WALHALLA — Rick Somerville claimed that a preview of the Upper State individual championship played out here in the third round of the state duals.

Except at 103 pounds and 112, the Walhalla coach didn’t watch the wins fall his way.

After only three matches were won by pin, and three others were decided by two points or less, it was the lightest of lightweights that went Woodruff’s way Monday night in the Upper State duals semifinals. The Wolverines prevailed 29-27 in a match that was tied after 11 weight classes, and played out almost exactly how both coaches envisioned.

Woodruff advances to meet Broome for the Upper State championship. The teams have met three times, and every match has been decided by one point. The Wolverines won two of them.

“We’re used to winning there,” Somerville said of his 103 and 112 wrestlers, sophomore Andrew Rankin and senior Ethan LeCroy. “That was a huge match. It could just as easily go our way next time. Those kids are so well matched that if you make a mistake, my kids would have done the same thing to them, my kids would have capitalized on it.”

In one of the closest matches of the evening, Woodruff sophomore 103 Akierrian Gilliam scored a takedown of Rankin with 4.9 seconds remaining in the third period. That handed Gilliam a 9-8 victory after he trailed 6-2 through two periods.

Woodruff coach Daniel Westmoreland said he told his team that it had to win one of the matches at 103, 112, or 119. The two wins by Gilliam and sophomore 112 Jeremy Phillips helped the Wolverines take a 22-19 lead, its first lead in nine matches.

The 112 match was a meeting of the No. 2-ranked Phillips, and No. 3 LeCroy. Phillips’ pin came with 52.5 seconds left in the third period.

“When good teams wrestle, there are not a lot of pins,” Westmoreland said. “We knew it was going to be down to the wire.”

It was a sudden end to Walhalla’s season after the Hogs won Region 1-AA for the second straight season, this time without a loss. They’ve been ranked as high as No. 2 in the state, and junior 215 Austin Hedden extended his school-record pin streak to 36 against Woodruff.

“They’re going to take away the good, and they’re going to remember the bad,” Somerville said. “But they’re going to learn that that’s life. I hate losing, but if we’re going to lose, lose that way, when there’s nothing left.”

Keith Farner can be reached at (864) 260-1236 or by e-mail at farnerkb@IndependentMail.com

Wrestling

Woodruff 29, Walhalla 27

103 —Akierrian Gilliam (Wo) 9-8 over Andrew Rankin (Wa); 112 — Jeremy Phillips (Wo) pinned Ethan LeCroy (Wa); 119 —David McCoy (Wa) 9-3 over Brett Forman (Wo); 125 — Richie Flynn (Wo) 4-3 over Chris Brown (Wa); 130 — Chris Forman (Wo) 11-2 over Dalton Nichols (Wa.); 135 — Andrew Vaughn (Wa.) 19-4 over Zach Lowery (Wo); 140 — Justin Christopher (Wo) 10-2 over Jared Holcombe (Wa.); 145 — Andy Burrell (Wa.) pinned Jonathan Finley (Wo); 152 — Joey Harper (Wa) 12-5 over Matthew Orias (Wo); 160 — David Ingle (Wo) 4-0 over Adam Lawrence (Wa); 171 — Clayton Chapman (Wa) 18-5 over Clint Smith (Wo); 189 — Josh Lamb (Wo) 9-7 over Justin Nathan (Wa); 215 — Austin Hedden (Wa) pinned Jacob Grandy (Wo); Hvt — Josh Smith (Wo) 6-3 over Easton Smith (Wa).

Records: Woodruff (18-2); Walhalla (26-7)