HUNTSVILLE- Ryan Keepers once contemplated the thought of giving up the sport of wrestling as a freshman after experiencing numerous failures on the wrestling mat. After not qualifying for the Sectional Tournament as a member of the James Clemens wrestling team, he was handed a note by head coach Kevin Pecor, which read, “Keep fighting as we’re going to get there.”

The senior Jet kept fighting and this past weekend ended his wrestling years by winning the 220-pound weight class state championship by defeating Cole Batson (62-4) of Huntsville 10-6. To gain the title he won his first match at the 65^th AHSAA State Wrestling Championships held at the Von Braun Center by a pin and his second match by a 3-1 decision prior to advancing to the finals.

Interesting fact about his opponent in the title match is Keepers had twice lost to the Huntsville wrestler this season, but this time it was Keepers’ turn to turn the tide in his favor.

“I practiced coming from the bottom as he had me in that position most of the previous matches, so I worked a couple new takedowns,” said Keepers (28-6). “When I was on top at the start of the second period, Coach Pecor suggested I lineup on the opposite side. I thought he was crazy, but it worked as I worked to get Batson in a couple cradle moves which led me to victory.”

“He is everything you would want in a high school wrestler and is very coachable,” said Pecor of the third individual state champion in the program’s history.

The 6-foot-2 Keepers was also a starting offensive lineman for the James Clemens football team and he was offered a few scholarship offers to continue football in college, but chose not to play in college and instead will attend the University of Alabama and study business.

“When I was a freshman wrestler, I kept in the back of my mind I would get better,” said Keepers.

Ethan Bordelon (47-19) of Bob Jones was the only other local wrestler to make it to the winners’ podium taking third place in the 120-pound weight class with a 10-6 decision over Corey Jones (35-18) of Thompson High.

Those making it to the medal round but losing in the third place matches included 138-lb: Manuel Marrero, Bob Jones (56-12) vs. Sullivan Tipton (50-2), Oak Mountain, fall 2:20; 152-lb: Sebastian Davis, James Clemens (33-10) vs. Francisco Soto, Central-Phoenix City (33-7), 3-2; 160-lb: Chris Congress, Bob Jones (51-9) vs. Hunter Jones, Hewitt-Trussville (31-10), 7-4.

Final team scores featured Thompson winning its third consecutive state championship with 166.5 points and Bob Jones finishing No. 10 with 35.5 points.