QHS wrestlers take second in WB6 with three grapplers winning individual titles

STERLING, Ill. — The Quincy High School wrestling team had three individual champions and finished second in the team standings in the Western Big 6 Conference Tournament on Friday night at Homer B. Musgrove Fieldhouse.

Geneseo won the conference title with 240 team points, followed by Quincy with 190 and Moline with 108.5.

Quincy freshman Clayton McClelland at 113 pounds, sophomore Cooper Kamm at 138 and junior King Johnson at 285 claimed individual WB6 crowns.

McClelland (29-14) opened with a 7-5 decision over United Township sophomore Landon Hansen, then pinned Alleman freshman Tennyson Hampton in 3:42. McClelland trailed Hampton 6-0 before turning a reversal with 34 seconds remaining in the second period into a pinfall.

In the championship match, McClelland scored a takedown of Moline freshman David McDermott midway through the first period and stuck him in 1:23.

Kamm (28-15) pinned Alleman freshman Will Hampton in 47 seconds in the opening round and stuck United Township junior Xavier Marolf in 4:56 in the semifinals. Tied at 5 through two periods, Kamm chose to start the third period in the neutral position and turned a takedown 25 seconds into the period into the pin.

Against Geneseo senior Devan Hornback in the championship match, Kamm trailed 7-2 after Hornback escaped to start the second period. Kamm scored a takedown with 1:11 to go in the period, earned a four-point nearfall and finished the match with a pin in 3:34.

Johnson (29-14) used a pair of second-period takedowns to pin Moline junior Nehemiah Lenzen in 3:46 in the opener. In the semifinals, Johnson took the lead with a first-period takedown of Rock Island senior Emilio Guzman and held on for a 4-3 victory.

In the championship match against Geneseo senior Owen King, Johnson used a takedown with 15 seconds remaining in the third overtime to secure a 6-2 victory and the title.

Quincy junior Cale Mixer finished second at 144, earning a 9-8 decision over Galsburg’s Caleb Johnson in the semifinals before getting pinned by Rock Island senior Antonio Parker in 2:45 in the championship.

Blue Devils senior Eli Roberts finished second at 150, beating Galesburg senior Josiah Carter 9-4 in the semifinals before suffering a 10-2 loss to Geneseo junior Malaki Jackson in the title match.

Quincy junior Brody Baker finished second at 157 with a 4-2 decision over Geneseo junior Grady Hull in the semifinals. United Township senior Kaden Marolf beat Baker 9-2 in the finals.

Finishing third were freshman Griffin Finch (106), junior Wyatt Boeing (126), senior Gunnar Derhake (165) and sophomore Alex Wells (190).