THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Skiatook High School Athletics

SHAWNEE — With an aggressive finish, Lawton MacArthur claimed its third Class 5A dual state championship Saturday at Shawnee’s Firelake Arena. The top-ranked Highlanders won six of the last seven bouts to defeat Skiatook 32-18 and become back-to-back champs. Skiatook marked its best dual season in recent memory, and set the table for what could be fruitful regional and state tournaments. Saturday marked the Bulldogs’ return to the finals for the first time since 1999, before anyone on this team was born. Three years ago, the program ran on a slim roster, taking only seven wrestlers to regionals. There was no guarantee of a speedy recovery. This season, with eight freshmen in the lineup, the Bulldogs locked up the No. 2 dual ranking in 5A and went undefeated at the Cleveland and Jenks tournaments, as well as their own tournament. “Getting here’s one thing,” 126-pounder Brodie McNutt said, “but winning matches? We got here last year, but winning these last two matches is just so much better than last year.” A handful of Bulldogs went unbeaten over the weekend, including freshman Josh Taylor, who won with a pin at 126 pounds and a pin and decision at 120. Cougar Anderson also won both of his matches, including a pin in 3:36 against E.J. Kona in the 138-pound final and a technical fall that helped put Skiatook past Altus 42-20 in the semifinals. Lawton MacArthur advanced to the final by defeating Piedmont 38-29 in the semis. The Highlanders built a 38-11 lead and elected to forfeit the three remaining weights, saving time and energy for the finals. In the other semifinal, Skiatook got through Altus 42-30. In the finals, MacArthur’s Hunter Jump had maybe the most dominant win, a 23-8 technical fall completed in the third period. Skiatook led 15-14 until Jump’s victory and trailed the rest of the way. Second-year wrestler Dylan Carnagey gave MacArthur’s defending heavyweight champion, Montana Phillips, a challenge. Phillips managed to win 3-2 but needed all of the six allotted minutes to seal the win.

THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Skiatook High School Athletics

LAWTON MACARTHUR TOPS SKIATOOK IN DUAL STATE FINALS

CHRISTIAN FAVALORA

Tulsa World | 2/10/2018

PHOTO CREDIT: Christian Favalora