Pacers, Golden Eagles win OCC titles

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Delaware Hayes and Olentangy Berlin both had a lot to wrestle for Thursday night.

For the Pacers, a win would punctuate a perfect run through the OCC-Cardinal Division duals and an outright league championship.

The host Bears, meanwhile, were honoring the program’s first senior class.

In a way, when all was said and done, both teams left the gym with something to feel good about. Hayes easily won the dual, 61-10 to complete OCC perfection, but all three of the seniors Berlin had in the lineup came away with wins, accounting for all of the team’s points.

The match of the night came at 160, where the Bears’ Corey Hill took on the Pacers’ Emmett Cain. Hill, a senior and district qualifier from a year ago, and Cain, a senior and former state qualifier, were tied 1-1 in the final minute of the third period before Hill strung together an escape and a takedown to notch a 4-1 win.

The victory cut Berlin’s deficit to 16-10, but Hayes picked up wins in each of the final eight weight classes to run away with things.

Pacer standouts included Corbin May (170), Mason Sutandar (182) and Clay Ours (195), who picked up back-to-back-to-back pins to balloon their team’s edge to 34-10 with five matches to go.

A forfeit made it 40-10 and Maurice Avant (106), Tamas Eder (113) and Thomas Ross (120) smoothed out the scoring summary with three straight pins of their own. Paolo Sferrella (132) also won via pin while Tristan Burton (145) picked up an 18-9 win for Hayes.

Berlin was led by its strong senior class. Daniel Helmers earned a 10-8 sudden victory at 138 to give the Bears their first points of the night and Israel Foston won 13-5 at 152 two matches later. Hill’s win came in the match after.

Big Walnut 51, New Albany 18

Vince Giordano, Carson Leasure, Lawrence O’Malley, Christian Takatch and Austin O’Malley all picked up wins as the Golden Eagles finished a perfect 5-0 in OCC-Capital Division duals and secured an outright league title Thursday night in Sunbury.

Giordano won 7-1 after four forfeits opened the scoring summary as Big Walnut took a 27-0 lead it parlayed into the win and the title.

New Albany got as close as 27-9, but a pin from Leasure helped BW regain control.

Westerville North 41, Olentangy Liberty 29

For the first time in seven seasons, the Patriots were denied a league championship.

Liberty and visiting Westerville North entered the final OCC dual of the season undefeated. The Patriots jumped out to a 6-0 lead thanks to a forfeit, but the Warriors won each of the next five matches to take a lead they never relinquished.

Lucas Uliano cruised to a 20-4 win to get Liberty within nine, 20-11, but North won each of the next three to increase its cushion to 35-11.

Ben Cox, Dylan Russo and Jadon Brownlee joined Uliano with wins for the Patriots.

Also: Olentangy Orange 58, Olentangy 18.

BOYS BASKETBALL

Pryce Johnson poured in a game-best 33 points and James Vasek added 13 as Delaware Christian cruised to a 68-43 MOCAL win over visiting Madison Christian Thursday night in Delaware.

With the win, DCS won the conference title outright.

Nathan Stewart was also solid for the Eagles, finishing with 11 points.

Hayes’ Clay Ours, right, takes on Olentangy Berlin’s Evariste Misseou during Thursday’s OCC dual in Delaware.
https://www.delgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2020/02/web1_IMG_8085.jpegHayes’ Clay Ours, right, takes on Olentangy Berlin’s Evariste Misseou during Thursday’s OCC dual in Delaware. Ben Stroup | Gazette

By Ben Stroup

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