Jays feature two champions, take third at C.C. Invitational


Jefferson City wrestler Ian Coil takes down Lebanon's Jared Schmitt during their 195-pound match Saturday morning in the Capital City Invitational at Fleming Fieldhouse.
Jefferson City wrestler Ian Coil takes down Lebanon's Jared Schmitt during their 195-pound match Saturday morning in the Capital City Invitational at Fleming Fieldhouse.

It was a very good Capital City Wrestling Invitational for the Jefferson City Jays.

Now it's time to go back to work.

"We're not worried about winning and losing right now, this isn't districts," Jefferson City coach Phil Cagle said Saturday night after the Jays had a pair of individual champions and finished third as a team in the Invitational at Fleming Fieldhouse. "We have a lot of kids having good seasons, we just need to keep getting better."

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The owner of Pop-A-Top liquor store at 1901 S. University Ave. has installed concrete barricades in front of the store after a burglar rammed the building with a car in April.

Logan Moriarity at 145 pounds and Jalen Martin at 170 claimed weight-class titles in the event.

Moriarity finished 8-0 in the tournament, winning five of his matches by fall. But it was a different type of match in the final against Adam Bogar of Lafayette.

Moriarity picked up a takedown in the first period to take a 2-0 lead.

"That first takedown is so important, if you get that, you win about 90 percent of your matches," Cagle said.

The key to the win was the second period, where Moriarity started in the up position and kept Bogar on the mat to take that same lead into the final period. Moriarity then maintained that advantage in the final two minutes to pick up the 2-0 victory.

"After his match, he said "I have to get better,'" Cagle said. "That's the kind of wrestler Logan is."

Martin posted a 7-0 record in the Invitational. After going 4-0 in his pool, Martin won his quarterfinal match by fall, then advanced to the final with an 8-5 decision in the semifinals.

In the title match, Martin met Cee Monsivais of Holt. The match was knotted at 2 after two periods before Martin got a reversal with 1:20 left to make it 4-2. Martin then controlled the final minute of match to get the two-point victory.

"He's winning the close matches, that's the big difference," Cagle said. "He lost the close ones last year, but a year of maturity and experience has been a big difference. We saw a lot of things he is very good at."

Two Jays - Corbin Howard at 120 and Jacob Brune at 132 - finished second.

Howard, 6-1 in the tournament, dropped a 12-3 decision to Sean Hosford of Park Hill in the title match.

"That was a good match against one of the top kids in the state," Cagle said.

Brune, also 6-1 in the event, lost 3-0 to William Erneste of Park Hill for the title.

It was Brune's second match in a week against a wrestler who has signed an NCAA Division I scholarship.

"And he only lost to both of them 3-0, that says something about Jacob," Cagle said.

Finishing third for the Jays were Dennis Barnes at 106 and Tekoah Sage at 182.

Barnes was a 7-3 winner against Nick Gaines of Helias in his final match, while Sage defeated Jacob Sobbing of Park Hill by a 6-4 count.

"That was Dennis' second win against Gaines in the tournament and that's tough to do," Cagle said. "And Tekoah was one of our biggest surprises of the weekend with what he did."

Taking fourth for the Jays were Devin Miller at 160 and Ian Coil at 195. Zach Hurley at 138, Tanner Irwin at 152 and Logan Coil at 285 were all fifth.

"There are a lot of people walking out of her that aren't satisfied," Cagle said. "But that's what keeps you growing and trying to improve."

The Jays finished with 235.5 team points. Park Hill won its 11th straight Invitational title, totaling 275.5, while Lafayette was second with 248.

Jefferson City, which didn't have a wrestler at 220, lost Christian Mayberry at 126 early Saturday with an injury.

"We may have had another 10 or 15 team points if Christian doesn't get hurt," Cagle said. "But that happens."

Jefferson City is back in action Wednesday in a dual at Helias. The junior varsity starts at 6 p.m., with the varsity to follow around 7 p.m.

In the Junior Varsity Invitational, Jefferson City totaled 260 points to finish second behind Lafayette (277.5). Individual champions for the JV Jays were Jake Tanner at 113 and Casey Bax at 152.

Related:

Wrestling: Capital City Invitational results

Schulte takes second at C.C. Invitational