Black Diamonds lose to Cache in dual state opener
The Sallisaw Black Diamonds wrestling team hoped to go as far it could in the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association (OSSAA) Dual State Tournament on Saturday at Tulsa Union High School, but they were dealt a 45-23 setback to the Cache Bulldogs in the quarterfinals of the Class 4A bracket.
The Black Diamonds (11-6 in duals this season) got wins from Kash Keepes (heavyweight, decision), Cason Craft (113 pounds, technical fall), Morgan Duke (120, decision), Cole Mayfield (157, pin), and Bodie Adams (175, pin). They were only down 13-11 after Duke’s win, but losses that involved two forfeits, two major decisions and a pinfall loss, increased the deficit from two to 28 points at 39-11, proving to be the backbreaker for Sallisaw.
“Cason Craft, Bodie, Cole, those guys got some bonus points in falls,” Sallisaw boys wrestling coach Mark Smith said. “We just have to have some other guys step up. We had to give up three forfeits. We’re struggling a little bit with injuries this year, but it’s no excuse. Guys have to step up and win matches.
“Overall as a team, I was a little disappointed in half of their efforts and in the other half, I have seven guys who wrestled well. We got to these other guys on board, and they got to be buying in.”
Mayfield wasted no time in his match against Landon Collins at 157 pounds. The two-time state champion took Collins down 12 seconds into the match, then forced another takedown after Collins escaped. Mayfield was up 6-1 and picked up four more points for a near fall by the time 43 seconds had passed.
Less than a minute later, with 23 seconds left in the first period, Mayfield had Collins on his back for good, and the whistle was blown for the pin.
Cache won the 165-pound match by forfeit before Adams finished things off with a victory at 175 pounds by pinning Garret Graham at the 1:12 mark, another first-period fall.
With the dual starting at 190 pounds, Cache took that match and 215 by decision and a major decision, respectively, before Keepes battled out a 12-7 decision over Tazer Phillips at heavyweight. Keepes’ win earned three points for the Black Diamonds and drew them to within 7-3 on the scoreboard.
Cache won by fall at 106 pounds, then Craft, a state champion from a year ago, was dominant in his match against Avery Owens, winning by technical fall 22-5. Craft made takedowns on Owens through the match, which lasted a period, and Owens eventually escaped each one for a point, until the last one, where Craft got four points for a near fall, ending it with 26 seconds to go.
Sallisaw was down 13-8 at that point.
The Black Diamonds will now focus on the regional tournament this weekend in Catoosa.
“We’re a tough team, and we can still do some good things,” Smith said. “We got one wrestler competing for a third state championship (Mayfield). We have one as a sophomore (Craft) competing for his second on a quest to be a fourtimer. We’ve got another one (Adams) in the state finals last year that is trying to win his first as a junior, so we got some guys shooting for titles. So, I expect those guys to be doing well come state (tournament) time in a couple of weeks. They’re those kind of athletes that work hard.
“I think tournament wise, we’re still in good shape. Still, (last Saturday was) a little disappointing day,” Smith said.
EDITOR’S NOTE:
Look for the story about Monday’s Class 5A Girls Regional Tournament in Jay featuring Sallisaw and Vian wrestlers trying to earn trips to state in Friday’s edition.
