Woodlands’ Adea joins Klein’s Evans in finals
Nathaniel Adea was soaking in sweat. The Woodlands senior also was soaking in what he had just accomplished.
Adea won a tough semifinal match Friday night, advancing to Saturday’s finals in the Class 6A 126-pound division of the UIL state wrestling championships. He defeated Benjamin Bennett of Euless Trinity 5-3 at the Berry Center.
“He was a tough guy,” Adea said. “He was very athletic and he could move really quick. But I knew if I kept attacking I’d eventually win the match.”
Adea was proud of his victory, but he seemed a little surprised by his productive day.
“All this year, I didn’t think I would make it this far,” he said. “But I’m just glad I did. I worked hard in the mat room and it’s finally paying off.”
On the girls side, the Houston area’s only defending state champion — Kjihla Evans of Klein — advanced to Saturday’s championship match in the 6A 165-pound division. Evans will meet Seven Lakes’ Megan Lloyd, who won all three of her matches Friday. Evans won her semifinal 19-4.
Other 6A girls advancing to Saturday’s finals are a trio from Cinco Ranch: Charlotte Fowler (110 pounds), Kayla DeLeon (138) and Taylor Rosario (185) plus Cy Falls’ Allisa Maldonado (102) and Clear Falls’ Elissa Douglass (128).
Also advancing to the championship match in 6A boys are Timmy Thompson, a sophomore from Clear Creek, who won his 120-pound semifinal on a forfeit, and Clear Lake’s Camden Fontenot (132).
Thompson was winning his match before it was stopped. Connor Manderfield of Arlington Martin couldn’t finish with an apparent wrist injury.
“I took him down at the end of the first,” Thompson said. “He was trying to come up to get a one-point escape so it would be 2-1 at the end of the period. But he got up and I picked him up and returned him into the mat.”
Thompson is making his first appearance in a state championship match. Last year he finished sixth in regionals.
“It’s very exciting,” Thompson said. “I’ve wrestled almost 11 years just for this time. I’m just glad to be here.”
Senior Cody Koger of Cinco Ranch wasn’t as fortunate in his 6A semifinal, losing a four-overtime tiebreaker to Jack Duval of Southlake Carroll in a 4-2 decision in the 160-pound division.
“He got the escape and then he got a nice takedown towards the end which could have gone either way,” said Koger, who did not give up a point in regionals. “Good for him but unfortunate for me. It was a real exciting match and close throughout.”
Koger’s 192 victories are a school record.
The boys and girls 5A and 6A finals begin at 3 p.m. Saturday at Berry Center.