Soto Opens IHSA State Run With 16-Second Pin, Sets Up Showdown With Top Seed
| Fall | T | |
|---|---|---|
| MIC | 1 | 1 |
| JOE | 0 | 0 |
East Alton-Wood River’s Michael Soto wasted no time making an impact at the IHSA State Finals in Champaign, recording a lightning-quick pin to open his tournament and advance to a highly anticipated quarterfinal matchup.
Soto defeated Deer Creek-Mackinaw’s Joey Humphries by pin fall just 16 seconds into the first round of their bout at 285 pounds. The Oilers heavyweight seized control immediately off the whistle, converting early position into a fall that kept his time on the mat to a minimum and sent him through to the next round with authority.
With the victory, Soto advances to face No. 1 seed Jeremiah Luke of Lena-Winslow in the quarterfinals. Luke reached the tournament with a strong postseason résumé and additional intrigue after his history with the Oilers’ upper weights. Last season, Luke wrestled at 215 pounds and was defeated in the state championship match by East Alton-Wood River standout Drake Champlin, giving the Oilers a memorable title result at that weight.
Luke has since moved up to the 285-pound weight class, but he again finds an Oiler standing in his way on the state stage. This time it is Soto, who enters the quarterfinal bout coming off a dominant opening performance and riding the momentum of one of the fastest pins of the session.
The matchup adds another chapter to the developing connection between Lena-Winslow’s Luke and East Alton-Wood River’s upper-weight wrestlers. A year after Champlin denied Luke a state title at 215, Soto now has the opportunity to challenge the top-seeded heavyweight in a high-stakes quarterfinal that could have major implications for the bracket.
For the Oilers, Soto’s quick pin fall not only extends his individual run in Champaign but also continues the program’s strong recent tradition in the upper weights at the IHSA State Finals. His quarterfinal against Luke is expected to be one of the featured heavyweight bouts of the round as Soto looks to keep East Alton-Wood River in the spotlight on the state stage.
