By TODD TRAUB
Leader sports editor
A final match victory lifted the Beebe Badgers past Little Rock Christian in the 5A state wrestling tournament at UALR’s Jack Stephens Center in Little Rock on Saturday.
Heavyweight Jason Ferguson (8-3) pinned Riverview’s Paul Diarcos in the second period to take fifth in the 285-pound class and give the Badgers the points to move past Christian and win their first state wrestling championship.
Beebe had 11 medalists to eight for Christian, which allowed the Badgers to accumulate their superior point total. The Badgers outpointed the Warriors 255.5 to 253.
North Pulaski finished sixth among the 20, 5A schools with 149.5 points.
In 6A-7A, Conway edged Fayetteville, 255.5 points to 236, for the championship. Searcy finished in sixth with 172 points and Cabot tallied 129.5 points to take ninth in the 20-team field.
Little Rock Christian placed eight wrestlers in the semifinals, had five in the finals and four individual champions. But only eight Warriors placed while the Badgers had their 11 to win.
Beebe’s only state champion was undefeated 103-pounder Josh Freeman (17-0), who decisioned Oak Grove’s Cole Brainerd 18-4, while Ferguson’s pin of Diarcos in the heavyweight match sealed it for the Badgers.
“We knew we were a point down,” Beebe coach David Payne said. “We knew a win would do it for us. The kid did a great job of having all that pressure on him, a team championship on one match and one kid.
“He came through in the clutch.”
Cabot’s Tyler Kurtz (24-2) won the 7A/6A, 125-pound championship with a 15-4 decision over Springdale’s Jimmy Claros.
In 112-pound action, North Pulaski’s Nick Vandale took fifth after Des Arc’s Ralphie Garcia pinned him at the 1:58 mark. Beebe’s Matthew Whitaker (8-8) was fifth in the 119-pound class after pinning Little Rock Epsicopal’s Jason Girodano.
Christian’s Daniel Perez pinned Beebe’s Al Sharp (14-4) at the 1:08 mark to win the 125-pound championship while Sharp took second.
Beebe’s Michael Kirby (2-3) pinned Oak Grove’s Marcus Dennis to take fifth in the 135-pound class. The School of the Blind’s Andrea Johnson decisioned Beebe’s Pearson Sloan (8-3) 5-4 to win the 140-pound division and send Sloan to second.
North Pulaski’s Brien Davis (13-10) took third with a 17-10 decision over Des Arc’s Brad Childers.
Beebe’s Paul Warner (17-4) pinned Bismarck’s Dakota Lynn for third in the 145-pound class. In the 152-pound class, Bismarck’s Caleb Dufresne pinned Beebe’s Ron Pacheco to take third and send Pacheco to fourth while Des Arc’s Isaac Hood took an 8-3 decision over North Pulaski’s Nick Dunn (15-7) to take fifth and leave Dunn at sixth.
Gentry’s Tanner Coy took the 160-pound championship with a pin of North Pulaski’s Anthony Mongo (26-2) at 5:04. Beebe’s Ryan Binning (10-8) pinned Little Rock Christian’s Josh Woodruff to take fifth.
Christian’s Tim Kimbrough decisioned North Pulaski’s Willie Frazier (15-4) 8-4 to win the 189-pound final while Beebe’s Hunter Weiman (13-5) beat Union Christian’s Calvin Gammon 19-2 to take third.
James McClendon, of Oak Grove, pinned Beebe’s Ethan Boyce at the 3:33 mark to take fifth in the 215-pound class.
In 7A/6A, Searcy 112-pounder Jacob Corpier (21-3) took second; Searcy’s Austin Burns was fourth in the 130-pound division and Searcy’s Jonathan Apple decisioned Southside’s Colt Dooley 6-1 for third in the 135-pound class.
Cabot 140-pounder Sean Palmer pinned Rogers Heritage’s Logan Evans to take fifth.
Josh Bell, of Searcy, took second in the 160-pound division and Cabot’s Seth Bell (13-3) took a 3-1 decision from Van Buren’s Dakota Lewis to win third.
Searcy 171-pounder Jamie Mottu (15-8) finished sixth while Bryant’s Odell Lee pinned Searcy 189-pounder Brett Siler (20-6) to win the championship and send Siler to second.
Cabot’s Nick Ramey (18-5) took fifth on a disqualification for opponent Kylan Larson, of Bentonville.
