By David Walsh | For The Dominion Post
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — University High’s Jace Stockett had a little added motivation for his senior wrestling season.
Stockett missed last season due to a weight issue. He has more than made up for that absence. The senior won two matches at 126 on Friday in the 73rd West Virginia State High School Wrestling Tournament at Mountain Health Arena. He started with a 14-1 major decision over Trent Jones of defending Class AAA champion
Parkersburg South in the quarterfinals Friday morning. He returned in the evening to get past Hunter Locke of Washington, 5-3, to get a spot in Saturday’s championship round.
“That motivated me,” said Stockett, who is now 36-6. He competed at 113 last year and had competition at that class. When it came to a crucial weigh-in, he missed and had to depart.
Stockett said the game plan for the morning match was to work on his feet and that he did. Two takedowns in the first period got him on his way.
“I did exactly what I wanted to do,” Stockett said. “After the two takedowns, I knew it was over at that point.”
Locke showed a 3-point stance in the evening match and caught Stockett off guard.
“I said, ‘uh oh,’ ” Stockett said. “He took a couple of bad shots and I took advantage. I did enough to get the win.”
Stockett got his five points on a takedown and near-fall for three more. He was fourth in a lighter weight class two years ago.
“I was down at the end and my coach [Ken Maisel] looked at me,” Stockett said. “I knew I wouldn’t get turned. Making the state finals is special.”
“A 3-point stance, figure a way to get him out of it,” Maisel said. “He found other ways to score.”
Stockett is matched against Buckhannon-Upshur’s Julius Hobbs in the finals. Hobbs beat Stockett in the Region 1 finals.
“He wanted the B-U wrestler again,” Maisel said. “He got what he wanted.”
University’s two freshmen, Dom Parker at 132 and Dakota Hagedorn at 152, got beat in the semifinals. They came in as champs from Region 1.
Thomas Hartley of George Washington dominated the match from the start and won, 11-6. Noah Inboden of Parkersburg posted a 4-0 win over Hagedorn. They come back Saturday and place as high as third.
“I thought it was a match we could win,” Maisel said of the 132 semifinal. “Moves early killed us. It got to be a power issue. Time to get in the weight room. At 152, that kid is good.”
Elijah Wellings-Osha went 1-1 in the championship round at 160. He pinned George Washington’s Nicholas King in the second period in the morning. He hit a hot wrestler in the semifinals as Nate Neale of Cabell Midland ruled the mat from start to finish and got a 16-6 major decision. Neale racked up 12 points in the first period.
The Hawks went 1-3 in the semifinals, but 3-0 in the consolations.
Tommy Cargill won three times at 120. His finale was a 6-5 win over Preston’s Bryson Wilkins.
Joey Gidley won twice at 145 and Josh Sanders did likewise at 220.
For Morgantown, Preston Harmon is still alive at 160. He won three times Friday.
Parkersburg South leads Class AAA and University is tied for sixth with Riverside. Point Pleasant is rolling and is expected to outclass Class AA. Greenbrier West is on top in Class A.
Consolation matches to determine third through sixth places start Saturday at 10:30 a.m. The championship round begins at 6 p.m.
