The Fort Chiswell 120-pounder, Jack Hughes, took the hard way to get there, but ultimately finished on the fourth spot of the podium at the Salem Civic Center at this weekend’s state wrestling championship.
After falling by pin to eventual champ Parker Stone of Rural Retreat, Hughes battled back through the bracket, sticking Alexander Youngblood of Grayson County in his next match.
Hughes then dealt a 5-4 loss to Isreal Birch of Northampton before picking up a forfeit from Devyn Simmons of Buffalo Gap.
In the battle for third, Hughes fell 10-0 to Chilhowie’s Nate Widener.
At 126 pounds, Marquis Howell finished in sixth place. After dropping a 3-0 decision to Lebanon’s Colton Barton, Howell picked up a forfeit over Hayden Collini of Giles and pinned Trevor Sebra of Lancaster. Howell forfeited his next two matches.
Blake Dunn finished in sixth, too. The 165-pounder opened with a pin over Philemon Kodi of Cumberland before falling 10-3 to Grundy’s Ethan Roberts.
On the back of the bracket, Dunn pinned Erik Graulich of Middlesex and then hung a 5-4 loss on Tanner Feltes of Northampton before being pinned by George Wythe’s Logan Ward. In the battle for fifth, another Wythe County wrestler, Rural Retreat’s Odell Stroupe, pinned Dunn.
Brendon Maby, the Pioneers’ 285-pounder, kicked off his tournament with a forfeit before losing by pin to Devon Johnson of Northampton.
In the consolation rounds, Mabry pinned Alex Posey of Lancaster and Cole Chittum of Parry McCluer before losing by pin to Riley Jo Vaught of Galax. In the fifth place match, Mabry won by injury default over Johnson in a re-match.
