By MIKE MALLOY
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
The wrestling was great. The celebration needed some work.
Valley High School’s Montell Marion won his first state wrestling championship in his third title match, beating Matt Kelly of Dubuque Hempstead, 3-2, Saturday.
“It’s so good, “Marion said.
Marion laid on his back after the final whistle, showing signs of relief, not elation.
“It’s like a dream, “he said.
Marion scored the first takedown midway through the first period. The early lead proved to be vital to the doubly injured junior.
Marion twisted a knee and popped his shoulder in a second-round match Thursday but didn’t admit his maladies to anyone.
“I really wanted that takedown. I knew it would help me toward the end, “Marion said.
He chose to be down to start third period and eventually escaped to take a 3-2 lead.
“It wasn’t tough to get out. He put his leg on the other side to set me up, “Marion said. “I had to make sure he didn’t put me on my back.”
Kelly locked his arms around Marion’s upper body, and tossed him to the mat with about a minute remaining. Many in the sellout crowd reacted to the apparent takedown, but the official ruled otherwise.
“I made sure my head was slipping out, “Marion said. “I had to make sure he didn’t get two (points) and that he didn’t get back points. I’m really glad neither of those occurred.”
After going out of bounds, Marion briefly took some injury time with 41 seconds remaining.
Kelly remained on the attack but did not score. Marion, speaking with a sheepish smile, acknowledged that he was just trying to hang on for the whistle.
“He was forcing the upper body and I was a little fatigued. I was trying to make sure I didn’t get tossed, “Marion said.
Marion made heads turn nationally this summer by placing seventh at a freestyle tournament in Fargo, N.D.
“It gives you a lot more experience, “he said. “It gives you knowledge about different positions. You can get into some pretty funky positions in freestyle. I think that really helped me out.”
Marion is ranked 12th at 119 pounds by Wrestling USA Magazine.
Marion finished the season 38-1, with his only loss coming in a 125-pound freestyle match against state champion Kyle Anson of Iowa City High.
The post-meet mood was radically different for 171-pound senior Sean Lenihan.
Sitting on a cooler in the basement of Veterans Memorial Auditorium, Lenihan bore the scars, physical and mental, of a state meet that lasted only two matches.
“It kills. I didn’t want to end the season like this, “Lenihan said.
A freshly split lower lip became a temporary souvenir from his first state-meet appearance.
“It was a lot better than I expected it to be. This is what I’ve wanted to do since I started wrestling – to get here, “Lenihan said.
The Tigers finished 20th in the team standings, and had two other place-winners – Corey Rasmussen, who finished sixth at 145 pounds, and Wade Dowling, who was eighth at 140 pounds.
***
Montell Marion (champion, 119): Beat Nick Moon, Knoxville, 19-8; beat Grant Ruge, Fort Dodge, 8-5; beat Jeff Rau, Council Bluffs Lewis Central, 7-4; beat Matt Kelly, Dubuque, 3-2.
Wade Dowling (eighth place, 140): Lost to Kyle McDowell, fall 3:28; beat Blase Gill, Sioux City North, 7-4; beat Grant Gambrall, 7-2; lost to Kele Jones, North Scott, fall, :33; lost to McDowell, fall, 3:14.
Corey Rasmussen (sixth place, 145): Lost to Brett Blasberg, Waterloo West, 7-3; pinned Cam Schwerdtfeger, Bettendorf, 3:56; beat Justin Jaeger, West Delaware, 2-0; beat Robert Kellogg, Sioux City North, 7-3; lost to Luke Stamps, Council Bluffs Lewis Central, 12-5; lost to Colton Smith, Ankeny, 13-5.
Sean Lenihan (171): Lost to Tylor Pilcher, Fairfield, 6-5; lost to Nate Vanderloo, Council Bluffs Lewis Central, 4-3.
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