The Lampe brothers — Justin and Dominic — were standouts again as St. Xavier High School’s wrestling team repeated its title in the Jefferson County Tournament of Champions on Saturday night at Fern Creek.
Justin Lampe, a senior, won the 152-pound weight class, and junior Dominic took top honors at 160 as coach James Kraeszig’s Tigers compiled 315.5 points to 214 for runner-up Fern Creek. Trinity edged Moore 209.5 to 197 for third.
Both St. X, the defending state champion, and Trinity won five weight classes, but what pleased Kraeszig the most was this:
“We placed all 14 wrestlers in the top six of their weight divisions, and that’s a first for us. We’re improving, but we still have a lot of improving to do. The Lampes are the last two of three brothers who have wrestled for St. X. John was a two-time state champion. He wrestles for (the University of) Chattanooga now.”
Moore produced two winners in Bobby Poynter at 120 and Mikey Smith at 182, and they were voted by coaches as co-winners of the Most Outstanding Wrestler Award.
Fern Creek won the 285-pound class with Kermit Gibbs, and Southern ruled at 195 with Jordon Graham. Fern Creek needed only for Gibbs to beat Sam Lawrence of Pleasure Ridge Park to finish second, but he gained additional points by pinning his foe in 4:49.
“I’ve had quite a few pins this year,” said Gibbs, who actually weighs 275.
Poynter, a junior, won this meet at 120 in 2013, too.
“I was more prepared this year,” he said. “This means I’m the best in Louisville.”
Smith was County champ at 160 last year, so he picked up a lot of weight to wrestle at 182 this time.
“I got (four inches) taller and I worked harder,” the 6-foot-2 junior said.
Justin Lampe slammed Fairdale’s Trey Norton to the mat at the start and won on a technical fall in 4:50 for his third straight County title. He also won the state championship last year at 145.
“For me it’s cooler that our whole team won,” Justin said.
The Lampes often practice against each other, and Justin admits “it helps a lot. He’s my best workout partner.”
Dominic Lampe, who was the County champ and state runner-up at 152 a year ago, pinned Moore’s Ruben Rojas in 2:41. He said he has pinned 20 opponents this season.
“Winning the County is not our goal,” he said. “Our main focus all year is State.”
St. X’s other winners were freshman Austin Cook at 106, A.J. Bindner at 113 and Max Korfhage at 132. Korfhage trailed Hudson Heidorf of Trinity 5-4 before scoring the winning points on an escape and a takedown.
“It feels pretty good to win, but I have to keep working,” Korfhage said. “I have higher goals.”
Trinity’s winners were Keegan Duncan (126), Ben Barton (138), Ian Kahl (145), Lucas Miozza (170) and Landon Corolla (220).
Corolla, a junior, had the fastest pin in the finals, finishing off Male’s Garrett Chandler in 35 seconds. It wasn’t his fastest ever, though.
“Oh, no,” he said. “I got one in eight or nine seconds this season.”
Full results in Scorecard, C6
