Local wrestlers look to punch tickets to state at regional tournaments

The Sallisaw Black Diamonds wrestlers may have some advantages when it comes to other wrestlers who did not earn a berth to last weekend’s Class 4A Dual State Tournament. For most non-dual state qualifiers, they and their teams only basically practiced with no duals scheduled.

Sallisaw Black Diamonds coach Mark Smith said he believes that participating in the Class 4A Dual State Tournament for the third straight season will be beneficial for his wrestlers as they prepare to try to qualify for the state tournament, which will take place Feb. 26-28 at O.G.&E. Pavilion, a.k.a. “The ‘New’ Big House,” in Oklahoma City, in the Class 4A Regional Tournament, which will be today and Saturday in Tuttle.

“I think it benefits you,” Smith said. “Anytime you get to go there, you’re wrestling some of the better teams. You have to be going in a positive direction if you make dual state. Each round you advance, you’re getting into the top three or four teams in the state. There’s good match-ups there — and, obviously, learning lessons, whether you win or lose. There’s seeding criteria because you’re wrestling in (Class) 4A duals.”

Smith believes that the Class 4A State Tournament truly decides the state’s best wrestling team, which ultimately will be the state team champion.

“The ultimate is the state championship,” he said. “I’ve always said that at dual state, coaches will pull out wrestlers once they have the dual locked up just because they don’t want anybody hurt for state. There’s really one state championship. It’s called dual state versus the state championship for a reason. The true state championship, and even team wise, in my opinion, is at the end of the year. It’s a tournament sport, but there’s a team concept to it. The real challenge to see who is the best team in the state comes at the end-of-the-year state championship.”

However, the Black Diamonds will have to have a better showing than last Saturday’s run to the dual state semifinals, where they lost to Bristow after beating Fort Gibson in the dual state quarterfinals.

“We’ve got to wrestle a lot better than we did in some of those matches at dual state,” Smith said. “We had a good practice (on Monday). We as coaches have to make sure they are feeling good and feeling confident going out there, and believing that we’ve had a good year as far as training and our preparation. A big part of wrestling is the mental side. A lot of it is just the mental aspect of it. You’re out there by yourself. That’s what we’re gearing towards. We’re trying to get the mind right.”

Smith says the Black Diamonds are ready for the tough Class 4A Regional Tournament at Tuttle this weekend.

“I think it’s not a bad deal for us,” he said. “I think we can go over there and wrestle well. The big thing is to get guys qualified. You have to fight to get into the top three. That four and five spots, we’ll take it if we have to so we can get into the (state) tournament, but to set yourself up to have some success (at state), it’s important to get into that top three. We’re going to push for as many (regional) finalists as we can.”

Smith is hoping the way the Black Diamonds performed at the 2026 Maverick Conference Tournament, which took place Jan. 30-31 at Fort Gibson, will be the way the Black Diamonds — who ended up being the conference champions — will perform this weekend at the Class 4A Regional Tournament in Tuttle.

“I think if we can have a similar tournament, which will be tough, but something similar to that Fort Gibson (Maverick Conference Tournament) type — where we’re pushing a lot of guys to get to the finals — you will set yourself up for success,” Smith said. “We’ve got to try to push guys to the finals. We’ve tried to change the mentality from ‘Let’s go to state’ and celebrating the state-qualifiers side of it. We want our kids to expect to qualify. We’ve been staying in the top three for the last three years. We hope our kids, going into regionals, expect to qualify (for state). That mindset is what we need. I think we can do some good things. You have to have a little luck in the end, too.”

The Black Diamonds were Class 4A Regional Tournament champions in 2024, and a showing close to that one should bode well for them this weekend in Tuttle.

“We won it (Class 4A Regional Tournament) two years ago at Bristow,” Smith said. “If we were healthy, we would have had a chance to win it last year. Tuttle is a tough team. Tuttle has not lost a regional in 18 years. We’re not going there to get second. It’s big that we go in there and have success. We want to get guys in the top three. It will set you up for the state championship.”

For the other local wrestlers, the Gore Pirates, the Vian Wolverines and the Roland Rangers will be at the Class 3A Regional Tournament today and Saturday in Blackwell.

The Pirates worked out this week with the Black Diamonds to get them prepped for the big weekend.

“We’re excited,” Gore Pirates coach Jake Constant said. We’ve put in a lot of work. We went over to Sallisaw and worked with (Sallisaw) Coach (Mark) Smith and those guys a little bit this week. We put ourselves in position to see some people that we’re not used to practicing with. Sallisaw has a really good program, so anytime a smaller school gets to work with somebody like that, I take advantage of it. We had some really good practices over there. I think we’re ready to go punch some tickets to state.”

A couple of years ago, the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association (OSSAA) changed it to where the top five wrestlers per weight class punch tickets to state, which give all wrestlers one extra shot at a state berth, which is beneficial.

“I really like it,” Constant said about five state qualifiers per weight class. “It makes that fifth-sixth place match that much more exciting. Obviously, No. 6 (place finisher) doesn’t get in, and No. 5 does. That makes that a real, fun, competitive match.”

As for the Pirates, Constant is hoping for at last half of his team to qualify for the Class 3A State Tournament, which will be Feb. 26-28 at O.G.&E. Pavilion.

“I think we have a good shot to get four or five of them through to state this year,” he said. “I like our chances in most of the weight classes with our seasoned guys. I think Kaydin McCartney has a really good shot at finishing in the top three. I think Devon Mannon has a really good shot at finishing in the top three. Bladin McCartney and Cole Brooksher are right there on the cusp. We have our freshman Jaydan Gates.”

Constant is just thrilled that he’s getting to take twice as many Pirates as a season ago to the Class 3A Regional Tournament.

“Last year, we took five,” the Gore coach said. “This year, we’re taking 10. We were actually trying to take 12, but we got a few injuries late in the season. Now, a handful of those guys are firstyear wrestlers. I think a couple of them can shock some people and pick up some wins. Regionals are tough.”

The Wolverines are hoping to get more wrestlers in than just last year’s state placer, Garritt Hunt — who was the Class 3A State Tournament runner-up at heavyweight.

“I’m sure that Garritt Hunt will go back (to state),” Vian Wolverines coach Garett Willis said. “I think he’ll be fine. We have so many right on the edge. We have five others who might, or might not. We’re hoping to have a good (regional) tournament and take a few to Oklahoma City.”