Passing grades for Comets, EP

ERIE – The Erie Invitational always provides an early test for several area teams, and Newman and Erie-Prophetstown passed with flying colors.

The Comets won the 41st annual event on Saturday with 229 points, 20 more than runner-up Sherrard. The Panthers took third in an 11-team field with 195 points.

“To come here and beat those other teams, we had a very impressive day,” Newman coach Steve Davis said.

Eleven Comets finished in the top three, led by champions Garrett Webb, Maxx Hubbard and Austin Baldwin.

The most impressive of the three was the 119-pound Hubbard, who recorded 11 takedowns in a technical fall victory over Tyson Schulte of Sherrard.

Webb started the finals with a 4-1 decision over Sherrard’s Jacob Dilbeck at 103 pounds.

Baldwin took the title at 171 pounds with a 5-0 decision over Erie-Prophetstown’s Dylan DeShane. The match was scoreless until Baldwin recorded an escape with 1 minute, 14 seconds remaining in the third period. Near the end, DeShane tried a risky takedown and ended up on his back.

Erie-Prophetstown had the most champions of any team with four: 112-pounder Mitch Mallary, a 4-0 winner over Newman’s Sean Parvin; 130-pounder Matt Cole, a 5-1 winner over Newman’s Jonathan Ortman; 135-pounder Alex Cole, a 6-2 winner over Sherrard’s Eric Miller; and 160-pounder Derek Stoddard, a 7-3 winner over Orion’s Steven Bainter.

Stoddard trailed 3-2 until just over a minute remained against Bainter, then took control with a takedown.

“It was just a scramble,” Stoddard said. “It was just a lucky move.”

Stoddard was voted by the coaches as the tournament’s outstanding wrestler in the upper weights (145-285).

Morrison finished fifth with 103.5 points, led by 140-pound champ Mark McDonnell and 189-pound champ Matt McDonnell.

Mark McDonnell was named outstanding wrestler in the lower weights.

Polo was 10th as a team with 71 points, but did have a champ in 285-pounder Jake Peterson.