Black Diamonds beat Cache, but fall to Cushing in dual state semifinals

ENID — The dream of a perfect wrestling season and a dual state championship ended one dual shy for the Sallisaw Black Diamonds.

The Black Diamonds, who opened Friday’s Class 4A Dual State Tournament at Stride Bank Center with a 41-30 win over the Cache Bulldogs in the state quarterfinals, lost 43-26 to the Cushing Tigers in the state semifinals to avenge their 33-31 loss to the Black Diamonds in the Sallisaw home-opening triangular with Poteau on Dec. 14 at Paul Post Field House.

The Black Diamonds end their dual season at 10-1.

In the dual win over Cache, the Black Diamonds got pinfall wins from Bodie Adams (165 pounds), Caden Pollard (190), Noah Flores (heavyweight), Cason Craft (106) and Cole Mayfield (150).

Sallisaw’s other victors over Cache were Hunter Smith (a 4-2 decision at 175 pounds) and a pair of major decisions from Morgan Duke (11-2 at 113) and Mason Duke (12-3 at 132), which gave Sallisaw wins in eight of the 14 matches contested in the statequarterfinal dual.

However, in the state semifinals against Cushing, the Tigers won nine of the 14 matches, but just three by pinfall. Cushing got three decision wins, one by a major decision and two by forfeit — at 126 pounds and 157 pounds, the two weight divisions that Sallisaw did not have a wrestler on the day.

Of Sallisaw’s five wins against Cushing, two came by pins from Craft at 106 pounds and Mattix Casebolt at 120. Mayfield won his 150-pound match with a 17-2 technical fall score, Morgan Duke prevailed 2-1 at 113 and Adams won his match by forfeit at 165.

The Black Diamonds will return to action at the Class 4A Regional Tournament, which will be Friday and Saturday at Bristow. The top four finishers in each weight class will qualify for the Class 4A State Tournament, which will be Feb. 22-24 at Oklahoma City’s Jim Norick State Fair Arena.