By Rob Kiser
Miami Valley Today
CENTERVILLE — Troy 160-pounder Carlos Quintero knew he would get everybody’s best shot as the top seed in the Centerville D-I sectional tournament that started Friday.
Piqua’s Lance Reaves-Hicks (285) found the waiting was the hardest part.
Both wrestlers advanced to this Sunday’s semifinals, while both schools still have other wrestler’s alive in consolations.
Due to a water main break, wrestling was postponed Saturday and the tournament will finish Sunday.
TROY
While neither match ended up being close, Quintero had to work to advance to the semifinals.
Quintero, 36-5, pinned James Wilson of Northmont in 3:29, before recording a 15-5 major decision over Nolan Winfield of Centerville.
He will wrestle Garrett Golden of Beavercreek, 34-12, in the semifinals.
“He is (going to get everybody’s best shot),” Troy coach Doug Curnes said. “And, that is exactly what he got. There are a few things he needs to work on, but we will get that corrected.”
Quintero’s quarterfinal match was interesting.
Winfield got a takedown on Quintero — something that rarely happens — in the first period and led for much of the period.
Quintero scored a takedown late in the period to go up 3-2 and then took control from there, recording a 15-5 major decision.
“Yes sir (he knew he would get everybody’s best shot),” he said. “I mean, the other guy wants it to. It felt good to get that takedown at the end of the first period.”
And the way Quintero responded to a little adversity impressed Curnes.
“I was telling my assistant coach,” Curnes said, “the way Carlos (Quintero) responded to that situation is the way a state caliber wrestler would respond.”
And Quintero looks forward to Sunday’s challenge.
“Yes sir, I will be ready,” he said.
Six of Troy’s seven other wrestlers are alive in consolations.
Nolan Fox (106) had a first-round bye before losing an 11-3 major decision to Xavier Jordan Bradley of Wayne.
Joe Cusick (170) had a first-round bye before losing by pin to Nevan Snodgrass of Fairmont in 35 seconds.
Noah Leach (182) had a first-round bye before being pinned by Alec Hall of Tecumseh in 1:00.
Tyler Plunkett (138) was pinned by Keith Evans of Tecumseh in 1:33 and had a bye in first consolations.
Logan Wilson (145) was pinned by Andru Hollopeter of Piqua in 32 seconds and had a bye in first consolations.
Gabe Cusick (152) was pinned by Jestin Lover of Butler in 1:11 in the opening round and had a bye in first consolations.
Zach Aboulassain (195) was pinned by Mario Machado of Fairmont in 56 seconds and pinned by Josef Schlade of Centerville in 59 seconds in first consolations.
“We drew into buzzsaws,” Curnes said. “That’s what happens when you have young wrestlers with no criteria. It will be the other way next year for us.”
PIQUA
The Piqua bus arrived around 3 p.m. at Centerville for weigh-ins. Then, after a first-round bye, it was after 8 p.m. when Reaves-Hicks took the mat for one of the last matches of the night.
“It is tough always being one of the last matches (at 285 pounds),” Reaves-Hicks said. “And I had the bye.”
But, once he got on the mat, Reaves-Hicks didn’t waste time, pinning Tyler Durham of West Carrollton in 46 seconds.
“I don’t go out there trying to pin a guy,” Reaves-Hicks said. “I am just trying to win a match.”
Reaves-Hicks is looking forward to a big challenge in the semifinals.
He is 37-2 and the third seed and will face second seed Seth Frantz, 39-2, of Northmont. Frantz is a returning state qualifier.
“That will be a tough match,” Reaves-Hicks said. “That is a big match. He is the guy who beat me at district last year, so hopefully I can beat him this time.”
Piqua coach Scott Kaye agreed.
“This is the match we have been working for all season,” Kaye said. “It will be a chance to see if the things we have been working on are the right things. It is the challenge we have been waiting for.”
Hollopeter advanced to the quarterfinals with a quick pin of Wilson, before losing 16-0 by tech fall to Evan Overholser of Fairmont.
“Andru (Hollopeter) ran into a tough guy there,” Kaye said. “When you are in consolations, you have to take it one match at a time. You know your season is over if you lose, but you can’t think that way. You just have to take one match at a time.”
Also alive in consolations are Peyton Offenbacher (106), Brady Mikolajewski (113) and Isaac Bushnell (152).
Offenbacher was pinned by Jadah McMillen of Sidney in 5:50; while Mikolajewski was pinned by Josh Cunningham of Springfield in 36 seconds.
Bushnell was pined by Ian Baird of Beavercreek in 1:51; before pinning Taylor Maxwell of Xenia in 3:44 in consolations.
Wrestling will continue Sunday, with the top four in each weight class advancing on to the district tournament.
Contact Rob Kiser at [email protected].
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