Jerry Milta Invitational
Jerry Milta Invitational in Florida
12/30/05
Bantams bringing title home
Clarkston grabs top honors at 19-team meet in Florida
Published: Lewiston Tribune
2005-12-11
Page: 1B
TAMPA, Fla. -- Thanks to top-five showings by 12 of their 14 wrestlers, the
Clarkston Bantams will return to the Northwest with a Deep South crown.
The Bantams rolled to the championship of the Jerry Milta Invitational on
Saturday. By the end of the two-day, 19-team event, they were nearly 70
points ahead of the second-place school.
Clarkston got individual championships from Matt Babino at 112 pounds and
Jason Fairley at 140 pounds. They also got second-place finishes from Kodey
DesJardin (125), D.J. Darnall (145), Lyle Draper (160) and Wes Braun (189).
Overall, the Bantams put together a 47-17 record -- against opponents they
knew almost nothing about.
"It was kind of a battle of the unknowns," Clarkston assistant coach Dave
Weakland said. "We've been working really hard on our stuff, and not
reacting to what they do. That's what coach (Dan) Randles always talks
about."
The highlight of the day was Fairley's victory at 140. In the title match,
he beat Dunedin's Daunte Graham, who placed fifth in Florida's largest
classification last season.
The Bantams won't leave Florida until Monday. Weakland said the team will
do some sightseeing today, including a visit to Busch Gardens.
But Clarkston does have a home dual with West Valley on Wednesday. So the
team will also run today, and get a workout in before their flight home,
Weakland said.
"We'll just try to stay focused on what needs to be done," Weakland said.
Team scores -- Clarkston 274 1/2, East Lake 206 1/2, Land O'Lakes 204,
Northeast 176, Largo 172, Dunedin 160, Oskceola 130, Pinellas Park 93, East
Bay 87, Clewiston 170, Gibbs 67 1/2, Clearwater 66, Boca Ciega 55, St.
Petersburg 54, Dixie Hollins 49, Plant 36, Tarpon Springs 27, Admiral
Farragut Academy 24, Lakewood 20. (Schools not otherwise identified are from
Florida.)
Place and win-loss record of Clarkston individuals
112 -- 1, Matt Babino, 4-0 (championship match: Babino p. Brian Scalise,
LOL, second). 119 -- 3, Ricky Dyer, 5-1. 125 -- 2, Kodey DesJardin, 3-1
(championship match: Josh Aarons, Dunedin, 7-5). 130 -- 5, Alex Barham, 3-2.
135 -- 5, Matt Powell, 3-2. 140 -- 1, Jason Fairley, 4-0 (championship
match: Fairley dec. Daunte Graham, Dunedin, 9-3). 145 -- 2, D.J. Darnall,
3-1 (championship match: Darnall p. A.J. Yingly, NE, 3-1). 152 -- 4, Brice
Behler, 4-2. 160 -- 2, Lyle Draper, 3-1 (championship match: Martin Guille,
Oskceola, dec. Draper, 9-3). 171 -- 3, Mike Garrett, 4-1. 189 -- 2, Wes
Braun, 3-1 (championship match: Adam Gibson, Largo, p. Braun, third). 215 --
3, Frank Willis, 4-1.
