“Alumni ask if we are going to beat Fairmont, the seniors talk about it,” Miller said. “It’s our senior year, so we had to win.
“To be the one to clinch it for the team means a lot.”
Miller, in his first match back after injury, recorded an escape in the final 20 seconds for a 3-2 win over Ben Smith at 170 to lock up a 42-22 victory for the Elks, who have won nine of the 10 meetings and six in a row.
“It feels amazing,” Miller said. “It is what we work for all year. It is one of the biggest goals. I want to win GWOC, qualify for state and beat Fairmont. It is huge to be able to hold the trophy on my way out.”
The night started with a pin by Alexander Taylor in 1:25 at 106 as Centerville opened with four pins and a forfeit for a 30-6 lead.
“We were able to get a big lead before we got to the meat of their lineup,” Centerville coach Alan Bair said. “Bonus points were big.
“Cradles are great equalizers and it helped us because we had three or four matches that we were able to get six points for instead of three or four. And we were able to hold them to just wins.”
Centerville won five of the first seven matches, including pins by seniors Tommy Fulton (132) and Josh Kirby (138).
“The match was decided through 145,” Fairmont coach Frank Baxter said. “There were some tough battles, but their seniors at 132 and 138, I have to give them props. They came out and out-wrestled us the first six or seven matches and that determined the outcome.”
Fairmont got back-to-back pins from Elijah Woodroof at 182 and Mark Kimbrell at 195 to cut the deficit to 36-22, but the Elks got a 7-5 win from Jacob Charette on a reversal in the final 30 seconds and a 4-3 win at 285 from Michael Markham on a reversal late in the match.
The difference, to Miller, was all guts.
“This is what we train for,” Miller said. “We battle in the room so we can come out and win and our coaches do a great job making sure we are physically ready. I think I just wanted it more than my opponent.”
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