| Stoddard Pins his way to Region champ |
Luke Stoddard went with his teammates to Delta for the region-wrestling tournament and came home as region champion at 171 pounds. Luke and five teammates will now compete in the State tournament this weekend at the McKay Event Center on the campus of UVSC in Orem. Stoddard pinned his way through the tournament as he wrestled smart and in control all day long. Coach Ferd Allred was “really pleased with him and his effort.”
In the championship match, his North Sanpete opponent thought that he could whip Luke with takedowns instead of riding him and trying to pin him. After taking Luke down the first time, he let Luke escape with the thought of taking him down again. Luke having forgot to read the script, got the next takedown and it was no ordinary takedown. Luke got his man in a headlock and then promptly pinned him in the first round. Luke will face a Cedar City wrestler in the first round at state. Stoddard pinned his Carbon and Delta opponents in the second rounds.
Emery had two other wrestlers make it to the championship match but they each finished second for the tournament.
McKay Allred at 103 pounds, he tells me he is going to 119 next year but I do not believe him, lost a heartbreaker. With the score tied 5-5 after regulation, Allred and his Delta opponent went to overtime and wrestled until somebody got a takedown. The Delta man won. McKay earlier in the match was awarded an escape point rather than reversal points because the official said he was out of bounds. He could have used that extra point at the end. McKay will face a Wasatch wrestler in the first round.
Steven Giles also finished second as he also faced a Delta opponent. Steven had improved since the last time he had faced this opponent but it was not enough to secure a win. Steven will face a Morgan wrestler in the first round.
Also placing in region and making the state tournament were Jaden Bagley at 103 pounds, Jex Jensen at 135 pounds and Cyal Christmas at 275 pounds. Jaden finished third as he got beat by his teammate Allred in the semi-finals. He also faces a Wasatch opponent in the first round.
Jex will face a Logan opponent in the first round. Jex had a little bit of a disappointing day as he had beaten the kids that finished above him earlier in the year.
Cyal will face an Ogden wrestler in the first round.
Other Emery wrestlers were Tyler Swenson, fifth place; Kaeden Murdoch, sixth place; Aaron Devereaux, Craig Guymon, Cade Whittle, Cole Bunderson and Wayne Hatch. Stoddard and Jensen were named to the All-Academic All-Region team. Jex was also named to the All-State Academic team.