahama); Talon Cantley (Liberty) vs. Gunner Andrick (Point Pleasant)
138 pounds
Tyson McGinnis (Independence) vs. Kodi Camp (Richie County); Christian Smith (Shady Spring) vs. Riley Pillus (Moorefield)
144 pounds
Preston Thomas (Nicholas County) vs. Kolbie Hamilton (Fairmont); Caelyb Nichols (Independence) vs. Nicco Petrozelli (Winfield)
150 pounds
Evan Vandall (Greenbrier West) vs. Andrew Schoon (Point Pleasant); Judah Price (Independence) vs. Ian Persinger (Calhoun County); Bryce Lambert (Shady Spring) vs. Jake Bowling (Ravenswood)
157 pounds
Kaden Helmer (Shady Spring) vs. Caleb Hall (Gilmer County); Colton Miller (Independence) vs. Jim Green (Man); Cruz Tompkins (Midland Trail) vs. Josh Woyan (Point Pleasant)
165 pounds
Cameron Whittaker (Shady Spring) vs. Braxton Dlugopolski (Oak Glen); Jesse Adams (Independence) vs. Logan Rotruck (Keyser); Kaden Lephew (Midland Trail) vs. Michael Knuzel (Fairmont)
175 pounds
Braelen Holstein (Shady Spring) vs. Caden Hill (Point Pleasant); Cohen McGeeney (Richwood) vs. Channing Lowe (Wirt County); Colten Caron (Independence) vs. Sam Elmore (Calhoun County); Hunter Cantley (Liberty) vs. Thomas Fluharty (Winfield)
190 pounds
Dalton Hanshaw (Nicholas County) vs. Mason Miller (East Hardy); John Bowman (Midland Trail) vs. Trenton Huffman (Doddridge County); Josh Hart (Independence) vs. Grayson Steele (Roane County)
215 pounds
Heath Rye (PikeView) vs. Isaac Martin (Wheeling Central); Cole Vandall (Greenbrier West) vs. Noah Schmidt (Oak Glen); Bradyn Cox (Independence) vs. Brady Wilt (Berkeley Springs)
285 pounds
Logan Isom (Independence) vs. Trey Ohlinger (Wahama); Trey Franklin (Greenbrier West) vs. Jensen Burge (Williamstown); Marcus Matney (PikeView) vs. Zander Huffman (Winfield); Kordell Brown (Midland Trail) vs. Kolton Weaver (Point Pleasant)
Class AAA
106 pounds
Garrett Johnson (Woodrow Wilson) vs. Robbie Lowe (Preston)
113 pounds
Will Godbey (Greenbrier East) vs. Brayden Leffingwell (Cabell Midland); Jackson Woods (Woodrow Wilson) vs. C.J. Carrodus (Parkersburg)
120 pounds
Parker Hale (Greenbrier East) vs. Jacob Perry (Spring Mills); Jacob Meadows (Woodrow Wilson) vs. Tristan Rucker (Jefferson)
126 pounds
Aiden Fleshman (Greenbrier East) vs. John Knight (Bridgeport); Tyler Roark (Woodrow Wilson) vs. Carter Duncil (Wheeling Park)
132 pounds
J.J. Bailes (Woodrow Wilson) vs. James St. Clair (Huntington); Kaden Stone (Greenbrier East) vs. Matthew Bartley (Cabell Midland); Colton Willard (Oak Hill) vs. Saige Walls (Hurricane)
138 pounds
Owen Wolford (Greenbrier East) vs. Jordan Salinas (Martinsburg); Troy Harris (Woodrow Wilson) vs. Gabriel Valerio (Hedgesville)
144 pounds
Vance Neal (Woodrow Wilson) vs. Brandon Worthington (Musselman); Jake Pate (Greenbrier East) vs. Zachery Meisenzah (Washington)
150 pounds
Christopher Hale (Oak Hill) vs. Levi Wiseman (Cabell Midland)
157 pounds
Craig Barnhouse (Greenbrier East) vs. Colin Edwards (Musselman); Ethan Osborne (Woodrow Wilson) vs. Mason Swanson (Spring Mills)
165 pounds
Jacob Reeves (Woodrow Wilson) vs. Dakota Hagedom (University); Mason Wills (Oak Hill) vs. Klypsan Wallace (John Marshall)
175 pounds
Carter Hamilton (Greenbrier East) vs. Khalil Ramey (Hurricane); Jay Jones (Woodrow Wilson) vs. Matt Can (Huntingon)
190 pounds
Landon Jones (Woodrow Wilson) vs. Jonas Wiser (Jefferson); Carter Meacham (Princeton) vs. Michael Taylor (Hedgesville)
215 pounds
Hinckley Carter (Woodrow Wilson) vs. Brock Kehler (University); Gabe Truman (Oak Hill) vs. Jeremiah Thompson (Buckhannon-Upshur); Thomas Mullins (Greenbrier East) vs. Erick Brothers (Wheeling Park)
285 pounds
Colton Naylor (Oak Hill) vs. Owen Duffy (Hurricane); Calvin Roberts (Greenbrier East) vs. Josiah Stratton (Lincoln County)
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