CYPRESS — The talk heading into the UIL state wrestling championship was all about Allen. How the Eagles were on an inevitable path to their 11th straight state title, with Arlington Martin only able to nip at their heels.
The demeanor of the head coaches reflected the storyline. Arlington Martin’s Patrick Dunn was impassioned as his athletes competed, visibly hungry, while Allen’s Jerry Best was calm, meticulously thinking.
Even so, Allen did not have a perfect start. Four of Allen’s 13 qualifiers lost their first round matchups and three more dropped in the quarterfinals.
“We kind of faltered in a couple spots and ended up losing matches,” Best said, “but hopefully they’ll come back, go into the morning feeling good and put out a state placement tomorrow.”
Allen’s early losses only delayed its success. The presence of the consolation bracket has given the wrestlers second chances and seen the Eagles lead increase to over 40 points in front of the Warriors.
Arlington Martin qualified all but one of its seven competitors for Saturday’s championship semifinals but Allen’s sheer numbers is something no other team can match.
“We had our ups and downs but we didn’t wrestle too bad,” Best said. “Our message (for Saturday) is just to keep the pedal down. Scoring points, scoring pins, scoring bonus points and just keep fighting. We can’t let up. Can’t relax.”
Allen’s Kade Moore and Arlington Martin’s Dominic Chavez will face each other in the boys 6A 120 pound semifinals.
Miles continues historic run
After making history last season by becoming only the third Dallas ISD girls wrestler to win a state title in 20 years, Kimball’s Destiny Miles was not going to settle for second in her senior year.
Miles entered the state championships at 42-1 and will head into Saturday’s semifinals with a 44-1 record as the top seed among girls 5A 165-pounders.
Miles defeated both Carrollton Creekview’s Melanie Morales and Fabens’ Belen Chavez via pinfall. The former against Morales came in under a minute.
She will face Bryan Rudder’s Makia English in Saturday’s semifinals.
Dream of twin victories falls short for Deckers
Twin wrestlers Parker and Preston Decker from Keller came into the state championships a combined 48-0 and highly seeded in their respective brackets.
Parker moved up to 132 pounds after winning the 126-pound state title and his success has not slowed. Parker opened up the tournament with a pinfall victory over Cibolo Steele’s Austin Saylor and followed it up with a 14-6 decision victory over Allen’s Jarrett Moore to secure a spot in the semifinals.
Preston, competing at 152 pounds, won his opening match against RaShaud Hunt of San Antonio Roosevelt but dropped a 9-6 decision to Conroe Woodlands College Park’s Brandon Thomas in the quarterfinals.
Parker will carry on the brothers’ title hopes. Preston can best hope for a third place finish in the consolation bracket.
Pleasant’s redemption quest
Frisco Lone Star’s La’Stot Pleasant was one match short of winning the 5A 132-pound state championship last season. This year he has been on a tear and his play has carried over into the state championships.
Pleasant entered the tournament with a 49-0 record and remains undefeated with pinfall victories over Lucas Lovejoy’s Jack McKinney and Saginaw’s Brandon Sanchez.
He will face El Paso Del Valle’s Jesus Fierro in his semifinal match on Saturday.
Quest for a three-peat continues
Byron Nelson’s Lexie Basham has been one of the most dominant wrestlers in the state for the last three years. Coming into state, she was 61-0 on the year and had compiled a record of 175-1 over the last three seasons.
Already with two titles at 138-pounds to her name, Basham came into Cypress intent on leaving with a third.
With pinfall victories in her two opening matches, the latter a 39-second defeat of Conroe Oak Ridge’s Abigail Denney, only continued success would be expected on Saturday evening.