Edison wins final SBC Bay title

NORWALK — Bellevue and Edison bid farewell to the Sandusky Bay Conference wrestling championships by winning the Lake and Bay division titles on Saturday at Norwalk High School. The Redmen finished with 208.5 team points to win the overall and Lake Division titles, breaking Perkins' three-year hold on the division. The SBC welcomed 20 teams to Norwalk for its final tourney under the current mega-league configuration. Next year, 10 of the conference's larger schools will break away to create the Northern Ohio Conference. Edison had two champions and finished with 174.5 points to wrestled the Bay away from Port Clinton, which won it last year and finished second Saturday with 126.5 points. The Chargers had Cohen Reer (106) and Xander Gfell-King (132) at the top of the podium. Gfell-King had four first-period pins in the tourney to earn MVP honors in the Bay. "Xander's been a rock all year," Edison coach Jude Michel said. "He works hard in the room and we're hoping to see everything come to fruition for him at the end of the season. He deserves everything he gets." Gfell-King, a senior who was an SBC runner-up last year, pinned St. Mary Central Catholic's Benny Byington in 1:12 in the finals. His four matches lasted a total of 5:12. "I had some pressure going in, but I was pretty confident," Gfell-King said. "I had to be ready to go and do my thing." Reer, a nationally ranked freshman who is ranked No. 1 in the state at his weight in Division III, recorded two quick pins before winning a 16-0 technical fall against Willard's Jose Figueroa in the finals. "He wrestled a really good kid in the final and dominated 16-0," Michel said. "He's just really good in all positions. Really good on his feet. He takes guys down and just turns them every which way. It's impressive to see." Edison won the Bay without Mason Hermes, a two-time SBC champion who is one of the top-ranked wrestlers in the state. Hermes was not with the team and Michel said he did not know Hermes' status for next week's sectional tournament. Norwalk heavyweight Cooper Gee finished the tournament with an 8-1 decision against Margaretta's Fernando Gonzales. It was Gee's 100th career win. Also for the Truckers, Gavin Lepley (165) and Nico Helton (175) each reached the finals. Lepley was pinned in 5:35 by Law Davlin (Perkins) to finish second, while Helton lost an 11-4 decision to Woodmore's Landon Rich. Willard's Luke Slone (138) also reached the finals among area competitors. Placing third for Edison was AJ Crabtree (120), Josiah Walbom (157), and Joel Smith (285). Bentley Illuzzi (190) placed fourth, and Cohen Dawson (150) was fifth. ----------------------------- SBC wrestling championships Lake Division 1. Bellevue 208.5, 2. Clyde 195, 3. Perkins 175.5, 4. Norwalk 92.5, 5. Columbian 54.5, 6. Sandusky 46.5. Bay Division 1. Edison 174.5, 2. Port Clinton 126.5, 3. Vermilion 65.5, 4. Margaretta 58.5, 5. Huron 50, 6. Willard 43.5. Championship matches 106: Cohen Reer (Edison) tech. fall Jose Figueroa (Willard) 16-0 113: Thomas Reesman (Bellevue) maj. dec. Brayden Barker (Edison) 10-2 120: Heath Norris (Clyde) dec. Joseph Springer (Northwood) 7-0 126: Hunter Pollock (Clyde) pin Aiden Cordy (Woodmore) 2:55 132: Xander Gfell-King (Edison) pin Benny Byington (St. Mary CC) 1:12 138: Owen Sterritt (Bellevue) maj. dec. Luke Slone (Willard) 10-0 144: Michael Gessner (Clyde) tech. fall Drew Aigler (Columbian) 21-5 150: Ben Jacobs (Bellevue) dec. Ben James (St. Mary CC) 8-6 157: Aiden Kyser (Vermilion) pin Mason Holden (Clyde) 1:59 165: Law Davlin (Perkins) pin Gavin Lepley (Norwalk) 5:35 175: Landon Rich (Woodmore) dec. Nico Helton (Norwalk) 11-4 190: Malakii Pinkleton (Port Clinton) dec. Michael Seeger (Woodmore) 4-2 215: DeShawn Harper (Perkins) dec. Mason Garno (Columbian) 4-2 285: Cooper Gee (Norwalk) dec. Fernando Gonzales (Margaretta) 8-1