Advertisement

Tuttle claims 20th dual state wrestling tournament title, tying Perry for the most in state history

ENID — The feeling never gets old for Bobby Williams III.

The Tuttle wrestling coach has been a part of a number of championship teams with the Tigers.

But as Tuttle continues to etch its name in state history, Williams and everyone affiliated with the program appreciate each new title as much as the previous one.

And on Saturday night at Stride Bank Center, they got one step closer to fulfilling a huge goal.

Class 4A Tuttle won its 14th straight dual state tournament championship as it defeated Catoosa 53-13 in the finals. The Tigers now have 20 dual state crowns, which ties Perry for the most in state history.

Tuttle, which owns the state record for most consecutive dual state titles, dominated the tournament. The Tigers beat Bristow 74-0 in the quarterfinals Friday and posted a 58-12 victory against Chickasha in the semifinals Saturday.

More:El Reno sweeps Carl Albert in ranked showdown, Putnam North and Putnam West split rivalry wins

Tuttle's Triston Grounds, top, wrestles Catoosa's Tucker Collinsworth in the Class 4A 126-pound match during the dual state wrestling tournament finals Saturday at Stride Bank Center in Enid.
Tuttle's Triston Grounds, top, wrestles Catoosa's Tucker Collinsworth in the Class 4A 126-pound match during the dual state wrestling tournament finals Saturday at Stride Bank Center in Enid.

In the finals, seven Tuttle wrestlers pinned their opponents. Heavyweight Jace Warren began the dual with a fall. The other six who recorded falls were Chance Fisher (106), Braden Potts (120), Triston Grounds (126), Beau Hickman (138), Shawn Rounsaville (150) and Ethan Teague (157).

The other Tuttle wrestlers who claimed victories were 132-pounder JJ Head (decision), 144-pounder Jaxon Koeltzow (major decision) and 165-pounder Tucker Waitman (decision).

“We got a really good team here,” Potts said. “A lot of teamwork. Coach Williams is really good at what he does, making us more of a team.”

Williams is in his third season as the head coach. He served as an assistant under Matt Surber before taking over the program and has helped the program stay on top.

He appreciated how his wrestlers rose to the occasion, and they will now shift their focus to claiming their 15th straight state tournament title.

“These seniors, this is of course their fourth time to win it, but it’s still something that really mattered to them,” Williams said. “They had a lot of energy. A lot of excitement.”

More:Oklahoma high school wrestling: Roundup of 2023 dual state tournament quarterfinals

Class 6A: Stillwater claims second straight title

Stillwater and Edmond North have gone back and forth throughout the season as they proved they’re the teams to beat in Class 6A.

But on Saturday, Stillwater overwhelmed the Huskies.

The Pioneers started strong and went on to roll to a 38-22 victory as they claimed their second straight dual state crown.

Stillwater won five of the first six matches.

Edmond North heavyweight Ricky Thomas earned a 5-3 decision against Cam Johnson to begin the dual, but Stillwater 106-pounder Aydan Thomas tied it at 3 with a 6-2 decision against Jake Goodin before 113-pounder Beric Jordan pinned Sawyer Hackbarth and 120-pounder Sam Smith pinned Max McDaniel.

JJ McComas extended Stillwater’s lead with a 6-0 decision over Brayden Belford at 126 pounds, and the Pioneers’ 132-pounder, Cael Hughes, defeated Hunter Hollingsworth 4-2.

The other Stillwater wrestlers who posted victories were 150-pounder Kael Voinovich (decision), 157-pounder LaDarion Lockett (pin), 165-pounder Landyn Sommer (decision) and 190-pounder AJ Heeg (pin).

Stillwater 215-pounder Brayden Thompson, an Oklahoma State signee who recently transferred from Lockport, Illinois, didn’t wrestle as the dual was out of reach but had a 2-1 tiebreaker victory against Bixby star and Oklahoma State signee Jersey Robb in the semifinals earlier in the day.

Stillwater lost to Edmond North at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dual Classic in December at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater.

In a way, that loss opened Stillwater’s eyes.

“Tactically, we kind of stumbled last time,” Stillwater coach Ethan Kyle said. “We were trying to figure out what our team was going to be in December because we had some question marks with weight classes.”

Kyle added, “We learned who our team is in December by the loss, and we just came out and we did our own thing and that was plenty for today. The guys did their part. And we, as a coaching staff, made better choices today.”

For Hughes, an Oklahoma State signee and three-time state champion who has yet to lose in high school, Stillwater’s victory was the perfect way to get some momentum ahead of regionals next week and the state tournament the week after that.

“Excellence is kind of expected,” Hughes said.

More:A look at Oklahoma City’s girls high school basketball Fab 10 rankings for Feb. 10

Stillwater celebrates after winning the Class 6A title at the dual state wrestling tournament Saturday at Stride Bank Center in Enid.
Stillwater celebrates after winning the Class 6A title at the dual state wrestling tournament Saturday at Stride Bank Center in Enid.

Class 5A: Elgin tops Coweta

Elgin made school history Saturday.

The Owls had never won a dual state title heading into Saturday but can now call themselves champions after beating Coweta 40-27 in the Class 5A finals.

Brice Martin (106), Hunter Jackson (113), Gabe Dittmeyer (157) and Colyn Donnelly (215) recorded falls as they helped Elgin get the win.

Elgin’s other winners were 132-pounder Nino Vidic (decision), 138-pounder Austin Elam (major decision), 144-pounder Dominik Benedetto (decision), 150-pounder Jack Anglley (decision) and 190-pounder Ritson Meyer (decision).

More:A look at Oklahoma City's boys high school basketball Fab 10 rankings for Feb. 10

Blackwell's Kolby Looper pins Marlow's Brock Smith during the Class 3A 215-pound match during the dual state wrestling tournament finals Saturday at Stride Bank Center in Enid.
Blackwell's Kolby Looper pins Marlow's Brock Smith during the Class 3A 215-pound match during the dual state wrestling tournament finals Saturday at Stride Bank Center in Enid.

Class 3A: Blackwell edges Marlow

The Class 3A finals between Blackwell and Marlow came down to the wire.

Ultimately, Blackwell came out on top with a 38-32 victory as it ended the dual with three pins.

Blackwell trailed 32-20, but 175-pounder Jason Osgood, 190-pounder Kruz Goff and 215-pounder Kolby Looper picked up falls at the end to propel the Maroons past Marlow, the two-time defending champion.

Blackwell now has two dual state titles.

Reporter Nick Sardis covers high school sports across the Oklahoma City metro and state. Have a story idea for Nick? He can be reached at nsardis@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @nick_sardis. Support Nick’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at oklahoman.com/subscribe or by using the link at the top of this page.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma HS wrestling: Tuttle wins dual state title, ties state record