Bobcats’ Ballard brings home wrestling gold

Berryville’s Zydon Ballard didn’t just win a state championship to close out his high school career. He did it in dramatic fashion.

Ballard pinned Gentry’s Aidan Eller with three seconds remaining in overtime to win the Class 4A 285-pound weight class at the Arkansas State Wrestling Championships on Saturday, Feb. 14.

“He was so ecstatic,” Berryville coach Timothy Ingram said. “It was unreal. It was a crazy match.”

When the match went into overtime tied 2-2, the next takedown by either wrestler would end it, Ingram explained.

“The Gentry kid had Zydon set up for, kind of like a throw-by,” Ingram said. “The Gentry kid went to throw Zydon. Zydon moved out of the way and used the kid’s momentum against him. The Gentry kid fell to the ground and Zydon got behind him and got his points. That was a takedown with two, three seconds left on the clock and that was the match.”

Ballard’s victory came in the final match of the tournament.

In addition to Ballard’s state title, the Bobcats’ Ocean Mullins took second place at 150 pounds, falling to Jack Hooe of Shiloh Christian. Ingram said Hooe won his fourth state championship.

“Ocean had a couple of chances to get him and just couldn’t capitalize on it,” Ingram said. “Every time he’d get in the right position to pin him, (Hooe) recognized it and got out of those situations before Ocean could do anything.”

Hooe eventually pinned Mullins to win the match.

“But still, runner-up, that’s fantastic,” Ingram said.

Freshman Mason Rizzolla, wrestling in the 120-pound weight class, finished fourth.

“This was his first year wrestling, so that was pretty big,” Ingram said. “Out of the four boys we took, three of them placed so I think that’s a pretty good percentage.”

Anthony Arrizon competed in the 106-pound class for Berryville, winning his first consolation match after losing in the quarterfinals.

Berryville junior TJ Wolfe, who would have been among the top wrestlers at 132 pounds, instead missed the tournament because of illness.

“TJ would have placed,” Ingram said. “I really do believe he would placed third, if not second. But he’s a junior so he’ll have another year.”

Berryville’s Paola Arrizon competed in the girls state championship but was hamber by injuries and illness, Ingram said.

“But still, having a girl in Class 4A compete against 5A girls was still pretty impressive,” Ingram said.