McClain wrestlers defeat Chillicothe

The McClain varsity boys wrestling team has been on a roll lately. They defeated Frontier Athletic Conference foe Chillicothe Thursday, Jan. 8, 42-20, and followed that up Saturday, Jan. 10 by winning the East Clinton duals meet.

In the East Clinton duals meet, the Tigers went undefeated on the day, beating the hosts 50-12, winning against Cincinnati McNicholas 48-29, handily defeating Hamilton Badin 45-20 and finishing the day by defeating FAC foe Hillsboro 53-9 and Jamestown Greeneview 54-24.

The Tigers also performed very well in the home meet against Chillicothe, where several wrestlers registered pins.

“I am extremely proud of how our team has competed lately and of their overall dedication. They continue to show in practice and at all the tournaments throughout the season,” said McClain boys head coach Caleb Cooper. “This group of guys show up at every match ready to work, battle and represent our program and school the right way, regardless of the outcome, and I couldn’t be prouder of these young men.”

On Dec. 27, the Tigers claimed the team championship from a field of eleven teams competing.

Standouts for McClain were Keegan Parker, Zayne Knisley, Isacc Morgan and Dalton Rowland, all of who earned first-place finishes. Hunter Skaggs wrestled well and took second, and Carlos Gonzalez scored a third-place finish.

The Tigers amassed an impressive 209 points on the day to take home the trophy for first place.

Two days later, the Tigers competed in another tournament at Huntington H.S., and McClain secured a hard-earned second place finish in a competitive 12-team tournament. The Tigers scored 233 points and finished just one point behind Sheridan. 

Several McClain wrestlers are having exceptional seasons. Senior Dalton Rowland is 19-3, while Hunter Skaggs is 20-3, and they have consistently been team leaders all season long. Rowland is also closing in on 100 career wins, which is a major milestone in high school wrestling.

McClain will close out their final regular-season home match Friday, Jan. 30 against Waverly with senior night and youth night being recognized. Come out and honor these dedicated McClain seniors and see what these young wrestlers in the youth program are accomplishing.

The McClain Lady Tiger wrestling team is also competing well in FAC matches and tournaments.

The Lady Tigers defeated Chillicothe 42-0 due mainly to forfeits, but McClain senior Lexie Burns had an impressive win by pin in the first period.

Both McClain junior high wrestling programs are also having lots of success this season.