By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Simon Kenton’s wrestling team won the Region 6 tournament for the first time since 1987 on Saturday and the Pioneers qualified to compete in 10 of 14 weight classes at this week’s state tournament.
Back-to-back wins by seniors Casey Cornett and Elijah Jackson in the 170 and 182 weight class finals enabled Simon Kenton to finish on top in the team standings by a slim 216 to 207.5 margin over runner-up Walton-Verona. The Pioneers’ other weight class champion was senior Dante Castellano at 132 pounds.
Walton-Verona had seven wrestlers in the regional championship finals, but the only ones who scored points with wins were Ryan Moore at 126 and Mason Smith at 160. Moore defeated a returning state champion, Tanner Yenter of Campbell County, 5-3, in the 126 title match.
Four other teams — Scott, Dixie Heights, Cooper and Ryle — also had two individual champions in one of the most balanced Region 6 tournament finals in recent history. Five of the first seven weight class finals were decided by three points or less.
Cooper senior Cody Huston extended his perfect record to 40-0 with three pins in four regional victories at 152 pounds. Dixie Heights junior Kairus Washington was named the tournament’s most outstanding wrestler after he won the 285-pound title. The youngest individual champion was Ryle seventh-grader Noah Duke at 145.
The top four finishers in each weight class qualified for the state tournament that begins Thursday at the Kentucky Horse Park’s Alltech Arena near Lexington. After two days of competition, the championship and consolation finals will be held on Saturday evening.
Simon Kenton’s 10 state qualifiers are the most among local teams, followed by Walton-Verona and Scott with eight each and Dixie Heights with seven. The last Northern Kentucky team to win a state championship was Campbell County in 2012.
REGION 6 TEAM SCORES
Simon Kenton 216, Walton-Verona 207.5, Scott 179, Dixie Heights 156.5, Campbell County 138, Cooper 138, Ryle 107.5, Newport 99, Covington Catholic 35, Holmes 35, Boone County 30, Conner 27.5
WEIGHT CLASS FINALS
(Top four in each weight class qualify for state tournament)
106
Championship — Brendan Pye (Scott) def. Migdoel Ocasio (Simon Kenton), 21-6. Third place — Isiah Macaraniag (Walton-Verona) pinned Joey Delong (Dixie Heights), 3:27.
113
Championship — Shay Horton (Ryle) def. Tristen Spalding (Walton-Verona), 3-0. Third Place — Trevor Frietsch (Simon Kenton) pinned Cordell Vaske (Boone County), 0:44.
120
Championship — Brady Wells (Campbell County) def. Blake Roth (Walton-Verona), 3-2. Third Place — Michael Whisner (Simon Kenton) def. Seth Lutes (Scott), 2-0.
126
Championship — Ryan Moore (Walton-Verona) def. Tanner Yenter (Campbell County), 5-3. Third Place — Aaron Brossart (Ryle) def. Layne Seibert (Scott), 6-4 OT.
132
Championship — Dante Castellano (Simon Kenton) def. Dillion Burton (Newport), 15-5. Third Place — Collin Barrett (Campbell County) dec. Diontae Rone (Holmes), 4-2.
138
Championship — Zach Holub (Cooper) def. Austin Nixon (Dixie Heights), 6-4. Third Place — Salim Mardis (Simon Kenton) dec. Clayton Boyd (Conner), 9-7.
145
Championship — Noah Duke (Ryle) dec. Drevon Jones (Newport), 2-0. Third-place — Cody Roland (Scott) pinned Spencer Carpenter (Simon Kenton), 4:53.
152
Championship — Cody Huston (Cooper) pinned Aaron Teipe (Walton-Verona), 3:30. Third Place — Brennon Scott (Simon Kenton) def. Kyle Mardis (Newport), 11-3.
160
Championship — Mason Smith (Walton-Verona) pinned Jared Kelsay (Scott), 1:46. Third Place — James Barrie (Dixie Heights) def. Logan Osborne (Newport), 14-2.
170
Championship — Casey Cornett (Simon Kenton) pinned Braden Mulcahy (Walton-Verona), 1:26. Third Place — Kaleb Campbell (Cooper) def. Brett Lampe (Covington Catholic), injury forfeit.
182
Championship — Elijah Jackson (Simon Kenton) pinned Roy Bowers (Dixie Heights), 4:48. Third Place — William Lake (Cooper) pinned Nathan Watson (Scott), 4:40.
195
Championship — Gerald Seeney (Scott) pinned Cody Lonkard (Ryle), 5:17; Third Place — Keegan Cundiff (Dixie Heights) def. Daylan Bailey (Cooper), 3-2.
220
Championship — Jacob Peters (Dixie Heights) pinned Chandler Watkins (Ryle), 1:55. Third Place — Tim Rolf (Campbell County) def. Nathan Justice (Scott), 1-0.
285
Championship — Kairus Washington (Dixie Heights) pinned Hunter Ruber (Walton-Verona), 5:20. Third Place — Dalton Holliday (Simon Kenton) def. J.T. Daniels (Newport), 11-5.