CHILLICOTHE - In a clash between perennial rivals, Unity soared to a commanding victory over St. Joseph-Ogden in a dual meet that showcased the prowess of Unity's senior wrestlers. The match, held on Saturday, January 18, 2025, underscored Unity's dominance as they clinched a decisive 49-17 win over their opponents on the way to the Illini Prairie Conference title.
Unity, boasting a lineup featuring four seasoned seniors who were all state finalists last season, delivered a masterclass performance from start to finish. Leading the charge was
Hunter Eastin, the defending state champion who stepped up in weight to 215 pounds for this encounter. Eastin's technical proficiency was in play as he pinned his opponent from SJO, Nathan Phillips, in 2 minutes and 10 seconds, contributing crucial points to Unity's overall score.
Unity's Hunter Eastin is declared winner after his 5-2 win over St. Thomas More's Brody Cuppernell in the 190 pound title match at the 2024 IHSA Individual Wrestling State Finals. See more photos from his state victory
here. Eastin made short work of St. Joseph-Ogden's Nathan Phillips in their 215 pound match at the Illini Prairie Conference Meet.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
Joining Eastin in Unity's formidable senior quartet were
Kaden Inman,
Holden Brazelton, and Ryan Rink
, each bringing their own stellar track records to the mat. Inman, a senior standout who narrowly missed the state title last year, left no room for doubt in his match at 144 pounds, securing a dominant technical fall victory over SJO's Landen Butts with a commanding score of 19-4. Brazelton, who recently transferred to Unity from St. Joseph-Ogden, won his 150-pound match with a convincing tech fall, earning 17 unanswered points against his opponent, Thomas Ware.
Ryan Rink, another integral part of Unity's senior cadre, demonstrated his resilience and skill at 175 pounds, overpowering his counterpart from SJO with an 18-3 tech fall victory. These performances highlighted Unity's depth and experience, underscoring their status as a force to be reckoned with in the conference and beyond.
The dual meet began with early momentum swings, as SJO claimed forfeit victories at 106 and 113 pounds, courtesy of Ben Wells and Jackson Walsh, respectively. However, Unity quickly turned the tide with a series of strategic victories, starting with Zayden Mansfield's hard-fought decision over Camden Getty at 120 pounds, setting the stage for Unity's dominant run.
St. Joseph-Ogden's only bright spot was once again at heavyweight. Sophomore
Cameron Wagner stuck Unity's Jaden Dene at 5:45 to give the Spartans their only contested win against the Rockets.
Throughout the match, Unity's conditioning and mental toughness, exemplified by Bryce Martin's controlled decision over
Eli Birt at 126 pounds and Taylor Finley's decisive pin at 138 pounds. Keegan Germano and Abram Davidson continued Unity's winning ways with pins at 157 and 165 pounds, respectively, solidifying their team's dominant victory.
As the final whistle blew, Unity celebrated a resounding 49-17 triumph over St. Joseph-Ogden. With the postseason around the corner, Unity looks locked and loaded for another trip to Bloomington for the state team dual championships.
With state-ranked seniors Inman, Brazelton, Rink, and Eastin leading the Rockets, the program is poised take this year's Class 1A team title.
Box Score
106 - WELLS, BEN (SJO) over Forfeit, (Unity), FORFEIT;
113 - WALSH, JACKSON (SJO) over Forfeit, (Unity), FORFEIT;
120 - Mansfield, Zayden (Unity) over GETTY, CAMDEN (SJO), Decision 14-8;
126 - Martin, Bryce (Unity) over BIRT, ELI (SJO), Decision 11-4;
132 - Forfeit, (Unity) over Forfeit, (SJO), Double Forfeit;
138 - Finley, Taylor (Unity) over HUNDLEY, AIDEN (SJO), Fall 4:28;
144 - Inman, Kaden (Unity) over BUTTS, LANDEN (SJO), Tech Fall 19-4;
150 - Brazelton, Holden (Unity) over WARE, THOMAS (SJO), Tech Fall 17-0;
157 - Germano, Keegan (Unity) over DALY, NATHAN (SJO), Fall 3:55;
165 - Davidson, Abram (Unity) over MOORE, JONATHON (SJO), Fall 3:58;
175 - Rink, Ryan (Unity) over SWISHER, DEVAN (SJO), Tech Fall 18-3;
190 - Winfrey, Desmond (Unity) over Carter, Liam (SJO), Maj Dec 16-2;
215 - Eastin, Hunter (Unity) over PHILLIPS, NATHAN (SJO), Fall 2:10;
285 - WAGNER, CAM (SJO) over Dene, Jaden (Unity), Fall 5:45.
Freshman Ben Wells rebounded from his quarterfinal loss on Friday, winning his next two matches at the Clinton sectional on Saturday. Facing Olympia's Brandon Gaither (40-9) in the 106-pound consolation semifinal, he struggled and fell 17-1 in the second period, concluding his first season with a 38-13 record. Gaither went on to finish third in the division.
Sophomore Cam Wagner also experienced a tough loss in his consolation semifinal to Peoria Notre Dame's Brady Mullen, who defeated him in just 42 seconds. Wagner, in his debut varsity wrestling season, achieved 37 wins against 15 losses.
Senior Jackson Walsh, finishing his final season with over 40 wins, lost his consolation semifinal to PORTA's Kainin Fillbright, who finished fourth in the 113-pound division. Walsh's prep career ended via pin just 57 seconds into the match.
The fourth SJO wrestler at sectionals, senior Landen Butts, faced a challenging draw and concluded the tournament with a 0-2 record. He wraps up the season with a 35-15 record.
Below is the summary of how all four wrestlers performed at the Clinton sectional tournament:
