:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tronc/FNRAOGVU6ZH2TBAKYAEWLPUXEQ.jpg?w=1068&resize=1068,0&ssl=1 "Brayden Thompson transfers from Lockport")
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Brayden Thompson seemed to be on his means towards a second straight undefeated season.
His Lockport coaches and teammates hoped he would lead the Porters to a second consecutive crew state trophy after a third-place finish last season in Class 3A.
Instead, Thompson — FloWrestling’s top-ranked wrestler in the nation at 182 pounds — will finish his highschool profession over 700 miles away.
Thompson is transferring to Stillwater in Oklahoma, in the identical city as the school he has signed with, Oklahoma State.
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Lockport coach Jameson Oster stated the crew was blindsided, studying the news from a FloWrestling article that was printed Jan. 9.
“He’s a great wrestler, but that’s behind us and we’re looking forward,” Oster stated. “If he doesn’t want to be here, we’re going to be fine. We still have the same goal to win a trophy at team state.
“One of our school mottos is ‘Best together,’ about unifying our two campuses. But this past week, it’s become one of our team mottos. We’re best together and we’re going to go win as a team.”
Thompson, who couldn’t be reached for remark, went 45-0 last season and received the 170-pound title in Class 3A. It was his first season at Lockport after starting at Montini and spending his sophomore 12 months in Missouri.
The Porters (15-8) responded properly to the loss, going 4-0 in duals last week, together with an enormous 36-25 win over Lincoln-Way East.
That victory snapped a two-year twin profitable streak for the Griffins and put Lockport in place to take again the SouthWest Suburban Blue title after Lincoln-Way East received the convention for the primary time final season.
“We competed really well as a team,” Oster stated. “I think, as a whole, it’s the best we wrestled all year. I think it shows the character of our team that we were able to work through some adversity and come together.
“Those are skills you’re going to use throughout your life, not just on the wrestling mat.”
Steve Millar is a contract reporter for the Daily Southtown.
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