By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Walton-Verona wrestler Ryan Moore closed out an undefeated senior season with his 47th consecutive win in the state championship finals on Saturday at the Kentucky Horse Park’s AllTech Arena near Lexington.
Moore defeated Campbell County freshman Thomas Ketchen-Carter, 7-0, in the 132-pound title match to claim his second consecutive state championship. He won the 126-pound weight class last year and finished with a 45-2 record.
Mason Smith of Walton-Verona tries to upend his opponent in the 170-pound state finals.
Mason Smith, another senior on the Walton-Verona team, won the 170-pound championship match with a 7-0 decision over Micah Ervin of Union County. It was Smith’s first state title after placing third the last two years.
The other local wrestler who won a gold medal was Conner freshman Samuel Grandstaff. He pinned Jayssen Hanson of St. Xavier at the 1:08 mark in the 106-pound final to become his team’s first state champion since 1996.
The second-place finishers in Saturday’s state finals included Scott junior Brenden Pye (113), Newport senior Drevon Jones (152) and Dixie Heights senior Kairus Washington (285).
Union County won the state team championship with 186 points. Walton-Verona placed sixth with 110 points and Scott placed ninth with 90.
John Roth of Walton-Verona was named Coach of the Year by the Kentucky Wrestling Coaches Association. His son, Blake, took third place in the 138-pound weight class with a 4-0 won over Mannie Murrer of Covington Catholic.
Scott junior Jared Kelsey, who placed fifth in the 170 weight class, won the annual award for most pins in the least amount of time. He pinned five opponents in a total time of 10 minutes.
State championship matches involving local wrestlera
106 — Samuel Grandstaff (Conner) def. Jayssen Hanson (St. Xavier), 1:08.
113 — Thomas Deck (Madison Central) ded. Brendan Pye (Scott), 10-0.
132 — Ryan Moore (Walton-Verona) def. Thomas Ketchen-Carter (Campbell County), 7-0.
152 — Zane Brown (Male) def. Drevon Jones (Newport), 13-1.
170 — Mason Smith (Walton-Verona) def. Micah Ervin (Union County), 7-0.
285 — Byron Pierce (Johnson Central) def. Kairus Washington (Dixie Heights), 1-0.
Third-place matches involving local wrestlers
106 — Cole Thomas (Ryle) def. Gage Fowler (Christian County), 6-1.
113 — Brandon Miller (Taylor County) def. Shay Horton (Ryle), 8-5.
138 — Blake Roth (Walton-Verona) def. Mannie Murrer (Covington Catholic), 4-0.
Top team scores
1 — Union County 186, 2 — St. Xavier 163, 3 — Woodford County 155.
N. Ky. team scores
6 — Walton-Verona 110, 9 — Scott 90, 15 — Conner 62. 17 — Simon Kenton 51.5, 20 — Ryle 48.5, 25 — Newport 44.5; 27 — Dixie Heights 36; 31 — Campbell County 32.5; 42 — Covington Catholic 20.5; 50 — Cooper 14; 71 — Boone County and Holmes 3.
