LEXINGTON, Ky. – Five years after starting its wrestling program, Male High School produced its first state champion Saturday night.
Senior Garrett Chandler beat Paducah Tilghman’s Chance Orr 5-3 to take the title in the 220-pound weight class at the Kentucky Horse Park’s Alltech Arena.
“It feels so special,” said Chandler, also a lineman for Male’s Class 6-A state championship football team from last season. “It’s just all the excellent coaching I’ve had. … I wasn’t really expecting all of this, but I was hoping. I just came in focused.”
Chris McCoy, then the coach at Lafayette High School, was named Male’s first coach in 2012. He said the first state champion came quicker than he thought it would.
“We have some very good kids in our program right now, but we’re very young,” McCoy said.
Ranked No. 4 in the state, Chandler faced a tough road to reach the final. He defeated No. 1 Brandon Reed of Iroquois 2-1 in the quarterfinals and then beat No. 2 Collin Portman of North Oldham 12-11 in the semifinals before facing the fifth-ranked Orr in the final.
“He had the hardest road of any of the 220s,” McCoy said. “He came in with the mind-set that no one was going to stop him.”
Chandler won his fourth straight regional title last week but said he adjusted his diet in recent weeks in hopes of getting the state title.
Chandler said he had a bad experience with some chicken wings before the regional tournament but otherwise stuck to his diet plan.
“Just eating more healthy and drinking a lot of water,” he said.
Chandler was one of two finalists for Male on Saturday. Freshman Zane Brown lost to Trinity’s Keegan Duncan 5-3 in the 132-pound championship match.
Male finished 12th in the team standings with 80 points, and McCoy expects better finishes in future years.
“We have to get past St. X and Trinity being in our same region, but each year we’re climbing closer and closer,” he said.
Jason Frakes can be reached at (502) 582-4046 and jfrakes@courier-journal.com.