Wrestle, Win, Repeat for the Outlaws

by Elizabeth Pitts-Hibbard
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The Marlow Outlaw wrestling team brought home even more hardware on Saturday after winning their second State tournament title in as many years. The back-to-back Championship trophy will be added to back-to-back Dual State Championships and an Academic All-State award, making this the fifth State title earned by Marlow in the past two seasons.

Two Outlaws also brought home individual State Championship honors: Case Rich at 145 and Kyle Wilson at 220.

Several other Marlow wrestlers found spots on the award podium as well. Brantz Bateman (113), Zach Dawson (132), and Cade Gilbert (138) were all State runners-up, while Cody Davis (160) and Dason Davis (170) took third. Lawson Knox (120) placed fourth.

The Outlaws eked out the victory with 129 team points over Blackwell, the State runner-up. Blackwell earned 126 team points in the tournament.

Marlow head coach Andy Howington said in an interview Saturday that Marlow’s three-point margin was the closest in recent memory.

“It was kind of surreal,” Howington said. “This was one of the closest races in a long time.”

Howington has pointed out in several interviews that every point counts in tournament competition, and the tight win at State illustrates that point.

“We needed every single one of those points, even if someone didn’t make it to the podium,” Howington said. “The whole team won this.”

Senior Kyle Wilson’s final match at 220 was the deciding factor in the battle for the top team spot, a repeat of Carson Moore’s state championship match at 220 in the 2021 season that clinched the victory for Marlow.

“We’re calling that ‘220 Magic,’” Howington said.

Case Rich fought through the 145 bracket, including a tie-breaker in the semifinal matchup and a sudden victory win in the finals for his first-place finish to cap off his wrestling career at Marlow.

Both Wilson and Rich are undefeated in the post-season.

Howington said that he was proud of the team overall.

“We had a lot of kids that stepped up and helped us win it,” Howington said. “We had a good round in the semis, but some rounds we didn’t. We needed them to step up and wrestle, and they did.”

OSSAA State Championships Results for Marlow

3A-106

Keller Kizarr scored 2.0 team points.

Quarterfinal - won by decision over Aaron Blevins (Salina) (Dec 8-5)

Semifinal - Zane Donley (Vinita) won by decision (Dec 4-1)

Cons. Semi - Treshaun Tecson (Cascia Hall) won by decision (Dec 6-2)

3A-113

Brantz Bateman (5-1) placed 2nd and scored 18.0 team points.

Quarterfinal - won by fall over Cam Webb (Cascia Hall) (Fall 1:36)

Semifinal - won by fall over Gaige Stock (Salina) (Fall 5:37)

1st Place Match - Colt Collett (Checotah) won by decision (Dec 5-0)

3A-120

Lawson Knox (6-3) placed 4th and scored 7.0 team points.

Quarterfinal - won by decision over Barrett Hilton (Mannford) (Dec 9-5)

Semifinal - Aidan O`Dell (Blackwell) won by decision (Dec 5-1)

Cons. Semi - won by decision over Hunter Tadych (Vinita) (Dec 6-1)

3rd Place Match - Barrett Hilton (Mannford) won by decision (Dec 6-4)

3A-126

Gehrig Furr scored 0.0 team points.

Champ. Round 1 - Josh Rexwinkle (Vinita) 29-11 won by fall (Fall 0:59)

3A-132

Zach Dawson (6-1) placed 2nd and scored 16.0 team points.

Quarterfinal - won by fall over Adin Compher (Jay) (Fall 5:40)

Semifinal - won by decision over Kasin O`Dell (Blackwell) (Dec 6-0)

1st Place Match - Cory Velasquez (Cascia Hall) 31-3 won by decision (Dec 6-2)

3A-138

Cade Gilbert (6-1) placed 2nd and scored 15.0 team points.

Quarterfinal - won by decision over Cash Sessions (Lexington) (Dec 10-6)

Semifinal - won by major decision over Gunnor Yates (Comanche) (MD 9-0)

1st Place Match - Brady Benham (Sperry) 29-4 won by decision (Dec 5-0)

3A-145

Case Rich (8-0) placed 1st and scored 20.0 team points.

Quarterfinal - won by fall over Aspen Jolly (Sulphur) (Fall 1:26)

Semifinal - won in tie breaker - 1 over Jose Flores (Inola) (TB-1 3-2)

1st Place Match - won in sudden victory - 1 over Gavin Montgomery (Salina) (SV-1 4-2)

3A-152

Ty Scott (5-3) scored 2.0 team points.

Quarterfinal - won by decision over Chace Massie (Chandler) (Dec 8-2)

Semifinal - Jason Osgood (Blackwell) 34-8 won by decision (Dec 5-3)

Cons. Semi - Brody Thomas (Jay) 38-20 won by fall (Fall 1:00)

3A-160

Cody Davis (6-2) placed 3rd and scored 14.0 team points.

Quarterfinal - won by fall over Kyler Tabor (Berryhill) (Fall 3:49)

Semifinal - Jaxen Wright (Morris) won by decision (Dec 9-2)

Cons. Semi - won by decision over Logan Bain (Comanche) (Dec 5-2)

3rd Place Match - won by injury default over EJ Tecson (Cascia Hall) (Inj. 3:15)

3A-170

Dason Davis (8-3) placed 3rd and scored 13.0 team points.

Champ. Round 1 - won by fall over Easton Malone (Barnsdall) (Fall 2:36)

Quarterfinal - Kaleb Owen (Perry) 49-3 won by decision (Dec 4-2)

Cons. Round 1 - won by fall over Ethan Rowland (Mannford) (Fall 3:59)

Cons. Semi - won by fall over Kasen VanBuskirk (Comanche) (Fall 3:04)

3rd Place Match - won by decision over Connor Gough (Jay) (Dec 6-2)

3A-220

Kyle Wilson (6-0) placed 1st and scored 22.0 team points.

Quarterfinal - won by fall over Kale Smith (Watonga) (Fall 0:41)

Semifinal - won by fall over Lane Gourley (Little Axe) (Fall 0:33)

1st Place Match - won by decision over Lane Johnson (Plainview) (Dec 7-4)