By Christopher Shelton-newspress
OKLAHOMA CITY — Stillwater High’s Chris Perry danced, juked and shot at his opponent in the Class 6A State Championship match.
He’d seen Blake Rosholt four times already this season. Those meetings amounted to two pins and two major decision victories for Perry.
Make that three majors.
The Pioneer senior crushed Ponca City’s OSU signee, 20-6, to claim his fourth State Championship. After he downed Rosholt, he raised both hands, showing the number four with his fingers.
“Everyone that was with me throughout it, all my coaches and everybody that helped me train — all those guys were part of it, part of what I’ve accomplished,” Perry said.
In the massacre of the Ponca City 189-pounder, Perry amassed seven takedowns, a reversal and a three-point nearfall.
“I felt like I wrestled well,” he said. “I bumped it up a notch, but I felt really relaxed out there, just like it was a normal match.”
Before Saturday, only 19 Oklahomans had achieved four State titles. Wrestling at a heavier weight, and therefore later in the tournament, Perry became the 23rd after Perry’s Ladd Rupp, Cushing’s Jarrod Patterson and Catoosa’s Dallas Bailey. Rupp and Bailey will join Perry and Rosholt on the Oklahoma State wrestling squad next year.
“There’s still a lot of work to do in college,” Perry said. “A lot of college guys are two-time and three-time state champs. You have to go and get ready for the next level.”
Throw in 2009 State champ Stephen Swan of Perry and runner-up Zach White of Woodward and OSU has an intimidating recruiting class.
“I feel like we’re going to come around real quick,” Perry said. “We have a lot of tough recruits, I feel like, but we'll see how everybody pans out.”
But before he becomes a Cowboy, Perry has another step on his journey to the top of the wrestling chain.
“It’s every day, trying to get better,” he said. “I have to get ready for the next level and Junior Worlds are coming up. That’s the next level for me, and I have to keep making big steps to be and the next level for college.”
Another Pioneer in the finals, freshman heavyweight Travis Morgan couldn’t find what he was looking for as he fell, 2-1, to Broken Arrow’s Terry Williamson.
But first, second and third places make for a respectable showing at the State Tournament. Sophomore and 2008 State champ Jared Elmore rounded out SHS’s State squad with a 1:47 pin in the consolation finals to land third for the Pioneers.
With only four qualifiers entering the weekend competition — 215-pounder Earl Sparrow was beat out in the consolation bracket Saturday — SHS did well to rack up 50 team points, placing sixth in Class 6A.
