MURPHYSBORO CAPTURES THE 25TH TIGER CLASSIC

Jackson wrestling coach Steve Wachter was about as displeased as a coach could be after the first round of the Tiger Classic on Friday night.

Then, on Saturday, his team pulled a reversal on him.

Jackson's wrestlers had an outstanding day at the Tiger Classic Saturday finishing in third place behind Murphysboro and Ste. Genevieve.

The Indians had four champions -- Brett Stroud (125), Cyle Huck (130), Adam Wachter (140) and Mark Wade (160), while Willie Southerland took second at 171.

"We had an outstanding semifinal round," said Steve Wachter. "Then we topped that off with an outstanding final round. Even in Southerland's loss, I thought he wrestled well. Third was where I felt like we would be if we wrestled like we were capable of."

Ironically, Jackson had more champions than Murphysboro and Ste. Genevieve. But it was basically a two-team race for the championship.

Murphysboro took first with 208 points, just 1 1/2 points ahead of two-time defending champion Ste. Gen.

Jackson followed with 185, comfortably ahead of Francis Howell Central, which had 169. Cape Central ended up in 15th place with 38 1/2 points.

The highlight of the tournament for Jackson was Huck's championship win at 130 over Ste. Genevieve's Clint Wolk. Wolk is a two-time state champion and three-time all-stater.

"You want all your kids to win," Wachter said. "But that was a big one."

"He's a real good wrestler," Huck said of his opponent who he wrestled against several times in summer camps over the summer. "He's a real good athlete. This is one of (my biggest wins)."

Huck got out to a 11-5 lead, then Wolk cut his deficit to 11-9 in the third period.

"I was starting to worry," said Huck, adding Wolk was in position for a take down near the end. "I just had to hang on."

Cape Central didn't manage to advance any wrestlers to the finals.

Leland Woelk took fifth at 140 and Josh Goodrich took fifth at 145.

"We've got a lot of first-year kids," said Cape Central coach Josh Crowell. "I keep telling them that we are rebuilding and you can't let up. You can't let a little adversity get you down, whether it be in wrestling or in life. We just have to keep working.

"We are making improvement, though. I tell my kids as long as we peak at the right time that's all that matters."

Crowell said he was especially pleased with Dustin Ingram, who as a sophomore was just recently added to the varsity roster. Ingram, who lost his first-round match won the out bracket to take seventh.

Cape Central's Otis Turner also battled back Saturday to take seventh.

Adam Wachter, the only wrestler from Jackson or Cape Central to get a No. 1 seed, lived up to his billing, dominating his opponent, Brad Page from Marion, for a 17-2 decision.

"Adam's best match in the whole tournament was his final match," said Steve Wachter. "He was very technical in the final match."

As for Stroud, the second seed dominated through the entire winner's bracket, pinning Pattonville's seventh'seeded Nick Zuccarello.

"He pinned his way all the way through," Wachter said.

Wade, a No. 2 seed, took first with a fairly easy 23-11 vicory over Poplar Bluff's Josh Robinson, who was seeded fifth.

Also for Jackson, Ricky Feiner took third place with a 6-2 decision over Royce Gross from St. Charles.

The tournament championship went down to the wire and was decided in the third-place match at the 215-pound weight division.

Ste. Genevieve's Clint Figge couldn't pull out a win in the third-place match, wrapping up a title for Murphysboro.

Going into the championship and third-place matches, Ste. Genevieve trailed 190-186 1/2, but wins by Adam Vogt at 112 pounds, Nick Vogt at 119 pounds and Tyler Wolk at 189 pounds made it close.

Murphysboro had just one champion.