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The Berryville Bobcats took just four athletes to the Arkansas state wrestling championships last weekend in Little Rock, but two of them came home as state champions.
Berryville senior Tun Oo and sophomore Justin Allen won Class 4A state titles in the 190- and 132-pound weight classes, respectively, helping boost the Bobcats to a fifth-place finish in the Class 4A team standings despite a lack of depth.
“It was a really good weekend,” Berryville coach Ryan Whetham said. “I was really excited for those kids.”
Oo pinned Jackson Lee of Pulaski Robinson in his quarterfinal match at 190 pounds, then won by major decision, 11-1, over Cedar Ridge’s John Dubreville in the semifinals. Dubreville had beaten Oo in the regional tournament a week earlier, but Whetham said Oo realized his mistake in that regional match and had vowed not to repeat it.
“He said all week: ‘That won’t happen again. That won’t happen again.’ He wasn’t going to repeat what he did last time.”
In the 190-pound championship match, Oo defeated Gravette’s Lucas McDougal 6-4.
Allen pinned Bauxite’s Matthew Dyer in a quarterfinal match, then won his semifinal match by major decision, 111, over Gravette’s Jake Mayo. Allen then secured his state championship by pinning Braden Chin of Central Arkansas Christian in the 132-pound final.
“It was probably the three best rounds I’ve ever seen him wrestle,” Whetham said. “He was pretty determined.”
Berryville sophomore David Moreno nearly earned an appearance on the medal stand as well, placing fourth in the 285-pound weight class. Moreno pinned Bauxite’s Hunter Greer in the quarterfinals but lost his semifinal match by decision to Mountain View’s Trace Tinkle. Moreno then pinned Ashdown’s Michael Hurd in a consolation semifinal before losing the third-place match by decision to Subiaco Academy’s Camarion Raino.
“David had a really good weekend,” Whetham said. “We knew he was going to have to wrestle the kid from Mountain View. We had a game plan we worked on all week and he did it to perfection, except he took a shot and started to crawl up on top of him but the kid kind of weaseled his way out and got behind him and got his two points. He beat David 3-1.”
Bobcats senior Jarrett Mann reached the consolation semifinals at 165 pounds, pinning Episcopal Collegiate’s Tristen Cunningham in the first consolation round. Mann lost to Subiaco Academy’s Joseph Smith in a consolation semifinal.
“Jarrett wrestled really well,” Whetham said. “He wrestled most of the year at 157 and we bumped him to 165, and he did it. It was a really good weekend.”
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