The Baylor student section with head master Scott Wilson.
photo by M.A. Locke
Key wins from senior Jack Reynolds at 132 and ninth grader Mason Reiniche at 160 propelled Baylor to a come from behind 30-27 win Saturday in a D-II Middle/East wrestling match at McCallie.
Wrestling before a standing room only crowd, McCallie won six of the first nine matches for a 27-13, but Baylor won the final five weight classes worth 17 points and the win.
“Both teams have excellent wrestlers in the heart of the lineup, you work hard to have your guys prepared and we were able to come out on top,” said Baylor head coach Ben Nelson
“I think our conditioning paid off today and I believe we are peaking at the right time.”
With McCallie leading 27-13, Reynolds defeated long-time foe Trent Walliser, 6-1, to start the Baylor rally.
“The key to my win was my ability to feed off the energy of the crowd and also just to focus on my technique,” said a smiling Reynolds who is now 3-2 overall in matches against McCallie.
Red Raiders Austin Atchley posted a major decision (13-4) against Thomas Sell (138), followed by Michael Murphy’s 6-4 triumph against Ethan Dendy in a re-match of the 2015 state finals to make it 27-23 McCallie.
Reiniche then upset state champion Will Patton, 6-1, and senior Caleb Powell clinched the team win with a 10-1 major decision against Turner Rowland.
Reiniche, a 2015 state runner-up said, “I felt confident going into the match and getting the first takedown was key and I felt it broke him,”
McCallie sprinted to the big lead due in large part on pins from Judah Duhm (170), Trel Phillps (195) and Zack Ward (106).
Baylor now leads the overall series, 52-40 and have won 14 straight. McCallie’s last win was in the 2006 state duals finals.
McCallie coach Mike Newman said,“We got bonus points where we needed them (9 points from three pins), but it came down to Baylor won eight matches and we only won six.
“Our guys fought hard, but we only have ourselves to blame for the loss. “To Baylor’s credit, they stepped up and won the final five matches.”
Baylor 30, McCallie 27
170- Judah Duhm (McC) pinned Riley Westlake, 1:45 … McCallie, 6-0
182- Khamari Whimper (Bay) tech fall Walker Daugherty 22-7 … McCallie, 6-5
195- Trel Phillips (McC) pinned David Thompson, 3:36 … McCallie, 12-5
220- Ryan Parker (Bay) major dec. Jay Roberts, 13-4… McCallie, 12-9
285- River Henry (McC) dec. Cooper Reiniche, 7-4 .. McCallie, 15-9
106 – Zack Ward (McC) pinned Clayton Pettway, 2:36 … McCallie 21-9
113- Trent Maddox (McC) dec. Grant Slye, 7-2 … McCallie, 24-9
120- Trevor Milling (Bay) major dec. Jared McCallister, 13-0 … McCallie, 24-13
126 – Brock Herring (McC) dec. Andy Atchley, 6-0 … McCallie, 27-13
132- Jack Reynolds (Bay) dec. Trent Walliser, 6-1 … McCallie, 27-16
138 - Austin Atchley (Bay) major dec. Thomas Sell, 13-4 … McCallie, 27-20
145- Michael Murphy (Bay) dec. Ethan Dendy, 6-4 … McCallie 27-23
152- Mason Reiniche (Bay) dec. Will Patton, 6-1 … McCallie, 27-26
160- Caleb Powell (Bay) major dec. Turner Roland, 10-1 … Baylor 30-27
contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net