Three individual champions nearly guide QHS wrestling squad to regional crown, 11 grapplers advance to sectionals

February 5, 2023 | By Muddy River Sports

Quincy High School's Gavin Schumacher pins Collinsville's Devin Habermehl in the first period to win the Class 3A regional championship at 220 pounds Saturday in Alton, Ill. | Photo courtesy Matt Kamp, Edwardsville Intelligencer

ALTON, Ill. — The Quincy High School wrestling team is going to need more than a van for its travel purposes next weekend.

A bus should suffice.

The Blue Devils are sending 11 wrestlers to the Class 3A Normal Community Sectional after a stellar showing Saturday at the Alton Regional. Quincy crowned three individual regional champions and finished second as a team, narrowly missing the chance to qualify for the dual team sectional.

Quincy tallied 178 team points, just shy of Edwardsville’s 197 championship total.

Owen Uppinghouse, the QHS junior wrestling at 160 pounds, stayed undefeated with a pair of victories. After pinning Alton’s Manny Morrissette in 25 seconds in the semifinals, Uppinghouse earned a 5-2 decision over Belleville West’s Zach Lusk in the finals. Uppinghouse is now 38-0.

At 182 pounds, Quincy junior Bryor Newbold was as dominant as any regional champion. He scored a 14-6 major decision over Belleville West’s Brody O’Donnell in the semifinals and pinned Edwardsville’s Landin Schickendanz in 1:14 in the championship match. Newbold is 36-4 overall.

At 220 pounds, Quincy senior Gavin Schumacher pinned Edwardsville’s Dom Dykstra in 2:38 in the semifinals and stuck Collinsville’s Devin Habermehl in 1:19 to win the regional title. Schumacher carries a 23-14 record to sectionals.

QHS freshman Todd Smith, wrestling at 285 pounds, reached the finals by pinning Granite City’s DeMarco Clark in 5:24 and outlasting Edwardsville’s Dawsonm Rull 4-2 in overtime. In the finals, Belleville East’s Jonathan Rulo pinned Smith in 5:16. Smith owns a 35-11 record.

Seven Quincy wrestlers finished third in their respective weight classes — Hugh Sharrow (106), Wyatt Boeing (113), Dom Deming (120), Eli Roberts (132), Brody Baker (138), Gunner Derhake (152) and Max Miller (170).