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BOUNTIFUL – The Viewmont Vikings may not have won the wrestling tournament they hosted last weekend, but their grapplers did finish in seventh place after a strong showing from a few of the team’s strongest athletes.

Also at the Viewmont Invitational wrestling tournament were Davis and Bountiful, which finished 10th and 14th. The two-day affair saw some great wrestling action from start to finish.

Five Vikings grapplers finished in the top six during the tournament, including a pair in the 120-pound weight class. In that class, Devin Porschatis and Tanner Luke finished 2-3 during the championship matches on Saturday. Porschatis lost to Layton’s Andrew Astle via pin at the 2:54 mark of the match.

Luke, who lost in the semifinals to Astle, went on to win a 7-3 decision in the third place match over Delta’s Bracken Lovell.

Taylor Porath’s fourth-place finish in the 106-pound class came after a loss to Murray’s Cody Lightfoot in the third-place match. Porath reached the final round before getting pinned at the 4:34 mark.

Other top-six finishers were David Kim (third at 126 pounds) and Jake Bednar (sixth at 220 pounds).

Bountiful’s team finish in the top 15 was highlighted by Justin Horsley’s first-place finish at 132 pounds and Joey Barnett’s second-place finish at 138 pounds. 

Horsley, who is 11-1 this season, finished the tournament by winning a 5-3 decision.

Barnett wrestled his way into the championship match as well. He beat Salem Hills’ Walker Van Tassell to get to the final match, and then lost to Rayden Lindley of Mountain Crest 5-3.

The duo were the only grapplers to finish in the top six for the Braves.

Davis’ 10th place finish was led by one grappler who finished with an individual title and two other wrestlers who finished in the top six.

Kade Evans, at 106 pounds, ended up winning a wild 13-12 match in order to win an individual title for the Darts. Elijah McKay (113 pounds) placed sixth and Jacob Naylor (138 pounds) placed third.

McKay’s fifth-place match ended with a pin at the 2:08 mark when the freshman lost to Evanston’s Korbin Wagstaff. Naylor, who lost to Delta’s Jared Ewart in the quarterfinals, redeemed himself by beating Ewart 6-1 in the third place match.

Overall, the Layton Lancers won the tournament with a total team score of 225.5, 11.5 points better than Mountain Crest.

The Lancers had nine grapplers finish in the top six overall, including a pair of individual champions.

Northridge finished in 13th place, 2.5 points better than Bountiful.

A main attraction for Viewmont and Davis wrestling fans will come Thursday night at Viewmont High School when the Darts and Vikings face off at 7 p.m.

The Braves will wrestle against Westlake Thursday night at Westlake High School.

Woods Cross will not wrestle until after the moratorium, and will take part in the Bruin Classic at Mountain View High School on Saturday, Jan. 5.