NTL WRESTLING: VanDYKE SETS TONE FOR ATHENS IN 39-21 WIN OVER CANTON (24 PHOTOS) (January 6, 2026)

Valley Sports Report
ATHENS — Freshman Chace VanDyke set the tone early for Athens with a big come-from-behind win, and the Wildcats won five of the next six matches to top Canton, 39-21, here Tuesday night in NTL wrestling action.

VanDyke trailed Levi Vermilya 12-2 in the second period of their 107-pound bout, but scored an escape and a takedown in the final 30 seconds to close the gap to 12-6 heading into the final two minutes.

VanDyke scored three takedowns to tie the bout at 15-15, and added four near-fall points in the final takedown to pull out the win and give the Wildcats a 3-0 lead.

Freshman Josh Saxon nearly made it two big comeback wins in a row, erasing a 6-0 deficit in the third period, but Canton' Carson Castle scored a late escape to post a 7-6 win, evening the match at 3-3.

Junior Zaine Campbell gave the Wildcats the lead for good, at 9-3, with a 38-second fall at 127 pounds, and senior Connor Garrison received a forfeit at 133 pounds to make it 15-3.

Junior Lucas Persun scored three takedowns on his way to an 11-2 lead, then added three more takedowns in the second period for a 20-4 technical fall of Gavin Sharp in 3:38 to extend the lead to 20-3.

Sophomore Treyton Barrett scored a second-period takedown to take a 3-1 lead, and added two more third-period takedowns to win a 9-3 decision over Tommy Preston at 145 pounds to give Athens a 23-3 advantage.

Junior Wyatt Clink pushed the Wildcat lead to 29-3 with a pin of Grant Jennings in 2:13 at 152 pounds.

The Warriors closed the gap to 29-15 with a pin by Carson Rockwell at 160 pounds and an Athens forfeit at 172 pounds, but junior Brendan Cooke sealed the Wildcat victory with a 12-3 major decision at 189 pounds.

Canton's Leland Pepper won by fall at 215 pounds, and Athens senior Brenden Comstock received a forfeit at 285 pounds to close out the night's action.

Athens, now 3-1 — thanks in part to Williamson forfeiting its win earlier this season due to using an ineligible wrestler — returns to action Wednesday at Troy.

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IN PHOTO 1: Athens freshman Chace VanDyke. ... PHOTOS BY CHRISTINA KREYKENBOHM.

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ATHENS 39, CANTON 21
107: Chace VanDyke (A) dec. Levi Vermilya (C), 19-15;
114: Carson Castle (C) dec. Joshua Saxon (A), 7-6;
121: No Match;
127: Zaine Campbell (A) by fall over Henry Proseus (C), 0:36;
133: Connor Garrison (A) by forfeit;
139: Lucas Persun (A) tech. fall over Gavin Sharp (C), 20-4;
145: Treyton Barrett (A) dec. Tommy Preston (C), 9-3;
152: Wyatt Clink (A) by fall over Grant Jennings (C), 2:13;
160: Carson Rockwell (C) by fall over Ryan Howard (A), 2:18;
172: Trapper Burr (C) by forfeit;
189: Brendan Cooke (A) major dec. Blane Wesneski (C), 12-3;
215: Leland Pepper (C) by fall over Landon Layman (A), 1:36;
285: Brenden Comstock (A) by forfeit.

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