Going into the final match of the Lakeland Conference Wrestling Tournament, Brandywine coach Rex Pomranka throught Kenny Laurita needed a pin or at least a technical fall for the Bobcats to win the league title outright.

Laurita was only able to manage an 8-6 decision against Buchanan’s Dylan Williamson.

But when the team scores were announced, the Bobcats, who were the regular season champions with a 3-0 record, had won the outright championship.

The team scores read Brandywine 210 and Buchanan 205.5.

It was their first conference championship since 2004.

“When they made the announcement I thought, wait a minute, I thought we tied,” Pomranka said. “The kids came through and we just wrestled hard. We go for the pins. We have been doing it all year long. It kept us ahead in the individual tournaments and it kept us ahead tonight.”

It could have been much easier for Brandywine had it been able to compete with its regular starting line-up.

The Bobcats were without Chanc Ravish, serving a one-match suspension due to a violation Saturday at the Greater Berrien County Meet and Matt Fralick, who has missed the last two days of practice.

Brandywine had six individual champions and five runner-ups. Buchanan finished with seven champions, including Gage Hutchison, who picked up his 201st career victory and is now just 17 wins shy of the area record.

Winning individual titles for the Bobcats were Jesse Lochmondy (103), Jeff Cornell (125), Brandon Earles (130), Paul Lochmondy (135), Laurita (140) Joe Monica (189).

Cassopolis finished third. The Rangers’ lone champion was Khalil Brown at 119 pounds.

Bridgman-New Buffalo was fourth.

 

Lakeland Conference Wrestling

Team scores

Brandywine 210, Buchanan 205.5, Cassopolis 139, Bridgman-New Buffalo 56

 

Regular season standings

Brandywine 3-0, Buchanan 2-1, Cassopolis 1-2, Bridgman-New Buffalo 0-3

 

Finals standings

1. Brandywine, 2. Buchanan, 3. Cassopolis, 4. Bridgman-New Buffalo

 

Championship finals

103: Jesse Lochmondy (BW) p. Collin Kelly (CA); 112: Matt Strowzwski (BU) d. Chance Eberly (BW), 11-7; Khalil Brown (CA) d. Victor Moranchel (BW), 3-0; 125: Jeff Cornell (BW) p. Jarrett Thomas (BU); 130 Brandon Earles (BW) p. Hakeem King (BU); 135: Paul Lochmondy (BW) p. Colin Wheetley (BU); 140: Kenny Laurita (BW) d. Dylan Williamson, 8-6; 145: Jeff Mucha (BU) p. David Supasuth (CA); 152: Patrick Wheetley (BU) p. Kelvin Curtis (CA); 160 Alex Brown (BU) p. Vincent Sallee; 171: Jermaine Cox (BU) d. Kevin Fletcher (BW), 11-9; 189: Joe Monica (BW) d. Tymari Brown (CA), 7-6; 215: Jim DeVliminck (BU) p. Charlie Rodriguez (BW); 289: Gage Hutchison (BU) p. Cory Katterheinrich