HUNTINGTON — As a part of celebrating the 75th annual state wrestling event, lots of West Virginia’s previous state champions have been acknowledged earlier than the beginning of Saturday’s finals.
Amongst these in attendance was Jimmie Bailes. He received his state championship in 1963 as a 95-pounder for Shady Spring and legendary coach Dix Manning.
Virtually 60 years later, he received to observe his nephew add to the household legacy.
Woodrow Wilson freshman J.J. Bailes capped off a dominant begin to his highschool profession with a 5-1 victory over Jacob Perry of Spring Mills for the Class AAA 113-pound state championship, making it a particular night time not just for him and the Bailes household, but in addition for the Woodrow Wilson program.
“I wished to win one for him, simply because he’s my uncle,” Bailes mentioned. “I wished to get each of us a win.”
The impression of Bailes’ win carried much more weight. It ended a 23-year drought for the Flying Eagles, who had not had a person state champion since 1999. That was Matt Callahan, who received the title at 140 kilos.
“I’ve been working for that each one season, attempting to get that state champion (recognition) on that board on the wall (of the wrestling room),” Bailes mentioned. “It’s actually cool.”
“I’m glad for Beckley, as a result of I really feel like we must always have state champs,” third-year Woodrow Wilson coach Matt Osborne mentioned. “We’ve received good children, good athletes.”
Bailes (48-1) defeated Perry on the West Virginia Twin Group State Championships precisely one month previous to their state title match, and he used that have to gasoline his aggressiveness on Saturday.
“On the state duals I took him down and pinned him within the first interval; I believed I might do this right here,” he mentioned. “His protection was actually good.”
Perry took a 1-0 lead with an escape early within the second interval and Bailes admits he thought Perry may win. However Bailes made a takedown with 28 seconds on the clock and went into the third with a 2-1 lead.
He received a fast escape to go forward 3-1 and made it stick the remainder of the way in which — even including a takedown with one second to go for good measure.
“J.J.’s been dominant all by youth, but it surely’s as a result of he works so arduous,” Osborne mentioned. “What you noticed proper there, that was him turned up. He was on tonight. He seemed good.
“That’s how he fights. He’s a particular athlete. I’m glad all his arduous work (paid off), as a result of he earned it.”
Bailes was one among 5 Woodrow wrestlers to put, and one among seven freshmen within the beginning lineup, giving hope that one other title drought received’t begin any time quickly.
“I believe we’ll be actually good the subsequent couple of years, as a result of we’ve received the entire freshmen,” Bailes mentioned. “I’ve an excellent associate within the mat room, (fellow freshman) Garrett Johnson. He’s only a actually good associate.”
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