BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

LEXINGTON — Martin County High School’s Parker Maynard emerged from the Kentucky High School Athletic Association State Wrestling Championships as a sixth-place finisher at 144 lbs.

Maynard and six teammates, Brock Messer, Rafe Price, Jono Cline, Julian Stafford, Nick Harless and Jake Stafford, competed in the event Thursday and Friday at the Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park.

Both Maynard and Messer made it through Thursday’s matches.

Maynard, the Region 8 champion, defeated Zane McCoy of North Oldham by fall (1:17) in the first round of the championship. In round 2, he beat Jefferson Crum of Tates Creek by fall (5:23). The eighth-grader suffered an upset in the quarterfinal, losing a 9-6 decision to Deacon Heisler of Campbell County. He recovered to win consolation rounds 4 and 5, defeating Luke Knight of Anderson County 5-3 and Timothy Sulfstead of Walton Verona 6-4, before losing the semifinal to Micah Thompson of Boyle County by fall (2:46) and the fifth-place match to Heisler 5-4.

Messer, the Region 8 champion at 132 lbs, won the first two rounds of the championship over Paxton Slayton of Oldham County by a 13-1 major decision and Liam Gutierrez of Frederick Douglass by a 4-2 decision. His upset came in the quarterfinal 3-2 by Cordion Abernathy of Conner. The senior lost a 2-1 decision in consolation round 4 to Andrew Pomeroy of Male.

Price, Region 8 champion at 150 lbs, won his first round over Joel Vontae Stanley Jr. of Pleasure Ridge Park by fall (5:44). He lost the next two rounds to Bryce Dennemann of Campbell County by fall (1:00) and Max Brewer of Bethlehem (2:00).

Cline, Region 8 champion at 106 lbs, lost two matches.

Region 8 runner-up at 126 lbs, Julian Stafford went 1-2 on the day, Harless went 1-2 on the day at 113 lbs, and Jake Stafford 0-2 at 138 lbs.