Five area wrestlers advance out of Southport Sectional

To reach the championship match at 157 pounds Saturday at the Southport Sectional, Shelbyville’s Brady Bryant had to defeat Triton Central’s Landon Ball.

The Golden Bear did just that with a third-period pinfall victory over the Tiger to secure his 31^st win of his senior season.

Ball quickly recovered and scored two more wins to finish third.

Bryant (photo, center) lost to Franklin Central’s Tyler Sandusky in the championship match, but both local wrestlers will advance to the Perry Meridian Regional.

A total of five Shelbyville and Triton Central wrestlers advanced to the regional, although none won a sectional title. Each will need just one win Saturday at the regional to qualify for the New Castle Semistate on Feb. 14.

At the regional, Bryant (31-5) will need to defeat North Central’s Troy Reed (18-2). Ball will face No. 23 Zion Tavorn (13-2) of New Palestine, who was the runner-up at the Lawrence Central Sectional.

Shelbyville’s Tripp Garner pinned Triton Central’s Jaye Blazier in the quarterfinal round at 126 pounds Saturday. The junior lost a semifinal showdown with Warren Central’s Jett McGuire.

Garner (35-3) returned to the mats and added two pinfall victories to finish third and advance. He will face Lawrence Central’s Donnavan Twyman (21-14) at the regional.

Triton Central’s Gage Bryant finished fourth at 120 pounds. He will face Lawrence Central Sectional champion Ty Barnhart (26-7) of Mt. Vernon at the regional.

Triton Central’s Anthony Toon (20-9) placed third at 144 pounds and will square off with No. 18 ranked Gregory Smith (27-7) of Lawrence Central in the regional.

Roncalli captured the sectional title with 275 points. Triton Central finished sixth with 85. Shelbyville was seventh at 57.

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