Martin County wrestlers advance to state

Jeremy Mollett of Martin County makes a move on Zander Nottingham of Boyd County in the Region 8 tournament. Mollett finished third in the 106-weight class and will advance to the state tournament. (Citizen photo by Roger Smith)

BY ROGER SMITH
 MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

INEZ — Martin County High School wrestling team turned in a stellar performance in the KHSAA Region 8 championships Saturday in Inez and will send nine wrestlers to the state tournament.

The Cardinals finished second as a team, won three weight classes, a runner-up and five other top 4 finishes.

Twenty teams from Region 8 competed for the regional championship in the Martin County High School gym.

The Cardinals finished with 220 points, falling to Johnson Central with 333, while Boyd County finished third with 197, followed by Montgomery County with 131 and Mason County with 130.

Martin County got championship victories from seventh-grader Jeremy Bentley (120), seventh-grader Parker Maynard (138) and sophomore Weston Jude (150).

Junior Brock Messer (132) finished as runner-up, while eighth-grader Jeremy Mollett (106), junior Rafe Price (144) and junior Madden Miller (175) all took third place to qualify for the state. Seventh-grader James Bentley (126) and senior Caleb Costa (165) will advance with their fourth-place wins.

Sophomore Damien Cheek (190) was fifth, while junior Nick Harless (113) was sixth.

The first round of the state tournament (Regions 5-8) is set for Saturday at Ryle High School in Union.

Jeremy Bentley (17-1) will face Region 7 fourth-place finisher freshman Keenan Clevenger (21-7) of Madison Central.
Maynard (21-1) takes on the Region 7 runner-up, senior Chase Bowlin (27-7) of McCreary County.

Jude (39-5) will take on sophomore Aiden Wilson (17-11) of Corbin, the Region 7 fourth-place finisher.

Messer (31-6) will go against the Region 6 third-place finisher, sophomore Triton Moncrief (43-16) of Fredrick Douglass.
Jeremy Mollett (13-4) will face Region 7 runner-up, seventh-grader Cameron Underwood (19-5) of Somerset.

Miller (31-10) will take on senior Ethan Renfro (25-8) of Whitley County, the runner-up out of Region 7.
Price (26-12) will take on the Region 5 runner-up, senior James Haas (27-11) of Ryle.

James Bentley (5-7) will take on the Region 7 champion, freshman Micah Thompson (42-7) of Boyle County.
Jude (39-5) will take on sophomore Aiden Wilson (17-11) of Corbin, the Region 7 fourth-place finisher.

Costa (31-12) will face off with the Region 6 champion, senior Malakhi Young (30-6) of Great Crossing High School.

Region 8 results

Team results

1. Johnson Central 332; 2. Martin County 220; 3. Boyd County 197; 4. Montgomery County 131; 5. Mason County 130; 6. Ashland Blazer 95.5; 7. West Carter 93; 8. Belfry 79; 9. Perry County Central 69; 10. Floyd Central 67; 11. Pikeville 62; 12. Greenup County 50; 13. Paintsville 47; 14. East Carter 38; 15. Prestonsburg 32; 16. Knott County Central 28; 17. Phelps 21; 18. Pike County Central 17; 19. Raceland 11; 20. Letcher County Central 9

Martin County’s Parker Maynard makes a move on Ethan Richardson of Pikeville in Region 8 tournament action Saturday at Martin County High School. Maynard is the 138-weight class Region 8 champion. (Citizen photo by Roger Smith)

106 pounds
First – Zac Scott (Johnson Central) defeated Ethan Swearingen (West Carter), 1:14
Third – Jeremy Mollett (Martin County) defeated Zander Nottingham (Boyd County), 4:47
Fifth – Jordan Haines (Montgomery County) defeated Jordan Washington (Mason County), 0:27

Nick Harless of Martin County makes a move on Creston Fuller of Mason County in the Region 8 quarterfinal. Harless finished sixth in the 113-weight class. (Citizen photo by Roger Smith)

113
First – Ryan Smith (Johnson Central) defeated Troy Gardner (Ashland Blazer), 4-2
Third – Kaiden Nottingham (Boyd County) defeated Aydin Kozee (Greenup County), 1:29
Fifth – Creston Fuller (Mason County) defeated Nick Harless (Martin County), Fall 3:16

Martin County’s Jeremy Bentley makes a move on Austin Hayes of Prestonsburg in the Region 8 semifinal. Bentley is the 120-weight class Region 8 champion. (Citizen photo by Roger Smith)

120
First – Jeremy Bentley (Martin County) defeated Braylon Dewire (Johnson Central), 5:30
Third – Cedrick Stewart (Paintsville) defeated Bryson Carrington (Mason County), 9-3
Fifth – Austin Hayes (Prestonsburg) defeated Zach Dyer (Greenup County), For.

