Parkersburg South 165-pounder Cole Middleton pins Jefferson's Joseph Watts during the West Virginia High School State Wrestling Championships Thursday in Huntington (Photo provided)

HUNTINGTON – Following the opening session of the 77th annual West Virginia state wrestling tournament here Thursday evening inside Mountain Health Arena, head coach Shaun Smith’s Patriots of Parkersburg South are where they want to be.

The defending Class AAA state champions won 12 of 13 matches, which featured nine pins, as the Patriots hold a 43-39 edge against top-ranked University. Woodrow Wilson (33), Washington (30) and Parkersburg (23.5) rounded out the top five.

Coach Smith watched Jordan Dearth (106), Cole Smith (113), Nathan Murphy (144), Gage Wright (175), Brycen Arthur (190) and 215-pounder Ayden Morris all secure wins by fall in the opening period. In fact, Wright had a 17-second pin and Morris needed just 29 seconds to secure his victory.

Patriot 126-pounder Aaydin King, Coleton Hill (138) and 165-pounder Cole Middleton also recorded mat slappers. Cade Staats had a major decision win at 120 for the Patriots, who also received wins by decision thanks to 157-pounder Makiya Powell and heavyweight Logan Middleton.

Parkersburg head man Matt Littleton’s Big Reds advanced eight and finished with six wins in the opening round.

Freshman Seth Drennen got the show going for the red and white with a 10-second win by fall at 106, while 126-pound teammate Stephen Myers needed just 16 ticks to secure a pin.

Along with Simon Inboden’s technical fall, the Big Reds also had a first period pin by Kayden McDonald (120) as well as second period pins from Lars Cooper at 132 and 150-pounder Jesse Showalter.

Ripley went 4-5 on the opening night as coach Matt Smith’s Jackson County squad had wins by fall from Garrett Brown (150), Ethan Kay (157), Cooper Durst (190) and 215-pounder Carter Neal.

In Class A, defending state champion Greenbrier West went just 4-6 and currently sits in third place with 12 points behind first-place Ravenswood (21) and Wheeling Central (15). Tyler Consolidated and last year’s state runner-up Cameron are tied for fourth with 11 points. Williamstown is sixth with 10 points.

John Heath’s Ravenswood program had a 6-2 effort to hold the lead in the small school division. Wyatt Milhoan opened his final state tournament with a 28-second pin at 215. Fellow Red Devils Linkin Andrick (126), Trenton Bush (165) and 175-pounder Lodan Hess also won by fall. RHS had a major decision at 150 by Jacob Bowling and a decision from 138-pounder Matthew Phelps.

Tyler Consolidated had two pins – one by Colsen Spragg at 126 and the other by Sean Winfrey at 190 – along with a major decision triumph by Gideon Winfrey at 138.

The Yellowjackets managed a 4-3 showing and had a pin by Kipp Freed against Roane County’s Bradley Mace at 157. Rex Anderson at 215, Thad Trent at 165 and Tyler Newlon at 144 also remained in the championship bracket for WHS.

Braxton County’s 18 points put the Eagles of head coach Sterling Beane in sixth place behind Point Pleasant (35), Oak Glen (29.5), Fairmont Senior (28), Herbert Hoover (19.5) and Independence (19).

The Eagles advanced 10 grapplers and went 5-5, which included 157-pounder Blayne Jarvis improving to 63-0 following a first period pin. Paxton Smith (138), Eliah Moore (190) and Connor Facemire (285) also won via fall, while 106-ponder Cody Stout won via decision.

Roane County also went .500 on Thursday with its six wrestlers. Lane Watson’s pin of Ravenswood’s Caden Hamel in 3:57, which improved the senior Raiders’ mark to 54-2, was one of three wins by fall. Tyson Pena (120) and Grayson Steele (175) also had pins.

Clay County’s Zane Minger still has a chance to become a four-time state placer after winning his opening match by decision. The only other win by the Panthers came from 113-pounder James Sears via a first period pin.

Also remaining in the championship bracket from the Mid-Ohio Valley are Doddridge County’s Trey McDonough (106), Calhoun County’s Wyatt Nichols (150), Wirt County 190-pounder Chase Lowe as well as Ritchie County teammates Tristen Ginanni (132) and Hunter McCune (215).

Action resumes at 11:30 a.m. today with the championship semifinals slated to get underway at 7:30 p.m.