Seven local wrestlers competed at semi-state Saturday at Apollo but none were able to eclipse the top two that would have sent them to the KHSAA State Wrestling Championships next week at George Rogers Clark.
Apollo’s Cameron Baker was the top local finisher as he finished third at 170 pounds. Owensboro’s Nick Avery (152) and Daviess County’s Conner Tolson (182) each finished fourth in their weight class.
Baker, along with the rest of the local coaches, said they knew it’d be tough to advance given the quality of the field.
“When you have No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 in the state in one tournament, it’s hard to make it out,” he said.
Despite not making his goal, Baker said it was a senior season to remember.
“I think it was a great season,” he said. “Glad to have the opportunity to wrestle, especially since we didn’t know if we were going to wrestle or not. I think it went about the way I wanted it to go, except for this last match.”
Baker had dedicated the last seven years to the Apollo wrestling program and he’s been through a lot but he’s proud of all of hit.
He said this year was one of his favorite seasons and he owes a lot to the program.
“All my coaches and my teammates that have helped me, and all the fun I’ve had with my coaches and teammates,” he said was what he’d remember. “Everyone, even the coaches, are like a brother to me. They’re my best friends and I wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world.”
Apollo coach Courtney Johns said Baker brought a lot to the program but there’s one thing that stands above all the others.
“Consistency,” he said. “He’s been our most consistent wrestler … We’ve had a tough schedule so he’s had the opportunity to wrestle some of the top kids in the state to see where he’s at.”
On Saturday, and last week during the Region 2 Tournament at Apollo, younger Eagle wrestlers could be seen helping in a variety of ways.
Johns said the last two weekends gave them a unique opportunity to see a lot of athletes.
“That’s probably the biggest thing is just to see the quality of kids that are here,” he said. “Being able to push yourself to be at that level.”
Owensboro coach Kenny Stone only had one wrestler compete Saturday but it was a good in Avery.
Coming into the week, he said there was one thing he focused on in preparing his senior.
“This week, mainaly what we worked on was top and bottom stuff,” he said. “He’s really strong on his feet as you can see … When he starts scrambling, that’s the only time I’ve ever seen him get in any trouble. Sometimes he rolls out of it. Every time he got caught this year, he was beating a guy and he’d get caught. He’d be beating a guy and he’d reverse it. Every match his lost this year, he should have won.”
Like Johns, Stone said the younger wrestlers could learn a lot from Avery.
“Nothing beats mat time, that’s what they need but they also need somebody they can look up to that’s got skill,” he said. “Nick came in there after four years off and he’s hitting stuff, like we’re trying to teach these young guys and he’s already nailing it. He just really lit us all up … Just having somebody like that that really knows what they’re doing, when you got one guy you can point to like that, the other guys have somebody to emulate.”
Tolson was DC’s top finisher as Say Moe finished fifth at 285 pounds.
Martinson said it was a tough draw and he knows how wrestling can be.
“Anytime you’re on the big thing like this, anything can go,” he said. “Sometimes it works for you and sometimes it goes against you. There’s a three-time state medalist that got put out for injury from another team. You don’t know.”
When it comes to his younger wrestlers, Martinson said he has to make goals.
In their first year competing at state, he said winning a match should be the goal. Then in the second year, it’s to make it to the second day.
“You’ve got to put it into perspective and give them a goal they can obtain so they don’t feel so frustrated with themselves,” he said.
He said it’ll about building each year until you’re ready to breakout in your final year.
“It’s not about winning every match,” he said. “It’s about your senior year winning your last match. The truth is, whether you’re a state champion or not, if you win your last match you ever wrestle, you’re a state medalist. That should be your goal all along.”
The top two in each class from Saturday will advance to next week’s state championship at George Rogers Clark.
Local Finishers
126: David Gerkin (Apollo)- 5th
132: Caleb Tolson (Daviess)- 8th
152: Nick Avery (Owensboro)- 4th
170: Cameron Baker (Apollo)- 3rd
182: Conner Tolson (Daviess)- 4th
285: Say Moe (Daviess)- 5th
285: Blaize Cart (Apollo)- 8th
