Tommy Morrill
INDIANAPOLIS — Tommy Morrill kept alive his hopes of a state championship by winning his first-round match Friday in the Wrestling State Finals.
The Columbus East senior, ranked third at 220 pounds, scored a 3-0 decision against 25th-ranked Jayden Bartoszek of Hanover Central. After a scoreless first period, Morrill picked up a point on an escape and two more on a takedown in the second period.
Morrill (39-1) now is in the final eight at 220 and is guaranteed three matches today at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The quarterfinals begin at 9 a.m. this morning and Morrill will face seventh-ranked Devin Kendrex of Mt. Vernon (Fortville). Morrill then would wrestle either top-ranked Will Clark of Crown Point or second-ranked Brady Beck of Rochester in the semifinals or consolation round.
The third-, fifth- and seventh-place matches begin at 4:30 p.m. Championship matches start at 7:30 p.m.
“I think Tommy is good enough to win,” East coach Chris Cooper said. “That Friday night match, there can be a lot of nerves. I think that got the best of him last year, and this year, he was pretty calm. There’s a lot going on, but Saturday is more like an actual wrestling tournament. We’re pretty excited and ready to go.”
East’s other state qualifier, 17th-ranked senior Jackson Fox, dropped a 4-1 decision to second-ranked D’Alcapon Veazy of Fort Wayne Snider in the opening round at 182.
Veazy scored a takedown in the first period, then added another takedown in the second to take a 4-0 lead. Fox (33-8) then scored his point on a second-period escape.
“Veazy is expecting to win, and we were right there with him,” Cooper said. “We rode him out in the third period and were hoping to get a reversal. Jackson did a good job coming back after not wrestling last year and having a good showing.”
Meanwhile, Columbus North sophomore Justice Thornton lost a close decision in his first state finals appearance. Seventh-ranked 132-pounder Easton Doster of New Haven edged the 18th-ranked Thornton 6-4.
Doster scored a takedown and nearfall to take a 4-0 lead after one period and added a reversal in the second period to go up 6-0. Thornton (39-4) got an escape in the second and a takedown and penalty point in the third.
