Highland?s West claims title at 120 pounds

The week before the state tournament, Highland wrestling coach Clint Jones said that sophomore Bryce West was wrestling like he was on fire.

That fire carried over to the weekend for the 120-pound Highland wrestler, as West cruised through the tournament en route to a state championship on Saturday night.

When the clock finally hit zero on his championship match, which he won by a 14-6 major decision, West ran over to his coaches and began celebrating his first state title, with only one thing running through his mind.

?I?m finally state champion,? West said. ?I won by a major and there were a lot of emotions.?

In the championship match, West quickly jumped out to a lead, as his fast-paced attack helped propel him to the championship.

?I?ve been doing that all year,? West said. ?I just wanted to keep what I?ve been doing and didn?t change. It feels good to win in the finals and to be on top.?

The high-paced match certainly favored the sophomore, according to his head coach.

?Bryce is very offensively oriented, and definitely wants to push the match at a high pace,? Jones said. ?I?m not surprised at all and that?s part of his game plan when he takes the mat.?

After finishing in third place last season, West posted a 50-0 record this season to earn the title.

?He?s worked hard and earned it,? Jones said. ?That?s what he works for all year. He?s reaping the rewards of his hard work.?

Now that West has his first state title, the sophomore knows he?ll have to work even harder for next season, when he looks to add to his trophy shelf.

?I?ll have to work a lot harder with a lot of weight changes and freshmen coming up,? West said. ?I just need to practice hard and do my best in all positions and score.?