By John Vrancic
for the Newberry News
The Newberry Indians brought four wrestlers and two reached the podium at the Escanaba Elks Invitational in Escanaba Saturday.
Gaijye Depew placed fourth in the 165-pound class and senior Howard Bliss earned his 100th career victory while taking fifth at 138.
Bliss reached the century mark by taking an 8-2 decision from Trentynn Shaha of Marinette, Wis.
He needed just 50 seconds to pin Menominee’s Kaitlyn Knernschield in his opener. Bliss then pinned Escanaba’s Corey Smithingell at 4:28 before dropping a 12-1 decision to Powers North Central junior Cooper Raab.
Bliss responded by pinning Tripp Neeld of Esky II in 2:28, then pinned Rogers City’s Vincent Mansfield at 3:38 prior to his meeting with Shaha.
“It’s a big one,” Bliss said. “I kept my nerves down and wrestled hard. This is my 14th year of wrestling. I started in pre-school. I know I could have done better. Today is pretty much on me. Although, I’m happy about reaching 100. I’m hoping this gives me some momentum.”
Grayling earned the team title with 185½ points.
The Vikings were followed by Gladstone 167½, Esky 144½, Kingsford 130½, Marinette 114, Marquette 105½, St. Ignace 102½, Negaunee 102, North Central 93½, Rudyard 83½, Bark River-Harris and Menominee 81, Gwinn 67½, Rudyard 53½, Manistique 38½, Newberry 34½, Munising 33, Rogers City 20½, Norway 19, and Esky II 16.
“We had some good performances,” Indians’ coach Howard Bliss said. “The kids got some matches in. We have little bit of youth. We’re trying to build a program, and our youth program is helping us. Bob [Coach Bowler] and I are also involved in the youth program.”
Depew, who got pinned by Gladstone’s Jack Taylor with just three seconds remaining in the third-place match, opened with a technical fall (16-0) over Esky’s Ethan Ingebrightsen.
He added a 10-0 victory over Gwinn’s Evan Armatti prior to getting pinned in 53 seconds by Kingsford’s Tyler Bray.
Newberry junior Delaney Bliss, who won the 115-pound division in a girls’ invitational at Gladwin Friday, was in Escanaba to help the boys’ team Saturday.
She opened by taking a 4-3 decision from Roscommon’s Khloey VanHammond, then defeated Mio-AuSable’s Alex Cannon 6-0 and won by technical fall over Reed City’s Moriah Terpstra for the title.
“This is my first time winning a division since my freshman year,” she said. “I wasn’t feeling very well, but I just focused on what was happening on the mats. This definitely helps me prepare for (Division 4) districts at Gaylord.
Next up for the Newberry girls are the Upper Peninsula Championships at Marquette Jan. 17.
“Delaney is pretty good about that,” her brother Howard said. “Even though Delaney wasn’t feeling well, she did a pretty good job.”
Coach Howard was also pleased with his daughter’s performance.
The Newberry boys are at Indian River Inland Lakes for a Straits Area Conference meet tonight at 5:30.
