McClain girls wrestling defeats Jackson; boys lose a close decision

The McClain boys and girls varsity wrestling team opened the season at home against Frontier Athletic Conference foe Jackson. The Lady Tiger grapplers were victorious, 30-24, while the boys lost a close one to the visiting Ironmen.

In the girls match, the Lady Tigers competed very well with it being only the second year of sanctioned wrestling for girls in the state and at McClain.

“This is only the second season of sanctioned wrestling in the state, and obviously our second year here at McClain, so it’s understandable that we have a lot of inexperience on this team,” said Lady Tiger head coach Coty Barnhart. “We have 12 girls out this year, which is double what we had last year, but just four returning with varsity wrestling experience.”

The girls squad is led by their three captains Nikkiah Smith, Dayza Daugherty and Sarah Kegley.

Smith, who is a senior, went to the state tournament last year and is currently ranked 13th in the state in only her second season of competitive wrestling.

Daugherty, a junior, is in her fifth year of competitive wrestling and was an FAC runner-up in her weight class last year.

“I have to tip my hat to my three captains,” said Barnhart. “They always keep the atmosphere and attitude in the room with a lot of hard work and toughness every night, and that is very important to our training and success.”

Emma Marsh and KC Foster are the other two returning wrestlers from last year’s team.  

Several McClain girls were impressive on the mats against Jackson, led by Daugherty, who had a second-period pin against a tough opponent, along with Lexie Burns, who also had a first-period pin.

“I’m really super proud of my girls and how hard they’ve worked in practice and how hard they competed tonight,” Barnhart said. “Everybody went out there and gave it their best effort, and that’s all you can really ask for as a coach.”

In the boys half of the match, McClain lost in a very competitive and close decision.

Josh Smith, Colton Wait and Dalton Rowland all had impressive pins over some very strong Jackson opponents. Rowland had two pins on the evening after he moved up a weight class in an exhibition match.  

Despite losing the close match to the Ironmen, second-year McClain boys head coach Gary Ryan was still impressed with his kids’ performances.

“I’m very impressed with all my kids for how they came out in our first match of the season against a tough league opponent and competed hard,” Ryan said.

“Our team is really young this year. We have only two seniors, two juniors, and the rest are all sophomores and freshmen, and Dalton (Rowland) is the only one of those with any wrestling experience.”

The best match of the night was when Ethan Hill, McClain senior state qualifier, and his Jackson opponent battled to a 5-4 decision, won by the Jackson wrestler.

“I’m kind of glad Ethan had the match he had tonight because that will no doubt be the league championship match later this season,” Ryan said. “Both he and the Jackson kid both made it to the districts last year, just in a different weight class.”

The McClain wrestlers will be back in action at home on Thursday, Dec. 14 when they host another tough FAC foe Chillicothe. Note: There will be no girls match that night because Chillicothe doesn’t have a girls varsity team, but the middle school wrestlers will be competing.