Durant’s High School wrestling team had four placers including a tournament runner- up in the always tough Southern Oklahoma Invitational at Duncan prior to the Christmas break.
Junior Aiden Polk led the charge with a second place effort at 157 pounds while Britton Trotter and Evan Smith were fifth at 165 and 215 respectively with Axel Thurman adding a sixth at 215 pounds.
The Lions will resume action in the Glenpool Tournament on Friday, January 2 and then host Madill for a dual competition on January 8.
Polk cruised through his first two matches with first period victories, scoring a 1:03 fall verdict over Aiden Bruce of Catoosa and 1:46 against Chickasha’s Eddie Perez. The DHS grappler received a forfeit from Ardie Armour from Cache in the semifinals before dropping a fall decision to Del City standout Demitri Kizer in the title match.
Trotter posted a 4-2 overall record in the 165-pound weight category, dispatching Gregory Mendoza of Del City in a 3:09 fall for the fifth-place triumph. He opened with a 7-0 decision over Comanche’s Logan Stengle ahead of a secondround loss. The Lion senior posted back-to-back fall wins, stopping Brylan Thorne of Canyon West Plains in a 2:18 fall as well as Berryhill’s Maddox Waits in 1:24 during the consolation rounds.
Smith started with a 10-4 loss to Samuel Alvarez from Rockwall Heath but rebounded with three straight victories to get back to the placing matches. He took a forfeit over Guthrie’s Zakiah Akerson and notched a 7-2 decision against Collin Ross from Canyon West Plains. The Durant wrestler then rallied from a 3-1 deficit to take down Duncan’s Connor Rogers in a 1:53 fall before dropping a 13-9 decision in his final match against the host Demons’ Aaron McDonnell.
Thurman took a similar route through the bracket following a fall loss to Isaac Cobbs from Duncan in his first contest. He bounced back to stop Joseph Montgomery of Lawton in a 2:19 fall, pinned Case Childers from Shawnee in 4:10 and then scored a 13-2 major decision against Guthrie’s Bryce Dennis.
Durant tallied two more match wins at 190 pounds with Hayden Bridges posting a 2-2 tournament record. Following an opening loss, he came back with a 6-3 overtime verdict against Isaiah Silcox from Shawnee and then smacked Duncan’s Jacob Clinkinbeard in a 14-0 major decision.
Mac Barbush added a pair of victories in the 150-pound division, notching a 2-2 mark as he recorded a 4:26 fall win over Thomas Jirous of Guthrie and 3:18 pin of Berryhill’s Xander Wiley.
The Lions picked up a single win by Jacoby Brigge with a 2:56 fall against Jesus Gonzalez from Amarillo Caprock at 138 pounds.
Lion Carter Kemp wrestles in a home dual.
