By Rob Kiser
Miami Valley Today
KETTERING — Troy senior Carlos Quintero has the Trojan wrestling team headed back to state.
The 160-pounder Carlos Quintero won his consolation semifinal match to advance to the state tournament Saturday afternoon at the Kettering Division I district tournament, while Piqua 285-pound junior Lance Reaves-Hicks had his season end.
Quintero, 40-7, decisioned Patrick Barrett, 26-10 of Cincinnati Elder 5-1 to start the morning. He then recorded a 15-2 major de Deaglan Pyle of Vandalia-Butler, 33-12, in the next round of consolations.
And in the consolation semifinals, Quintero outlasted Garrett Golden of Beavercreek, 37-14, in the go-to state match, winning a 7-3 decision. That match also proved to be Quintero’s 100th career victory, making him the sixth wrestler in Troy history to reach that milestone.
In the finals, Quintero defeated Lebanon’s Ethan Marsh in a 5-4 tiebreaker to place third overall.
Quintero is the first Troy wrestler to qualify for the D-I state tournament since Alex Dalton in 2014.
Reaves-Hicks closed his season at 38-6 after being pinned by Justin Knipper, 40-12, of Beavercreek in 51 seconds.
• FRIDAY
Quintero started the Kettering D-I district wrestling tournament with a bang — and Reaves-Hicks finished the night with one.
Both are alive in the consolation matches on Saturday, needing three straight wins to get to state.
Carlos Quintero
Quintero opened his district tournament with a pin, but that was not enough to satisfy Quintero.
In his quarterfinal match, he ran into Brett Mcintosh, 41-3, of Harrison and Quintero, 37-7, dropped a 9-0 decision, putting him in the consolation match Saturday.
“I am not really thinking about that first match right now,” Quintero said. “I am thinking about the second match.”
And Quintero didn’t want to hear that McIntosh was one of the top guys in his weight class.
“You still have a 50-50 shot out there,” Quintero said. “I am disappointed with that match. I will be ready tomorrow.
Doug Curnes smiled when told about Quintero’s comment.
“That is Carlos’ mentlity,” Curnes said. “He has a 50-50 shot from the sense that he is one bear hug or one throw from winning every match. But, the statistics on paper would say something else. That is kid is a very highly rated kid. We knew that. We just didn’t know a lot about him.
“The kid was very smooth. Carlos just ran into a buzzsaw.”
Which was how Logan Jones, 17-17, of Colerain must have felt after his opening round match against Quintero.
Quintero opened an 11-0 lead before pinning him in the second period.
“Yes sir, I was able to dominate that match,” Quintero said. “That was not unexpected.”
Curnes agreed.
“We got a good draw,” Curnes said. “You take advantage of what you have when you get it. Carlos(Quintero) was very successful in that match.”
Now, Quintero will have to win three straight matches Saturday to get to state.
“And Carlos (Quintero) is capable of that,” Curnes said. “We feel like he is in the top four. He is going to be wrestling guys who he beat in tight matches or he lost to. So, he is going to have to wrestle well. But, he can do it.”
Lance Reaves-Hicks
After losing just two matches all season, Reaves-Hicks suffered his third loss in four matches in the opening round.
Reaves-Hicks, 38-5, was pinned by Tripp Johnson of Springboro, 27-6, in the second period.
“I don’t know what to say about that match,” Reaves-Hicks said. “I just needed to win (his next match). I just had to find a way to win. That is all there was to it.”
And Reaves-Hicks did exactly that, as he took control of a close match in the second period and pinning Jaxson Frysinger, 18-12 of West Clermont in the consolations.
“Hopefully that will (get him out of a little funk he had been in),” Reaves-Hicks said. “I had him on his shoulder for awhile before I pinned him. It is just good to get the win.”
Piqua coach Scott Kaye agreed.
“The big thing was he had to find a way to win and he did that,” Kaye said. “He is certainly capable of winning three straight matches (and getting to state). He has come back through consolations before. It won’t be easy. He is going to have to wrestle his best. But, he can do it.”
Wrestling will resume at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Contact Rob Kiser at [email protected].
©2020 Miami Valley Today, all rights reserved.
