Chris Whitaker
PERRY — Bo knows wrestling.
Bo Minor that is.
The senior heavyweight was taken to the limit for the first time all season in the championship round before pinning Robert Toombs' Jared Johnson with 24 seconds remaining in the third period.
He was Southland Academy's first state champion since Brett Collier as the Raiders finished eighth in the state at the Perry Agricenter this weekend. George Walton won the state championship.
"Bo had a good tournament," said coach Mike Smith. "He went through the first three rounds pretty easy. But the kid from Robert Toombs — he had never seen him before. It was a good match, and Bo did a great job to come home a state champion."
Ethan Smith (160) and Ryan Singley (119) were considered favorites in their classes, but both came home third.
"Both wrestled well, and it's hard to complain whether you win, lose or draw when an athlete gives all you've got," said Mike Smith. "The thing about wrestling, you make one bad move, and it can cost you the match. That happens."
Bad moves happened to both wrestlers, but after the loss, both came back to win their next two matches fairly easily, said Smith.
He also had advice for his two wrestlers after the losses.
"I told them, 'The thing about it is I know it hurts, and I know what you're after. Right now, you've got to finish what you started. Get your head on straight and get back in there and wrestle for third place,' " said Smith. "I was real pleased with their attitudes. Both were heartbroken. They've done it for so long, and they know all they can do is get back on the mat."
Ethan faced a familiar opponent. He beat Trinity Christian's Matthew Weigel 6-4 at the Trinity Invitational earlier this season before falling 7-5 this time. He defeated Stratford's Caleb Ackerman for third place.
Singley beat Webber School's Justin Maresca for third.
The Raiders' only other wrestler to place was Matthew Garland, who was fifth in the 145-pound class. The team had nine scheduled to wrestle, but it ended up with seven.
Smith said Jake Hood (103) was unable to wrestle because he went with the basketball team to Deerfield, and Andrew Alexander (189) was disqualified after getting a skin rash.
"We were unable to keep it covered," he said of the rash. "You have to play the hand you're dealt. We had a good weekend, a long weekend. Not one of my wrestlers gave up. It's hard to explain what a tournament like that is unless you've done it o gone through it. It's hard work for two days. It takes a lot out of young men, and I tip my hat off to them when they complete something like that."
Smith said the team could have finished in the top five if Alexander and Hood could have competed.
"It was a good season for us, and I'm pleased with it and the effort of our young men," he said.
