March 28, 2024

CD 18th, Clarke 21st at John J. Harris Invite

CORNING – Central Decatur placed 18th and Clarke finished 21st at the 58th annual John J. Harris Invitational here on Friday and Saturday.

Creston/Orient-Macksburg ran away with the team title, scoring 222.5 points. Central Decatur tallied 45 points and Clarke finished with 26 points.

Jacob Bair was the lone placewinner for the Indians, finishing third at 170 pounds.

Bair drew a bye in the first round and then pinned Griswold’s Lucas Malcom in 3:22 to advance to the quarterfinals.

Bair won a 13-3 major decision over Tri-Center’s Trevor Lyons. In the semifinals, Bair ran into into top-seeded and Class 2A fifth-ranked 160-pounder Trevor Frain of Creston/O-M, who was wrestling up at 170 pounds.

Frain won a 12-1 major decision over Bair to advance to the championship match, where he won a 6-3 decision over Atlantic’s Matt Williamson.

Bair then went to the consolation bracket, where he pinned Clarinda’s Christian Lauritsen in 1:33. Bair then pinned Riverside’s Payton Housman in 1:46 to finish third.

“Jacob Bair, I thought, wrestled as well as he has all season in getting third,” Clarke head coach Brian Reece said. “He is starting to peak at the right time. He wrestled two six-minute matches, which have been a rarity for him this season. He has 25 pints on the season out of his 31 wins, so anytime he gets in a tough match it’s going to make him better.”

John Cutshall, although not placing, demonstrated what Reece preaches to his wrestlers.

Cutshall trailed Panorama’s Trent Sloss by five points heading into the third period in the opening round at 138 pounds, battled and picked up a win by fall in the third period.

“John Cutshall exhibited what we talk about all the time,” Reece said. “We tell wrestlers to stay in good position. John was behind in a match by five points going into the third period. He kept battling and was able to get a fall in the third period to win.”

Central Decatur finished with two placewinners, led by Trenton Carson’s fourth-place finish at 160 pounds.

Carson received a bye in the first round, and then pinned Clarinda’s Ross Christie in 3:42 to advance to the quarterfinals.

In the quarterfinals, Carson won a 4-0 decision over Bedford/Lenox’s Dylan French.

Carson met Corning’s top-seeded Kallan Schmelzer in the semifinals. Schmelzer pinned Carson in :44.

Schmelzer went on to win the 160 pound bracket.

Carson then pinned Coon Rapids’ Spencer Winnett in the consolation semifinals in 2:56. Creston/O-M’s Adam Baker took third place over Carson by injury default.

Trenton wells was the other placewinner for the Cardinals, finishing fifth at 170 pounds.

Wells received a bye in the first round, and then pinned Shenandoah’s Matt Gray in :48 to advance to the quarterfinals.

Creston/O-M’s Frain won a 6-2 decision over Wells in the quarterfinals, before going on to win the 170 pound bracket.

Wells then lost an 8-3 decision to Riveside’s Housman in the consolation semifinals. In the fifth-place match, Wells pinned Clarinda’s Lauritsen in 3:16.

Central Decatur’s Wyman Reed came up one win short of placing at 145 pounds, losing an 8-5 decision to Riverside’s Zach Morris in the consolation bracket.