Frazer carries Demons’ torch, Mid-Prairie leads 2A list with 3

MT. PLEASANT - Washington's Ayden Frazer needed a near miracle to get through to state in his senior year. The Demon 182-pounder had just won his third place match and needed his friend, Ben Meador of Mid-Prairie to rally for an upset over ninth-ranked John Argo of Davenport Assumption. He got that wish, and then capitalized in the wrestleback to earn his first state trip.

Meader was in a bad position, trailing Argo late in the third period of Saturday's 182-pound championship, but the Mid-Prairie senior had shown a flare for the dramatic earlier that afternoon. In the semifinals, Meader turned a late reversal on Frazer to beat him by an 8-4 decision. With 20 seconds left in the final, Meador did it again, reversing Argo to get a pin with just 18 seconds left.

'My heart was definitely racing,” said Frazer, who needed just 23 seconds in the third place match, and then hustled over to sweat out Meader. 'I was feeling really down, and then as soon as I turn around, he had him on his back.”

Meader's pin drew the loudest pop of the night from the packed crowd at Mt. Pleasant High School. After his hand was raised, he acknowledged a wild Mid-Prairie cheering section before getting a hug from Frazer, who's night was extended for just one more match.

'It was amazing, seeing the support and seeing the family in the stands,” Meader said. 'My ears started buzzing, and my headgear got so loud. It was awesome.”

While Meader's win had the loudest reaction, Frazer's victory in the wrestlebacks might have been the closest win of the night. With Frazer leading 7-6, Argo took him down to the mat at the buzzer, but the official waved off a potential two-point takedown, as the match ended milliseconds before it was time to make the call.

'I feel like I wrestled my best match of the year,” Frazer said.

Frazer was the only Union area big school wrestler to advance. Mt. Pleasant's Sam Carrasco took third at 220 pounds, and the Fairfield trio of Cohyn Roach (138), Payton Cline (145) and Logan Adam all went 0-2 to finish fourth.

Meader was one of three Golden Hawks to get through. Josh Wallington won the 220-pound bracket, picking up a pin against Davenport's Chase Diaz in 5:06, and dominating Albia's Paul Bllard for a tech fall in the final. Cael Garvey was forced to wrestleback at 195 pounds after losing the championship, but made quick work of Centerville's Josh Oldfield in the second place match, earning a pin in 31 seconds.

Mid-Prairie did see its share of heartbreak. Mose Yoder finished third at 113 pounds. Vinnie Bowling (160) lost his first match of the year in the semifinals and had to settle for third as well, and Gannon Callahan (285) fell by sudden victory in the final wrestleback of the day to settle for third place as well.

Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union's power pair of Lane Scorpil (113) and Chance Malone (285) will be heading to state with first place finishes.

Scorpil, the second-ranked 113-pounder in Class 2A, pinned Yoder of Mid-Prairie in 3:32 during the semifinals. He wasn't able to get a pin in the finals, but still skated by Albia's Brodie Conner, winning 4-0 to take the bracket.

'I just stayed within myself,” Scorpil said. 'You can't ever get too frustrated.”

Malone pinned Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont's Skyler Young in 1:34 to advance to the finals. He battled to a 4-1 victory over Mid-Prairie's Callahan in the 285 championship to join his longtime friend at the top of their respective podiums.

'Lane and I have grown up together our whole life,” said Malone. 'We wrestled together at Morning Sun, a nd for us two to qualify is pretty cool.”

Columbus/WMU had one wrestler miss out. Ethan Palmer fell victim to a pair of pins and took fourth at 195 pounds.