The emergence of Bridgeport’s wrestling team as a group to contend with in Class AA continued this past weekend. And it continued at the place you want that to happen.

 

The Indians finished second in the 16-team Class AA-A Region II competition that was held at Bridgeport High School with 178 points. Braxton County was the winner with 248 points, marking its third-straight regional title.

 

“We took 11 guys into the tournament and placed nine of them in the top six. It was a good showing for our team,” said BHS Coach Chris Courtney.

 

Bridgeport qualified five wrestlers for the state tournament, including three that won individual championships. The top four wrestlers in each region qualified for the upcoming state meet in Huntington.

 

Perhaps not surprising was Kavaughn Summers winning at the 220-pound mark. Summers, 35-0 on the year, rolled to the regional crown with a 7-4 decision in the title match against Clay County’s Colton Casto.

 

“He looked very good. He is a very motivated and talented wrestler,” said Courtney of Summers. “He has nine practices to get ready for the states.  We will get right back to work getting him and the others ready.”

 

Aidan Gibson also took home a crown at 145.  The junior managed to earn a 3-0 win against Russell Murphy of Liberty Harrison in the championship match to advance and move to 40-8 on the year.

 

“As I have said all year Aidan is a great athlete with exceptional wrestling skills. If he begins to believe he is one of the top wrestlers in the state, he will find himself climbing the podium,” said Courtney.

 

The final champion was one of two freshmen to punch a ticket to the states. Derek Starkey, in 126, continues his progression and did so with a 10-0 major decision against Liberty’s Devin Barnes to move to 23-3.

 

The other freshmen to advance was Bladen Roush in 132. Roush won the third place match to move to 29-12 thanks to a 13-6 decision against Grafton’s Eli Shumaker in the final match.

 

“I am excited for the opportunity ahead of these freshman (Derek and Bladen). The experience of the state wrestling tournament as a freshman will go a long way for these two,” said Courtney. “They are contenders and will be ready to give it their best run at the title.”

 

Austin Gibson, at 160, is the other wrestler to qualify. The senior, who is now 41-4, earned a 14-7 decision against Braxton County’s Justin Paletti to earn his way to Huntington.

 

“Austin had a very competitive tournament.  He looked good overall. I think he has more to give.  Region II has some of the toughest 160 pounders in the state,” said Gibson. “We will have him ready to compete and make a deep run in the state.  He has positioned himself at a chance for the title.”

 

Although those five qualified, Bridgeport has two more wrestlers that will be in an alternate position in the event someone is sick, gets injured or can’t make weight. JT Muller was fifth at 132 and Carson DeMotto was in the fifth spot at 195.

 

“JT and Carson had a great weekend. They each got better throughout the season. JT will be a big part of our future success,” said Courtney. “He is a hard worker and will make an impact next year as a junior. His skills have improved in every aspect over the last two years.

 

“When I first took over the program, Carson tried out to stay in shape for football.  He has really transformed and evolved into a solid wrestler.  He has been a pleasure to coach, but even more rewarding to me is the how he has transformed as a person and leader,” Courtney continued. “Hopefully, one day he realizes the time on the mat has prepared him for the future in some way.”

 

As happy as Courtney was for those individuals who are heading to Huntington and still have a shot to compete, he was equally disheartened for the final two wrestlers that placed. However, with Addison Courtney at 138 and Josh Wojciechowicz at 170 both finishing in sixth place, it means their seasons are over in a cruel twist for the year.

 

Both wrestlers had to compete at less than 100 percent. And both nearly made it work.

 

“It was heartbreaking watching Addison and Josh compete. They are competitors.  They were handcuffed with their ability to compete in their usual manner. They made the most of it,” said Courtney. “They made for an inspiring, yet stressfully part of our weekend. They represent what we want these kids to get out of the sport. They will be back for their senior season and will be ready to compete.”

 

Wojciechowicz finishes at 34-13. Courtney closes the campaign at 9-5 due to battling health issues most of the season.

 

The state wrestling tournament is Feb. 21-22 at the Big Sandy Superstore Arena in Huntington. On Thursday, the AA-A weight is at 4 p.m. with the session starting at 6:30 p.m. On Friday, weigh-in is at 9:30 a.m. and competition begins at 10:30 a.m.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo is of Kavaughn Summers, while he's followed by regional champs Derek Starkey and Aidan Gibson, respectively. Fourth photo shows Austin Gibson, while Bladen Roush is shown below. Photos by Jodi Muller.