Freshman Bahrs joins brother as state champ, extends Newman’s streak

CHAMPAIGN – Haven't we seen this before?

A muscle-bound Newman middleweight, flexing before an enthusiastic crowd, fresh off a state-championship performance?

In 2008, it was Comets senior Tony Bahrs capturing a Class A state wrestling championship at 160 pounds. This time around, his younger brother, Brian, did the trick – as a freshman.

Brian Bahrs capped a memorable run through Class 1A's 152-pound weight class Saturday with a 1-0 championship victory over Prairie Central junior Andy Hoselton at Assembly Hall.

"This is just so unbelievable," Bahrs said.

Bahrs displayed his potential as the postseason progressed. At the Newman Regional, he defeated Amboy's Daniel Bontz, who had been ranked No. 3 in the state by Illinois Matmen.

At the Byron Sectional, he defeated Stillman Valley's Zach Patterson, who had been ranked No. 1. Patterson, who beat Bahrs 10-1 in a regular-season meet, didn't make it to state after losing the third-place match at Byron.

In Friday's quarterfinals, Bahrs outlasted PORTA senior Zach Langloss, 152's new No. 1, in an ultimate tiebreaker, wrestling's equivalent of triple overtime.

"After I lost to Patterson earlier in the year 10-1," Bahrs said, "it really made me step up and want to make things different because I knew I was a better wrestler than that."

In the championship match, Bahrs' initial strategy was to try to rack up points with takedowns against Hoselton (37-2). After a scoreless first period, the strategy changed.

Bahrs (32-4) began the second period with a quick escape, and carried the 1-0 lead into the third period. Hoselton started the period in the down position, but was unable to get away from Bahrs for a bout-tying escape.

Bahrs used a move called the Turk, in which he wedges one of his legs between both of his opponents', to prevent an escape.

"It's been my move since I was little," Bahrs said. "It helps me and it keeps me from getting stalled too."

"He didn't get the points," Newman coach Steve Davis said, "but he wasted a lot of time. That ended up being the difference."

Hoselton, whose only previous defeat was against Class 2A 152-pound finalist Joey Moorhouse of Marengo, was impressed with Bahrs.

"He's probably the strongest kid I've wrestled all year," Hoselton said, "and I think he used his strength to his advantage to hold me down. If you want to be a state champion, you've got to get off the bottom, and I couldn't do it. He deserves it."

Newman now has 29 individual state wrestling champions. The Comets have had a finalist 11 straight seasons and a champ for seven consecutive years.

"It made me want to win it even more," Bahrs said, "because I didn't want to make that tradition stop."

Bahrs’ path

First round: 7-4 decision vs. Wilmington soph. Jayson Conlin (23-10)

Quarterfinals: 5-4 ultimate tiebreaker decision vs. PORTA sr. Zach Langloss (36-3)

Semifinals: 4-3 decision vs. Dwight sr. Austin Holland (27-5)

Championship: 1-0 decision vs. Prairie Central jr. Andy Hoselton (37-1)

Final record: 32-4