Starting out strong

ST. MARYS - Last season, Celina and St. Marys met in the final Western Buckeye League wrestling match of the year to see if St. Marys won an outright title or Celina got to share.

St. Marys won then, and after the first league match of the season, the Roughriders are still rolling.

Six straight pinfall victories helped the two-time defending league champion Roughriders roll past the Bulldogs 45-21 at Grand Lake Health Systems Court in St. Marys on Thursday night in the season lidlifter for both teams.

As has been the case over the past few years, the lighter weights for St. Marys proved the catalyst.

"One of these years, we're going to get them," said Celina coach James Miracle. "We just don't match up. They're really good where we're not."

The night started with the 157-pound bout, with Celina's Adam Faber scoring a pin in 2:48 over Caleb Turner. Jaden King followed at 165 and decisioned Garret Donovan 6-2 to make it a 9-0 lead. Stashu (Stash) Patterson, one of six returning WBL champions for St. Marys, got the Roughriders on the board with a 6-1 decision over Gavin Brown at 175. Celina came back with Tyler Gavin hanging on for a 5-4 win over Jace Schaefer at 190 to make it 12-3 Celina.

The tide turned St. Marys' way at 215 when Carter Sharpe pinned Alex Stachler in 4:28. Brice Saeler followed with a pin over Brayden Mullins at 285 in 3:13, with the Bulldogs being penalized a team point for unsportsmanlike conduct.

The lightweights came up next and it was all Roughriders. Tate Hisey, the younger brother to twins Tyler and Trevor Hisey, pinned Grant Adams in 31 seconds. Michael Crites needed just 65 seconds to pin Kaleb Krogman.

Tyler Hisey kept up the pin parade, pinning Talen Wallace-Bruce in 58 seconds at 120, followed by Trevor Hisey, who was just a bit quicker than his twin, pinning Victor Capetillo in 42 seconds at 126.

The pin parade stopped there, but St. Marys added another win to the streak as Jake Perez-Shinabery decisioned Brycen Miracle at 132 by a 9-4 margin.

Celina finally snapped the skid with Zach King pinning Bo Hertenstein in 1:33. Landon Engle won a 14-6 major decision over Isaac Torsell with St. Marys taking the final varsity bout of the night with a 6-2 decision by Quincy Tracy over Zeph Miller at 150.

"It is what it is," said Miracle. "It's a long season. It started off well. The kids wrestled inspired. (St. Marys) is the two-time defending champs for a reason."

Celina will look to rebound this weekend at the Westfall Invitational. St. Marys is off until next Thursday when the Roughriders travel to Defiance for another WBL dual.