Shannon Eldreth/Portage Sports

By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

For the second consecutive year, Garfield’s Keegan Sell is a state champion.

Shannon Eldreth/Portage Sports

Sell concluded his remarkable season, which he posted an overall record of 54-1, with an 11-6 decision over Liberty Center’s Xander Myers on Sunday in a Division III, 190-pound state final.

The win came in thrilling fashion, too.

Sell was in the bottom position with just 11 seconds remaining in the third period and the score was deadlocked at 6-6 after Myers had just earned two points on a takedown.

On the restart, Sell pulled a lightning-quick move to earn the one point on the escape, he then combined it with a takedown and near fall for an unbelievable five points in the match’s final 11 seconds.

Myers (43-4) was a returning state champion, as well, and had pinned his way into the state final in times of 1:46, 1:41 and 3:53.

In the final, Sell jumped out to a 2-0 lead on a toe-pick takedown before the first of two blood stoppages for Sell.

Myers made it 2-1 on an escape with about 30 seconds left in the first period.

Sell chose the bottom position to start the second period, then earned two points on a reversal takedown for a 4-1 lead before the second stoppage for bleeding for Sell, who then had a wrap placed around his head.

Myers had another escape to make it 4-2 with 45 seconds left in the second period, which ended with Myers clutching a strong headlock on Sell that ended when the period closed.

Shannon Eldreth/Portage Sports

To start the third period, Myers earned another escape point to close his deficit to 4-3.

Sell answered with a takedown to lift the score back up to 6-3, then Myers had a kick escape that made the score 6-4.

Myers battled to score the late takedown that tied the score at 6-6 before the late-round heroics by Sell won him the state championship.

The win was a repeat state title at 190 pounds after he defeated Archbold’s Wyat Ripke last season by a 6-4 decision.

For the G-Men, Sunday’s victory for Sell was also the program’s third state championship in the last two seasons. In addition to Sell’s back-to-back efforts, Hunter Andel won the 165-pound title last year.