THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Skiatook High School Athletics

On January 5th and 6th the Skiatook Bulldogs traveled to Jenks to wrestle some of the top teams in 6A and 5A. The Bulldogs came away with one champion, eight placers and the first-place team trophy. Skiatook scored 185.5 team points to Yukon’s 160 and Owasso’s 157 team points in bringing the Larry Wilkey Invitational team title to Skiatook for the first time ever. Skiatook’s 120lb Josh Taylor 4-0 (Fr. 10-1) was crowned the champion. Heavy Weight Dylon Carnagey 3-1 (Sr. 8-3) and 220lb Korbin McLaughlin 3-1 (Jr. 10-1) were runner ups. 132lb Cale Glover 4-1 (So. 7-4) and 138lb Cougar Andersen 7-1 (Fr. 12-3) placed 3rd. Austin Johnson 3-2 (Sr. 12-3) at 152lbs brought home the 4th place medal and 170lb Brian Pollard 4-2 (Fr. 10-5) placed 5th. Hunter Hall 3-3 (Fr. 11-5) at 160lbs and 182lb Blake Watkins 3-3 (Jr. 8-6) placed 6th. Josh Taylor wrestled four times in the Larry Wilkey Invitational winning one by pin and grinding out three decisions all decided by one, two and three points. The unseeded Freshman had a tough hill to climb as he would eventually have to face and take out the number five seed (Junior), four seed (Senior), two seed (Junior) and one seed (Junior) on his way to becoming the 120lb champion. In the second round Taylor faced the number five seed Austin Hisey (Jr. Enid). The Bulldog didn’t waste any time getting two takedowns and three near fall points in the first period giving him a 7 to 1 lead. In the second period Taylor eventually pinned the Enid grappler with twenty-two seconds left putting him in the quarterfinals. The number four seed Orelious Steele (Sr. Bixby) stepped out on the mat to try and knock off the young Bulldog. The score was knotted after one period 0 to 0 and Taylor took bottom to start the second period. The Freshman escaped and got a takedown on the Senior late in the period and was able to ride the Spartan out for the remaining seconds. That would be all Taylor needed to advance to the semis finals as he rode out Steele the entire third period winning the quarterfinals match 3 to 0. Up next for the Bulldog was not only the number one seed in the tournament but the 5A number one ranked 120lb wrestler in the state of Oklahoma in Jakob Lyons (Jr. Tahlequah). Taylor and Lyons stepped on the line toe to toe and battled it out in the first period, but it was the young Bulldog that was able to get a late takedown in the first period and ride out the seasoned Tiger making the score 2 to 0 at the end of the first period. Taylor took bottom to start the second period and was able to fight off a mean cradle attempt that Lyons tried to hit early in the period. The Freshman was able to escape the Junior midway through the second and fight off a late takedown attempt to end the period. Taylor rode out Lyons most of the third period wearing down the 5A 113lb state runner up from last year. The Tiger eventually escaped but could not take down the Bulldog putting the Freshman in the championship. In the championship Taylor faced the number two seed Laif Jones (Jr. Bartlesville). As in the previous two matches this one was no different. The two grapplers went nose to nose the first period but neither one of them could score on the other. In the second period the Skiatook wrestler took bottom and was able to hit an early switch for a two-point reversal on the Bruin. Taylor rode out Jones for the remainder of the second and took a 2 to 0 lead in to the final period. The Bruin took bottom to start the third period and Taylor made him pay for it with multiple gut wrenching moves and tremendous pressure being applied to Jones back. Jones was able to escape with twenty-four seconds left but it was too little too late as the unseeded unknown mighty Freshman Bulldog fended off a couple of late takedown attempts making him the 2018 Larry Wilkey 120lb Champion. The Bulldogs will wrestle in the District Quad Tuesday January 9th at the BWAC in Skiatook to see if they qualify for Dual State. They will also host Sperry for Homecoming the following Thursday January 11th at the BWAC. They will be traveling the following day to Midwest City Carl Albert January 12th and 13th for the Carl Albert Invitational. Come out and support these young men as they compete on the mat during these events.

THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Skiatook High School Athletics

BULLDOGS TAKE FIRST AT THE JENKS LARRY WILKEY INVITATIONAL

JOSH TAYLOR

Tulsa World | 1/8/2018

PHOTO CREDIT: Tulsa World