Kent Kirby (145) and Cody Walls (125) are the Tigers who are still in the competition today (Saturday) at Frankfort.

Kirby, the only senior out of eight Tigers competing at state, was the last Caldwell grappler to be eliminated from the championship round. That came Friday night when he was decisioned 9-4 by Sheldon Clark’s John Thompson.

The quarterfinals at 145, considered by many to be the match that would decide the state championship, pitted Kirby — a fourth place state medal winner last year — against Thompson, who was runner-up at 140 last season.

Kirby took a 2-0 lead in the first 30 seconds of the second period and owned a 3-1 lead going into the final period. Thompson was awarded a controversial penalty point early in the third period for Kirby shoving him out of bounds. Thompson then got a takedown and back points, then after Kirby escaped, Thompson recorded another takedown by the match’s conclusion for the winning margin.

Afterwards in the consolation round, Kirby scored a takedown with 12 seconds left in the first period to take a 2-0 lead. Kirby was able to keep the top position throughout the second period, then chose down to start the third period. He scored an escape in 25 seconds to go on top 3-0, then got a takedown 14 seconds later to account for the 5-0 margin of victory.

On Saturday he will face Ft. Campbell’s Brandon Campbell, who he has defeated twice this year.

Kirby cruised through competition Thursday and Friday morning, pinning Doss’ Miguel Chavez in just 24 seconds, then pinning Campbell County’s Aaron Hickey in 3:55.

At 125, Walls won his opening match with ease, pinning Desales’ Tyler Langley in 5:02. But in the next round, the Tiger freshman lost to South Oldham senior Alan Oliver 4-2. Walls stayed alive in the next round by pinning Trinity’s Danny Coleman in 1:47.

Walls’ next match against Ryle’s Josh Ashworth, the No. 5-ranked wrestler in that class, was a thriller. After a scoreless first period, Walls chose bottom to start the second period, but was unable to escape. Then Ashworth took bottom in the third period and Walls prevented him from escaping.

In the overtime, Walls appeared to have a takedown with 11 seconds to go, but didn’t get the call.

In sudden death, Walls won the coin flip and chose the top position, managing to hold Ashworth down for 30 seconds to claim the win.

Walls then defeated St. Xavier’s Jacob Carey to enter Saturday’s medal round competition. Walls jumped on top 2-0 after one period and extended it to 4-0 with a takedown after choosing the neutral position to start the second period. He put Carey on his back twice in the third period to make it 8-0, then gave up an escape with two seconds left to post an 8-1 win.

Leech won two matches at 103 before being eliminated Friday in the third consolation round.

Leech was scheduled to take on the state’s No. 2-ranked wrestler in the opening round Thursday, but the opponent didn’t make weight. That put Leech against regional runner-up Robert Perkins of Louisville Southern, and Leech won by pin in 4:55. In the next round he lost by pin to North Hardin’s Cassidy Veach, but then came back strong to pin Fairdale’s Brad Stallard in 1:52.

In the next round against Pike County Central’s Nick Cory, it was a one-point margin until Cory managed a pin 3:26 into the match.

Three Tigers were eliminated Friday in the second consolation round.

Cody Traylor was blanked 8-0 by South Oldham senior Chris Skaggs in his opening match, but came back to notch a 9-1 decision over St. Xavier’s Joey Miller. But Traylor, an eighth grader in his second state tournament, lost 16-6 to Simon Kenton’s Austin Cooper.

At 140, Tiger eighth grader Curt Martin was pinned by Trinity’s Trae Masden in his opening match, but came back strong in the next round against Doss’ Ryan Gosling. Martin recorded a second period pin to advance against Anderson County senior Austin Goodpaster. Martin kept it competitive before being pinned with 45 seconds left in the match.

At 215, junior Keith Rogers won by pin over Campbell County’s Scott Bowman in the opening round, but then lost 11-3 to St. Xavier’s Bernard Tawfik. In the consolation bracket, he suffered a 2-1 loss to Seneca’s Philip Hayes. That match was tied at 0-0 going into the third period.

A pair of Caldwell wrestlers lost their opening two matches. Marcus Coleman dropped a 12-4 decision to Johnson Central’s James Music, then in the consolation round Coleman was pinned in 3:15 by Jeffersontown’s Michael Miller.

Joe Johnson, undersized for the heavyweight division, was pinned in a minute by LaRue County’s Brandon Huggins, then lost by pin in the consolation round to Henry Clay’s Josh Paulus.

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Justin Johnston, who attended elementary school in Caldwell County, advanced to the semifinals in the 119-pound class. Wrestling for Danville, he decisioned Oldham County’s Matt Thompson 9-4 and will meet Christian County’s Kris Perry in the semifinals this morning. Johnston’s brother, Jason, was a state medal winner for Caldwell in 1996.