SUTTON – For the first time since 2006, the Williamstown High School wrestling program brought the Little Kanawha Conference championship back to Wood County.

On Saturday at Braxton County, the Yellowjackets ended the Eagles’ run of seven consecutive conference titles for head coach Sterling Beane.

Yellowjacket 126-pounder Cole Smith, who was the No. 2 seed, pinned top-seeded Eagle Sailor McKinney for their lone LKC individual crown.

WHS, which didn’t have head coach Tyler George on hand due to illness, turned to younger brother and assistant coach Dalton George as the ‘Jackets registered a 186.5-160.5 triumph versus Braxton County with Ravenswood (119), St. Marys (106) and Wahama (96.5) rounding out the top five.

“It was a fun day of wrestling. A good hard day of wrestling. We hadn’t won that conference in 19 years. We were just happy to go over and have a successful day,” admitted Dalton George, who won the 2014 Robert Dutton Award while at WHS for being the top grappler in the Mountain State.

“They had wrestled twice before. We won one and they won one. That was a great match for Cole avenging a loss that we necessarily didn’t think was the exact results that should be, but he got a first period pin and I think at that point in time it locked our team title up.”

Williamstown had four other championship finalists, which included 190-pounder Thad Trent, who lost via injury default to Wahama’s Seth Ohlinger.

Aiden Meeks at 113 suffered a tough 13-11 setback to Doddridge County’s Trey McDonough (46-1). Wesley Freed lost via a 14-9 decision to Eagle Luke Kelly in the 132-pound finals while Kipp Freed was pinned in the 157-pound title match by Tyler Consolidated’s Branson Winfrey.

“We’re just looking at the big picture and Trent is going to be fine,” added Dalton George. “It was just a business decision there to stay healthy for the ultimate goal we are chasing.

“I think if I had to sum up the day you punch 11 in the finals and only come out with one champion it speaks volumes to what this team is and they are just great at battling adversity and fighting deep through those consolation rounds. That’s what team is all about.”

The ‘Jackets were also aided to the team crown by consolation finals wins from Tyler Newlon (144), Evan Turner (175) and Christian Lockhart (215) as well as fourth-place showings by Nick Ellison (106), Holden McComas (150) and heavyweight Myles Flanagan. Although the WHS trio of Colbin Smith (120), Noah Powell (138) and Hunter Haddox (165) were unable to find a spot on the podium, they scored crucial team points toward the victory.

“We’re excited,” Dalton George added of the ‘Jackets heading Friday for the two-day regional in Jackson County. “The main thing about us is we haven’t been healthy all year long and we’re just excited to have that opportunity to stick everyone healthy in the lineup this Friday and really show everyone what we’ve been talking about.”

History was made at Gilmer County when 106-pound freshman Dallas Goodrich improved to 31-2 after pinning Wirt County’s Mathew Balis for the 106-pound title. It was the first time a Titan ever stood atop an LKC podium.

Aside from Kelly, coach Beane’s Eagles also received LKC titles thanks to 150-pounder Paxton Smith, who pinned Tyler Consolidated’s Gideon Winfrey en route to being named Most Outstanding Wrestler, as well as 175-pounder Eliah Moore, who won by fall versus Ravenswood’s Chayse Sook.

The third-place Red Devils’ lone champ came at 165 thanks to Trenton Bush’s 20-4 technical fall versus South Harrison’s Zane Harlow.

St. Marys crowned a pair of champions thanks to 120-pounder Kyle Bullman’s pin of South Harrison’s Maddox Lewis and heavyweight Alex Baltazar’s mat slapper of Braxton County’s Shawn Toler.

Joining Ohlinger atop the podium was White Falcon 215-pounder Jake Roberts, who pinned Titan Austin Putnam.

The other two LKC titles went to Doddridge County 138-pounder Tristan Swiger, who earned a 3-1 decision versus Tyler Consolidated’s Colsen Spragg, and Clay County 144-pounder Blake Coleman, who pinned Silver Knight Kellan Dalrymple.

Consolation finals winners also included St. Marys’ Gage Bullman (106), Braxton County teammates Connor Tallamy (113) and Nate Thayer (120), Ritchie County teammates Cash Mossor (126) and James Sonju (190), Wirt County’s Grant Boyce (132), Calhoun County’s Tucker Sampson (138), Ravenswood’s Matt Phelps (150), Bulldog Noah Wekseth (157), White Falcon Keller Lapeer (165) and Buffalo heavyweight Davy Sayne.