KYLE GRANTHAM / Courier & Press Memorial wrestler Logan Wedding, top, tries to turn Pike Central's Cody Kendle during the final 119-pound match at the Reitz Memorial High School Invitational wrestling tournament Saturday in Evansville. Wedding won the match by a 10-5 decision.Logan Wedding's 119-pound final with Pike Central senior Cody Kendle wasn't going to mean much in the team chase at the Memorial Wrestling Invitational on Saturday afternoon.
With 10 wrestlers in the finals, Wedding's Tigers were a lock to hold off Louisville (Ky.) Saint Xavier for the title.
But it mattered greatly to Wedding, a sophomore, because the undefeated Kendle was a measuring stick on many fronts.
Memorial wrestler Logan Wedding flips Pike Central's Cody Kendle onto his back during the final 119-pound match at the Reitz Memorial High School Invitational wrestling tournament Saturday in Evansville. Wedding won the match by a 10-5 decision.Kendle had finished seventh in the state as a junior and had beaten Wedding last year in the Memorial Invitational finals at 112.
"It was 20-11," said Wedding without a second's hesitation when asked the score. "He was up 6-4 going into the third period and I started trying to throw him. I let him get into my head and I didn't wrestle my match. I couldn't let that happen again."
After a scoreless first period, Wedding started the second period with an escape and a 1-0 lead. Then he got in on a leg for a takedown and a 3-0 lead.
"I hit a low (John) Smith single," said Wedding. "After that I knew I just had to stay in good position when we were on the mat because he's real physical and stay low (when they were on their feet) because he's a good thrower."
Kendle got two reversals to keep the match close, but Wedding tipped him early in the third period and went on to earn a 10-5 decision.
"Once you get two or three points behind a talented and experienced wrestler you're in trouble," said Pike Central coach Billy Hewig, the former Reitz standout. "All props to Wedding. He looked good out there.
"But we're OK. Cody tends to start slow and then gets better as the season progresses. He's needs to pick up on a few things he missed, work harder and come back stronger. Chances are, we'll see (Wedding) again."
Wedding became one of eight champions for Memorial, which also won with Hunter Arney at 103, Ben Johnson at 125, Matthew Bevers at 135, Roy Whetstine at 145, Matthew Prasek at 152, Ryan Sandwith at 189 and Ryan Guerrettaz at 215.
The only other local winner was Harrison sophomore Mathew Mastison, who won by pin at 112.
"We were pretty happy overall," said Memorial coach Larry Mattingly. "We don't see a lot of these teams anywhere else so you really don't know what to expect.
"But we knew we needed to wrestle better than we did Wednesday when Mater Dei came in here and handed it to us pretty good (in a 52-10 loss). But coach (Matt) Coughlin ran some pretty good practices Thursday and Friday to show us what we needed to work on and it helped today."
Wedding credited the coaches, too.
"They gave us some goals coming in like scoring more than 275 points (Memorial finished with 288.5 compared to 215.5 for St. X) and recording 25 pins as a team," said Wedding. "We were able to do those things because they kept us focused between rounds and everybody responded."
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