Tuttle takes down Blanchard to bring home state title
Even after a dominant weekend, Tuttle coach Matt Surber said he sees the rise in competition.
As Tuttle closed out its ninth straight Class 4A dual state championship with a 56-12 victory against rival Blanchard, Surber said he’s excited by the rise of competition from the TriCity area.
“It’s good for that area right now,” Surber said. “We have a good area of wrestling now in the TriCity area with Blanchard, Newcastle and Tuttle, all making it here and Mustang right north of us made semis in 6A.”
Even with the improved competition, Tuttle remains the top dog. In its opening round matchup, the Tigers beat Manford 80-0, then followed that up in the semifinals with a 70-4 performance against Wagoner and the 44-point win against Blanchard in the finals.
“We came here full strength and healthy,” Surber said. “We had a few kids sick but not severe and we came in here with a really good attitude.”
Even after nine consecutive championships at dual state, Surber said his guys still find ways to challenge themselves and come out ready to compete.
“Blanchard is a rival, and our guys usually want to show well against them,” Surber said. “But really just to compete hard and keep the score out of it and just compete in your performance is what we try to do.”
Rested Lawton MacArthur goes back to back
Lawton MacArthur wanted to save its strength.
After getting up by 17 points in the semifinals against Piedmont, Lawton Mac decided to forfeit the final three matches of the night to preserve some of its energy for the finals against Skiatook.
The plan worked. As Lawton Mac defeated Skiatook 35-18 for its second consecutive 5A dual state championship, it was thanks in part to a strong showing toward the end.
Lawton MacArthur won the last six out of the last seven matches to take down Skiatook, including wins by the well-rested Brandon Lauren at 220 pounds, who pinned his opponent in 1:53, and a hard-fought heavyweight match that ended in a 3-2 decision for the Highlanders' Montana Phillips.
MacArthur trailed Skiatook until Hunter Jump’s 23-8 technical fall gave the Highlanders the lead for good.