BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

LAGRANGE — It was a weekend of takedowns and fierce competition for Martin County Middle School Wrestling. The Cardinals powered through five rounds to secure a second-place finish at the KYUSAW Middle School State Duals at Oldham County High School on Sunday.

Martin County put on an impressive display, winning four consecutive matches against Derby City Legends 58-26, Meade County 71-21, Larue County 56-36 and Oldham County 53-36 before falling in the final round to a good Paducah Tilghman team 75-17.

Coach Andrew Chaffin’s club qualified for the event by winning the regional duals earlier in the year.

“We couldn’t be happier for our kids and the way they have wrestled this year,” the coach announced.

Round 1 kicked off with Martin County overpowering Derby City Legends 58-26. At 70 lbs., Bryce Williamson set the tone early, pinning Anthony Skupien in just 44 seconds. Kenleigh Estep (77 lbs.) followed up with a dominant 15-0 technical fall over Lilyana Kaufmann.

Blake Lemaster (108 lbs.) continued the team’s momentum with another 15-0 technical fall. Chase Messer (122 lbs.) pinned Jared Pierce in 2:18, and Noah Bowen (138 lbs.) pinned Gabriel Meiller in 2:13. Easton Slone (150 lbs.) secured his victory with a fall at 2:26. Heavyweight Spencer Workman (285 lbs.) closed out the match pinning Tristan Salzman in 37 seconds.

Jase Vanhoose (83 lbs), Noah McCoy (165 lbs.) and Braxtin Cooke (210 lbs.) earned forfeit wins.

Martin County carried its momentum into round 2 with a 71-21 rout of Meade County. Kenleigh Estep (77 lbs.) started with a forfeit victory, followed by Brody Jewell (89 lbs.) pinning Bryton Kerns in 2:16. Kiana Chaffin (95 lbs.) secured a 53-second fall against Donavin Keith while Jayce Conley (101 lbs.) earned a forfeit win.

Kennedy Maynard (108 lbs.) continued the winning streak, pinning Andre Rodriguez in 1:06. Blake Lemaster (115 lbs.) followed up with a 1:42 fall over Holden Lucas, and Jaxon Scott (122 lbs.) dominated with a 17-0 technical fall over Kash Miller.

Noah Bowen (129 lbs.) earned another forfeit win before stepping onto the mat again to pin Jakari Crouch in just 23 seconds. Easton Slone (150 lbs.) recorded the fastest win of the match with an 8-second pin against Hayden Martin, and Noah McCoy (165 lbs.) followed with an 11-second pin over Adrian Dailey.

Spencer Workman (285 lbs.) wrapped up the match by pinning Lorenzo McGinty in 1:15, while Bryce Williamson (70 lbs.) pinned Hayden Baker in 30 seconds.

Larue County put up a fight in Round 3, but Martin County stayed dominant with another victory. Brody Jewell (89 lbs.) opened the match with a 2:58 pin over Liam Gustafson. Jayce Conley (101 lbs.) delivered an 11-0 major decision over Hunter Caven, and Blake Lemaster (108 lbs.) added a 15-1 major decision over Eric Zwiep. Jaxon Scott (115 lbs.) pinned Jordan French in 2:23, while Chase Messer (122 lbs.) took down Jimmie Wood in 2:53. Noah Bowen (129 lbs.) added a forfeit victory before Easton Slone (150 lbs.) pinned Mason Doughty in 48 seconds. Spencer Workman (285 lbs.) made quick work of Mason Meadows, pinning him in just 18 seconds. Bryce Williamson (70 lbs.) and Kenleigh Estep (77 lbs.) both finished strong, pinning Jax Vickery and Nolan Shewmake in 2:03 and 2:39, respectively.

Another well-rounded performance helped Martin County defeat Oldham County in round four. Blake Lemaster (108 lbs.) pinned Levi Gibbs in 1:30, while Jaxon Scott (115 lbs.) followed with a fall over Ethan Hockersmith in 2:33. Chase Messer (122 lbs.) secured a win via disqualification against Caleb Riordan. Noah Bowen (129 lbs.) wasted no time pinning C.J. Smith in 37 seconds, and Easton Slone (150 lbs.) defeated Micha Hamilton in 1:22. Noah McCoy (185 lbs.) kept the momentum going, pinning Riley Henning in 2:05. Braxtin Cooke (210 lbs.) and Spencer Workman (285 lbs.) both earned forfeit victories, while Bryce Williamson (70 lbs.) pinned Luke Gibbs in 40 seconds.

Despite an impressive tournament run, Martin County fell to powerhouse Tornado Wrestling in the final round. Easton Slone (150 lbs.) secured a 17-2 technical fall over Jacob Pyles, while Bryce Williamson (70 lbs.) pinned Owen Simmons in 2:41. Brody Jewell (89 lbs.) added another victory for the team, pinning Dalis Johnston in 1:10 but it was not enough to overcome Tornado Wrestling’s depth.

The final standings saw Tornado Wrestling take the top spot, followed by Martin County in second, Oldham County in third, Larue County in fourth, Meade County in fifth and Derby City Legends rounding out the standings in sixth.

The event wraps up the season for Martin County.