A roller-coaster season hit a high point for the Fern Creek High School wrestling team Saturday.
The Tigers produced six individual champions and took the team title for the third straight year at the Region Three Championships held at Valley.
Fern Creek reached a pinnacle last year by winning the state championship, but coach Mark Hitchings and his Tigers have found the quest to repeat to be quite the challenge.
“I think we used up all our mojo last year, all our good fortune,” said Hitchings, conceding a state title would be highly unlikely this season. “Last year everything went so well, and this year things just haven’t gone well. They’re great kids … but there have been so many distractions and a few kids who just couldn’t get on board with what we’re trying to do.”
Fern Creek finished with 208 points, easily ahead of runner-up Valley (164) and third-place Western (159). Doss finished fourth with 143.5 points, and Bullitt East (103.5) was fifth.
The top four finishers in each weight class earned spots in the State Championships set for Friday and Saturday at the Kentucky Horse Park’s Alltech Arena in Lexington.
Ranked No. 5 in the state by KentuckyWrestling.com, Fern Creek has endured several injuries and defections this season but won individual titles in six of the eight lightest weight classes Saturday.
Senior A.J. Bindner took the title at 138 pounds after pinning Western’s Rockie Lukuku in the first round. Bindner said off-the-mat conflicts have affected the team all season.
“We’re the defending state champions, and right now in this gym no one would even know it,” he said. “The ones here have enough heart and toughness for the sport, and the ones that aren’t went their own ways.”
Other champions for the Tigers were Mike Klein (106), Colton Lampe (113), Connor Cambron (127), Jared Branch (145) and Devaughn Richardson (152).
Hitchings said Klein, Lampe, Cambron and Bindner all have legitimate shots to win state titles.
“What we’re taking, especially our six regional champs, are all going to wrestle deep into the state tournament and score a lot of points for us,” Hitchings said.
Valley had just one individual champion – sophomore Caleb Lane (182) – but showed off its depth by finishing second in the team standings. The Vikings qualified 11 wrestlers for the state tournament.
Coach Bryan Elder said the program had just two wrestlers when he took over five years ago.
“I’m ecstatic,” he said. “I thought we had a chance to take second if our kids wrestled well, and a lot of them wrestled their hearts out. … I’m shocked we’re sending 11 of our 12 to state.”
Iroquois finished eighth in the team standings but produced three champions in Ansar Kurbanov (132), Bilal Mamedov (195) and Brandon Reed (220).
Ranked No. 1 in the state, Reed improved to 33-0 this season by pinning Fairdale’s Vachean Jones with just 10 seconds left in the match.
“I was just playing with him,” Reed said. “I just wanted to get a workout … and practice my takedowns before state.”
Reed, a junior, said he stepped up his training after finishing as the state runner-up at 220 last year.
“I’m a lot better at everything, he said. “I can’t wait to get to state. It’s going to be exciting and super fun. Anything can happen, and I still have another year so there’s no pressure.”
Others capturing regional titles were Bullitt Central’s Nicholas Curtis (120) and Sean Sanders (285), North Bullitt’s Logan James (160) and Doss’ James Wharton (170).
Jason Frakes can be reached at (502) 582-4046 and jfrakes@courier-journal.com.
REGION THREE WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Valley High School
Top four finishers in each weight class advance to state
Team scores: 1. Fern Creek, 208; 2. Valley, 164; 3. Western, 159; 4. Doss, 143.5; 5. Bullitt East, 103.5; 6. Fairdale, 78.5; 7. Bullitt Central, 77; 8. Iroquois, 71; 9. North Bullitt, 56; 10. Pleasure Ridge Park, 54; 11. DeSales, 47; 12. Southern, 39.5; 13. Holy Cross, 9.
106 pounds: 1st – Mike Klein (Fern Creek) def. Derek Ringlen (Doss), 12-2; 3rd – Simba Murjam (Valley) def. Calieb Carroll (Western), 9-2.
113: 1st – Colton Lampe (Fern Creek) pinned Maktub Amir (Valley), 3:00; 3rd – Dylan Harkins (DeSales) pinned David Ashley (North Bullitt).
120: 1st – Nicholas Curtis (Bullitt Central) pinned Adam Yashinto (Doss), 3:40; 3rd – Logan Henry (Bullitt East) pinned Luke Polin (DeSales).
126: 1st – Connor Cambron (Fern Creek) def. Blake Evans (Pleasure Ridge Park), 22-9; 3rd – Amen Alshemary (Doss) def. William Albey (Valley), 7-5.
132: 1st – Ansar Kurbanov (Iroquois) def. Jaython Elliott (Southern), 12-9; 3rd – Freddie Winston (Western) def. Nikeem Avent (Fern Creek), 12-4.
138: 1st – A.J. Bindner (Fern Creek) pinned Rockie Lukudu, 1:28; 3rd – Desmond Lewis (Valley) def. Keaon Taylor (Doss), 11-6.
145: 1st – Jared Branch (Fern Creek) def. Max Powell (Doss), 2-0; 3rd – Charles Juras (Fairdale) pinned Isander Santiago (Valley).
152: 1st – Devaughn Richardson (Fern Creek) def. Devon Henley (Bullitt East), 11-5; 3rd – Jacob Blissett (Bullitt Central) pinned Damian Mattingly (Valley).
160: 1st – Logan James (North Bullitt) def. Lovaughn Samuels (Western), 9-2; 3rd – Brayden Oberhausen (Fern Creek) beat Tyjeric Williams (Valley), 9-4.
170: 1st – James Wharton (Doss) pinned Dayon Pulliam (Western), 2:12; 3rd – Jay Kebou (Pleasure Ridge Park) pinned Matthew Quiggins (Fern Creek).
182: 1st – Caleb Lane (Valley) def. Chase Askins (Bullitt East), 9-7; 3rd – Daniel Wagner (North Bullitt) def. Alex Rangle (Western), 9-7.
195: 1st – Bilal Mamedov (Iroquois) def. Steve Brown (Doss), 12-0; 3rd – Desean Stratton (Western) pinned D’Andre Allen (Valley).
220: 1st – Brandon Reed (Iroquois) pinned Vachean Jones (Fairdale), 5:50; 3rd – Patrick Dumire (Valley) pinned Arlen Herndon (Southern).
285: 1st – Sean Sanders (Bullitt Central) pinned Quentin Coombs (Western), 2:22; 3rd – Elijah Watkins (Valley) pinned Zeph Ragsdale (Fern Creek).