SILER TAKES 7TH

 The Whitley County Colonels sent two wrestlers to the 2012 KHSAA State Wrestling Tournament last week at the Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park.

Junior John Siler finished seventh in the state and helped keep the streak alive for the Colonels. Whitley County has had wrestlers place in the top eight five straight years. The Colonels finished eighth as a team a year ago.

However, after graduation and several players leaving for various reasons, coach Justin Bozeman found himself rebuilding the program.

Siler entered the state tournament with a 19-1 record. He smothered Donte Rhodes of Louisville Doss, 19-3 in the first-round to win by the mercy rule. However, he lost in the second-round to junior Joey Parrott of Simon-Kenton, 7-4 in a tight match.

The loss sent Siler to the consolation bracket where he won four of five matches to finish seventh. He beat Jalen Longstreet, senior at Lexington Bryan Station, 11-3 then rolled past junior Asa Odoms of Christian County, 14-4. Siler defeated Harrison County’s Anthony Shirley in his third match, but suffered a 1-0 loss to North Oldham’s Keegan Duncan in the next round.

The loss put Siler in the medal round for seventh place. Siler won the 11-7 decision over Union County’s Jeff Wurth. Siler finished the state tournament with a 5-2 record and 24-3 season mark.

Both wrestlers Siler lost to finished high in the standings with Parrott taking fourth and Duncan finishing fifth.

Scotty Partin, senior, wasn’t as fortunate. Partin lost to Louisville Central senior Omar Jarvis, 24-7, then lost to Dalin Tritapoe of Boyle County, 5-3.

Siler scored 10.50 points to give Whitley County a 52^nd place finish out of the 96 teams entered in the state tournament.

At the Region 8 Tournament at Johnson Central, Feb. 11, Siler defeated Cameron Nevels of Wayne County to become the regional champion in the 120-pound class.

Partin finished third in the 160-pound class after beating Roger Bivens of Perry Central.

Only the top four wrestlers qualified for the state tournament. Senior Zach Bray just missed the state by finishing fifth. He defeated Austin Pinkerman of Ashland.

Eighth grader Brad Hollis (126-pound class) took sixth in the region after losing to Cole Lafferty of Sheldon Clark. Brandon Lawson was sixth in the 220-pound class.

J.J. Jude a senior at Johnson Central repeated as a state champion from Region 8 in the 170-pound class. Jude was also named first team, All-State in football.