Martin County grappler James Bentley makes a move on East Carter’s Dylan Burton in the Region 8 tournament. Bentley placed fourth in the 126-weight class and will advance to the state tournament. (Citizen photo by Roger Smith)

126
First – JD Morris (Johnson Central) defeated Bentley Green (Boyd County), 1:10
Third – Noah Weissbach (Montgomery County) defeated James Bentley (Martin County), 3:45
Fifth – Bradyn Hilterbrandt (Mason County) defeated Chris Slone (Perry County Central), 2:12

Martin County’s Brock Messer makes a move on Belfry’s Ace Caudill in the Region 8 semifinal. Messer is the Region 8 runner-up in the 132-weight class. (Citizen photo by Roger Smith)

132
First – Christian Barnes (Johnson Central) defeated Brock Messer (Martin County), 5-3
Third – Chris Isaacs (Boyd County) defeated Daxton Baker (Montgomery County), 10-4
Fifth – Ace Caudill (Belfry) defeated Brandon Stamm (Mason County), 0:24

138
First – Parker Maynard (Martin County) defeated Chase Gillum (Boyd County), 2-1
Third – Cameron Burnside (Ashland Blazer) defeated Michael Spradlin (Johnson Central), 11-8
Fifth – Issac Elia (Belfry) defeated Ethan Richardson (Pikeville), 0:56

Martin County’s Rafe Price makes a move on Colby Doyle of Mason County in the Region 8 tournament. Price finished third in the 144-weight class and will advance to the state tournament. (Citizen photo by Roger Smith)

144
First – Caleb Barnes (Johnson Central) defeated John Jackson (Boyd County), 3:52
Third – Rafe Price (Martin County) defeated Clayton Bradley (Montgomery County), 3:42
Fifth – Colby Doyle (Mason County) defeated Sebastian Crow (West Carter), 1:36

Martin County matman Weston Jude makes a move on Carson Ginn of Mason County in the Region 8 quarterfinal. Weston won the 150-weight class Region 8 championship. (Citizen photo by Roger Smith)

150
First – Weston Jude (Martin County) defeated Raymond Rayburn (West Carter), 3-2
Third – Braxton Shouse (Montgomery County) defeated Brady Peterson (Floyd Central), For.
Fifth – Mason Hess (Pike County Central) defeated Braydon Mize (Perry County Central), 4:57

Martin County matman Chase Stacy (157) makes a move on Perry County’s Caitlin Ritchie in the Region 8 tournament. (Citizen photo by Roger Smith)

157
First – Logan Castle (Johnson Central) defeated Nolan Banfield (Montgomery County), 6-4
Third – Tony Leader (Boyd County) defeated Robert Workman (Belfry, 0:00
Fifth – Davin Skinner (West Carter) defeated Greg Ramey (Paintsville), 1:12

Martin County matman Caleb Costa makes a move on Jaxson Bourders of Paintsville in the Region 8 tournament. Costa finished fourth in the 165-weight class and will advance to the state tournament. (Citizen photo by Roger Smith)

165
First – Dalton Matney (Johnson Central) defeated Tristan Turner (Perry County Central), 2:53
Third – Isaiah Barillas (Pikeville) defeated Caleb Costa (Martin County), 1:38
Fifth – Brady Noble (Knott County Central) defeated Taegan Butterbach (Belfry), 1:24

Madden Miller of Martin County makes a move on Pikeville’s Jayden Justice in the Region 8 tournament. Miller finished third in the 175-weight class and will advance to the state tournament. (Citizen photo by Roger Smith)

175
First – Seth Davis (Johnson Central) defeated Jayden Justice (Pikeville), 0:58
Third – Madden Miller (Martin County) defeated Blake Hurley (Belfry), 11-5
Fifth – Jackson Kidwell (West Carter) defeated Barry Gifford (Mason County), 3:21

Damien Cheek of Martin County makes a move on Raceland’s Manny Abrams in the Region 8 tournament. Cheek finished sixth in the 190-weight class. (Citizen photo by Roger Smith)

190
First – Zack Mccoart (Johnson Central) defeated Jack Hogsten (Boyd County), 2:41
Third – Colton Kinney (Mason County) defeated Christian Wheeler (Greenup County, 2:50
Fifth – Damien Cheek (Martin County) defeated Owen Dotson (Phelps), 2:04

Ryan Smith (215) of Martin County makes a move on Cameron Thompson of Boyd County in the Region 8 tournament. (Citizen photo by Roger Smith)

215
First – Chase Price (Johnson Central) defeated Cole Christian (Ashland Blazer), 4-2
Third – Andrew Mckinley (Montgomery County) defeated Jacob Johnson (Floyd Central), TF-1.5, 5:56, 16-0
Fifth – Westin Harris (Prestonsburg) defeated Juan (Izley) Morales (Mason County), 2:04

Martin County’s Peyton Massie (285) makes a move on Isaac Riveria of Montgomery County in the Region 8 tournament. (Citizen photo by Roger Smith)

285
First – Skyeler Tallent (Boyd County) defeated Brady Adkins (Johnson Central), 5-3
Third – Joseph Cooper (East Carter) defeated Nick Williams (Ashland Blazer), 1:55
Fifth – Marcus Robinson (Perry County Central) defeated Draven Salyer (Floyd Central), 2:47

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