FORT SMITH — Bentonville wrestling coach Bill Desler wasn’t totally pleased with his team’s efforts at the Big West Tournament on Saturday, but the Tigers still won the 12-team event.
Bentonville logged nine top-three finishers, including three champions, and rolled up 175 points to win the 12-team event held at Fort Smith Northside. Rogers High and Springdale Har-Ber finished tied for second with 130.5 and Fayetteville was fourth with 106.
Prep Wrestling
Big West Tournament
at Kaundart Fieldhouse
Saturday’s Results
106: 1, Kimble Jennings, Springdale Har-Ber. 2, Vein Le, Fort Smith Southside. 3, Derian Fernandez, Bentonville.
113: Ryan Flynn, Bentonville. 2, Joey Adams, Springdale High. 3, Jay Branch, Fayetteville.
120: 1, Aaron Grisby, Bentonville. 2, Alex Baysinger, Fayetteville. 3, Cristian Arredondo, Springdale Har-Ber.
126: 1, Rodney Ensley, Fayetteville. 2, Raul Rodriguez, Rogers High. 3, Curtis Brumfield, Bentonville.
132: 1, Jeff Bizzle, Bentonville. 2, David Mai, Fort Smith Southside. 3, Madison Montgomery, Rogers High.
138: 1, Logan Evans, Rogers Heritage. 2, Taylor Compton, Greenwood. 3, Heath Henman, Rogers High.
145: Isaac Smith, Fort Smith Southside. 2, Chuck Price, Bentonville. 3, Justin Moore, Rogers High.
152: 1, Nick Mulcahy, Rogers High. 2, Colton Stewart, Rogers Heritage. 3, Michael Taylor, Shiloh Christian.
160: 1, Jesse Weir, Springdale Har-Ber. 2, Cody Watson, Gentry. 3, Ramsey Gonzalez, Rogers Heritage.
170: 1, Sam Goll, Fayetteville. 2, Kyson Larsen, Bentonville. 3, Douglas Matthews, Springdale Har-Ber.
182: 1, Edwin Santos, Rogers High. 2, Kahlil Kimble, Fort Smith Southside. 3, Jordan Vazquez, Rogers Heritage.
195: 1, Nick Smith, Springdale Har-Ber. 2, Juan Balderas, Rogers High. 3, Daiquon Jackson, Fort Smith Northside.
220: 1, Brett Calhoun, Greenwood. 2, Ty Harrison, Springdale Har-Ber. 3, Xavier Domineack, Bentonville
285: 1, Austin Hubble, Fayetteville. 2, Jared Conover, Bentonville. 3, Dillon Kinsey, Van Buren.
Tournament’s Outstanding Wrestlers
Light weights: Aaron Grigsby, Bentonville.
Middle weights: Isaac Smith, Fort Smith Southside.
Heavy weights: Austin Hubble, Fayetteville.
The Tigers also remain the prohibitive favorite to win next week’s Class 6A-7A state tournament, according to several area coaches.
There were several bright spots for the Tigers led by Aaron Grigsby’s win at 120 pounds. The sophomore earned a pinfall victory against two-time state medalist Si Nhamnhouane inthe semifinals, despite trailing 7-3 at one point in the match. He also pinned Fayetteville’s Alex Baysinger early in the second period in the finals.
Grigsby was also chosen the tournament’s outstanding wrestler for the lighter weights.
Sophomore Ryan Flynn also won at 113 pounds, edging Springdale Joey Adams for the second straight weekend, this time 14-10. Adams won the 6A-7A state title a year ago at 106. Jeff Bizzle also won at 132.
“Grigsby was in a pretty tough weight class, too,” Desler said. “Flynn’s win was really big. Some people said it was a fluke the first time he beat him. We had some good things, but we had a couple who could be better and a little smarter on the mat.”
Desler said the Tigers weren’t without good moments Saturday, but there was also room for improvement.
“We didn’t get to see our 195-pounder because he was omitted from the tournament and our 152-pounder banged up his knee and he injury defaulted,” Desler said. “We want to get him rested and ready for next week.”
Bentonville junior Jared Conover earned one of three second-place finishes at 285 pounds, losing for the third time this season to Fayetteville’s Austin Hubble, who won the 6A-7A state title at 220 last year.
Rogers High got wins from Edwin Santos (182) and Nick Mulcahy (152), while Logan Evans of Rogers Heritage won at 138. Evans is the defending state champion in that weight class.
Fayetteville coach Steve Adair came away pretty pleased with his team’s effort Saturday, but particularly Hubble, Sam Goll and Rodney Ensley.
Goll pinned Bentonville’s Kyson Larsen in the finals to win at 170, while Ensley defeated Raul Rodriguez of Rogers High 6-2.
Springdale Har-Ber coach Nika West, whose Wildcats are the defending 6A-7A champions, liked the way his team finished Saturday.
Kimble Jennings (106), Jesse Weir (160) and Nick Smith (195) all won their respective weight classes.
“We saw some good competition like we’ll see next week,” West said. “We started off pretty sluggish, but finished pretty strong.”
Both the 6A-7A and 1A-5A state wrestling tournaments will begin Friday at the Stephens Center in Little Rock.