Photo by Kim North Barnesville’s Layden Loring, left battles with Union Local’s Mason Kocher at 132 pounds Thursday night during the OVAC Bill Hinegardner Class 3A Dual Meet Championships inside the John Marshall Field House in Moundsville. Loring won by technical fall to jump-start the Shamrocks to their fourth consecutive title.

MOUNDSVILLE — The names on the bout sheets may change but the results are mostly the same.

For the fourth consecutive season, Barnesville has flexed its muscles at the OVAC Bill Hinegardner Class 3A Dual Meet Championships. The top-seeded Shamrocks used its overall experience in gaining a 57-24 decision over No. 2 Union Local in a battle of talented western Belmont County squads. The Green Machine rolled by No. 4 Martins Ferry, 62-12, in the semifinals.

“We knew we could get a couple of wins here and there but that they were going to get a couple, too,” Barnesville head coach Jayson Stephen said. “There were a couple in between that we thought we should get, and we did. We didn’t wrestle outstanding, but it was good to get that out of the way now.”

The Jets flew past short-handed No. 3 Wheeling Central, 60-17, in their semifinal match. However, they made a couple of mistakes during the middleweight bouts that, according to head coach Nate Starkey, cost them.

“Stupid errors. There were a couple of matches there where we gave our arms up in certain situations that led to us getting pinned,” Starkey explained. “You can’t give up pins in duals and expect to win. There were swing matches in there that went their way. It was a close match and we were giving up pins. You just can’t do that.”

The bout was deadlocked at 12 after Barnesville’s Easton Stephen (106) pinned his opponent and Conner Wilson (113) was awarded a forfeit. Union Local countered with pins by OVAC Ron Mauck Tournament champion Gamble Gossett (120) and Gavin Bolock (126).

However, Barnesville would prevail in the next three matches and five of six to pull away.

Layden Loring (132) ignited the win streak with a technical fall and Colt Carpenter (138) and Brayden Trigg (144) both recorded pins as the lead ballooned to 29-12. After Gunnar Gossett (150) got a pin, Jonathan Foster (157) and OVAC Ron Mauck titlist Ayden King (165) bumped the count to 41-18 with falls of their own.

Union Local’s Brody Perzanowski (175) recorded the final Union Local points with a pin.

Christien Hannahs (190) and Austin Armstrong (190) added pins before Blake Kirk (285) was awarded a forfeit.

Stephen said he hopes the momentum of winning the OVAC can be a carryover into Saturday’s OHSWCA Division III District Team Tournament, which the Shamrocks will host. Barnesville, the top seed, will meet No. 4 Martins Ferry once again, with No. 2 Union Local facing No. 3 Mechanicsburg. Semifinals begin at 1 p.m. The winner advances to regional action.

“You never know in wrestling. We’ll have some tough matches Saturday, but I expect my kids to battle like they always do.”

Martins Ferry defeated Wheeling Central, 48-23, for third place.

In the Maroon Knights two setbacks, Isaac Martin became the program’s all-time winningest wrestler with two victories. He now has 133 career wins, surpassing Zach Basich who graduated in 2008.