by Jamie Harris
The Berkeley Springs Indians wrestling team, including eight state qualifiers and three Lady Indians state qualifiers, embarked on a journey to Huntington, WV , last Wednesday, March 5, to compete in the Class A/AA State Wrestling Championships and the All-Class Girls State Wrestling Championships.
The championship action kicked off Thursday night at the Marshall Health Network Arena, where the boys took center stage. Four Berkeley Springs wrestlers advanced to Friday morning’ s championship quarterfinals.
Thursday Night First Round Results:
113 lbs: Eligah Parsell started strong, pinning Gunner Trimble (Gilmer County) at the 2:44 mark.
120 lbs: Vaughn Taylor fought hard but dropped an 11-7 decision to TL Koontz (Ripley), moving to the consolation bracket.
126 lbs: Daniel Clark secured a pin at 3:22 over Greenbrier West’s Kameron Parker.
150 lbs: Kaiden Proctor fell by pin to Point Pleasant’s Bobby Minor at 3:47, shifting to the consolation rounds.
165 lbs: Kollin Sullivan advanced with a pin over Midland Trail’s opponent at 5:16.
175 lbs: Garrin Place was pinned by Braxton County’s Eliah Moore in just 37 seconds.
190 lbs: Krystian Norris lost a 9-5 decision to Wahama’s Seth Ohlinger.
285 lbs: Remi Sites claimed a 9-2 decision over Grafton’s Braxton Rush, securing his spot in the quarter-finals.
In Friday’ s quarterfinals and consolation matches three Berkeley Springs wrestlers reached the championship semi-finals, ensuring a top-six finish. Parsell dominated with a 16-0 tech fall over Independence’ s JJ Scarafino. Clark edged Braxton County’s Sailor McKinney 5-4. Sullivan continued his run with a 5-3 decision over Ravenwood’s Trenton Bush. Sites fell by pin at 1:51 to Ripley’ s Carter Neal, shifting to the consolation bracket.
In the crucial consolation rounds, where a loss meant elimination, Taylor, Proctor, Place and Norris kept their seasons alive with key victories. Taylor secured a pin over Braxton County’ s Nathaniel Thayer (2:44), Proctor pinned Grafton’ s Noah Nestor (2:06), Place defeated Liberty Raleigh’ s Matthew Hill (4:56), and Norris pinned James Sonju (2:09).
However, the second round of consolations proved challenging. Taylor fell to Greenbrier West’s Austin McKenzie, finishing his first state tournament 1-2. Proctor battled to a 10-5 decision over Independence’ s Talen Adkins. Place’ s run ended with a loss to Braxton County’ s Wyatt Nichols. Norris advanced with an 8-1 win over Moorefield’ s Earl Wyman. Sites rebounded with a tight 1-0 victory over Logan’s Jackson Ball.
Friday Night Semi-Finals and Consolations: Parsell punched his ticket to the 113 lb. finals with a 4-0 win over Doddridge County’s Trey McDonough. Sullivan joined him, securing a thrilling 7-6 victory over Independence’s Brayden Hart in the 165 lb. semi-finals. Clark fell 6-2 to Cameron’ s Braxton Birch, moving to the consolation semifinals. Proctor, Norris, and Sites saw their tournament runs end in the grueling “blood round.”
Saturday Finals and Placement Matches: Clark fought hard in the consolation semi- finals but lost a tight 5-3 match to Ripley’ s Kendrick Durst. He then finished sixth after a 12-4 loss to East Fairmont’ s Xaden Willett. Clark ended his Berkeley Springs career with a 135-68 varsity record, a state placement, and three-time state qualification.
In the championship finals, Parsell aimed for the 113 lb. state title but fell short, pinned at 2:34 by Herbert Hoover’s Josh Bostic, settling for state runner-up. Sullivan squared off against East Fairmont’s Tony Preolitti in a rematch of their Region I final. Preolitti struck first, eventually pinning Sullivan at 2:53 to claim the championship. Sullivan wrapped up his high school career with a 113-45 (144-41) record, earning two state placements and two state qualifications.
As a team Berkeley Springs finished in eleventh place with 67.5 points. Point Pleasant captured its 10th state team championship while Herbert Hoover finished in second place.
The Berkeley Springs Indians showcased their resilience and talent at the state tournament, with Parsell and Sullivan leading the way as state finalists. Their efforts highlighted a successful season and continued the proud tradition of Berkeley Springs wrestling.
