Indians come that close
- Updated: January 19, 2022
Ohatchee loses heartbreaker in 1A-4A Duels semifinals, match decided on ninth tiebreaker
By East Alabama Sports Today
TUSCUMBIA – Ohatchee came about as close as humanly possible to reaching the finals of the State Duals Wrestling Tournament. That doesn’t make the outcome any easier to accept.
The Indians went to the northwest corner of the state and lost to Deshler 38-37 Tuesday in a match that took the ninth tiebreaker to decide.
The match was tied 37-37 at the completion of the 14 weight classes, but Deshler got to the nod to advance for the most first points won in the 14 bouts.
“That’s a tough one,” Ohatchee coach Chris Findley said. “It’s obviously very, very tough. The guys were out there giving all they had and to lose in a tiebreaker and not just a tiebreaker but the ninth-down-the-line tiebreaker is just heartbreaking.”
The Indians were down 12-0 early, but they rallied and Troy Galloway gave them the lead with a pin at 197.
They were still up eight with three weight classes to go and up six with one bout left after Kasim Bramlett scored a major decision at 122. All they had to do was avoid getting pinned in the last match of the night, but Deshler’s 128 Devin Pennington came through with a third-period pin to tie the score.
Then it went to criteria. Both teams won seven matches. Both had a straight decision and a major decision. Both had five pins. There were no forfeits. In nine of the matches Deshler scored the first points. Ironically, Ohatchee won two of the bouts the Tigers got first points.
“We knew it would be really close,” Findley said. “Just from studying their roster and everything we thought it would be a coin flip to determine who would be favored in each match.”
Deshler will now wrestle Ashville for the Class 1A-4A Duals title Friday in Birmingham’s Bill Harris Arena.
CLASS 1A-4A DUALS SEMIFINALS
Deshler 38, Ohatchee 37
134: Brooks Balentine (D) pinned Hayden Ford 0:46
140: Dathan Laster (D) pinned Gavin Hall, 4:29
147: Malachi Goble (O) pinned Camden Adkins, 0:33
154: Ross Mills (D) maj. dec. over Deacon Engle, 11-0
162: Matthew King (O) pinned Landon Austin, 1:41
172: James Howard (O) pinned Andrew Gates, 2:47
184: Devon Jeffreys (D) dec. Cody Freer, 9-3
197: Troy Galloway (O) pinned Ryan Mills, 3:54
222: Jamarion Sanderson (D) pinned Gus Howard, 1:06
287: Brock Thrash (O) dec. Lathan Jeffreys, 10-3
108: Briley Carter (O) pinned Brady West, 0:47
115: Hayden Adkins (D) pinned Coleman Caldwell, 0:32
122: Kasin Bramlett (O) maj. dec. over Brian Hill, 10-0
128: Devin Pennington (D) pinned Zane Calhoun, 4:49
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