The Hillsboro Middle School wrestling team competed in the Frontier Athletic Conference Wrestling Tournament on Sunday and finished third despite filling only nine of the 16 weight classes in the event held at Hillsboro High School.
Hillsboro finished the tournament with three league champions, two runners-up, a third place athlete and three fourth place finishers.
Collin Swackhammer joined the team as a seventh grader this year with no past experience and impressed in his finals match, outdueling his Miami Trace opponent by major decision, 12-2.
Mathias Hostettler followed it up with another major decision win over a Miami Trace opponent, 14-5. Then Jahari Pitts finished off the tournament with his third pin of the tournament, pinning his opponent from Washington in the first period.
“I was very impressed with the grit we showed tonight,” Hillsboro Middle School Wrestling Coach Scott Eastes said. “We’ve wrestled short-handed all season and came into this tournament with a bit of a chip on our shoulders. Jahari and Mathias have been leaders in the room all year and showed their metal tonight. Mathias had lost to his opponent from Miami Trace twice this year and came in here tonight with great determination and knocked him off for a league title. Jahari and Swackhammer did what they’ve done all year and battled and outclassed the rest of the field.”
Assistant coach Chad Vaughn added, “It was fun to watch as these kids worked their tails off all season in the room and see them improve week in and week out. We showed we can compete with anyone regardless of the number of wrestlers we have. We’re a gritty team and we fought and scratched for every point tonight. I couldn’t be more proud of this team.”
Also placing for the Indians was Brodie Armentrout, league runner-up; Jack Cornele, league runner-up; Johnny Deans, third place; and Braylan Mays, Chase Hurt and Conner Howland, fourth place.
Teams scores were:
1. Washington 182.5
2. Miami Trace 141.5
3. Hillsboro 124.5
Jackson 124.5
5. Chillicothe 52.0
6. Greenfield 36.0
Information for this story was provided by Scott Eastes, head wrestling coach, Hillsboro Middle School.
