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Noble wrestler, OU signee Beric Jordan wins 120-pound title at Malcolm Wade Invitational

nick sardis, the oklahoman
·4 min read

MIDWEST CITY — Beric Jordan has bounced from place to place during his high school wrestling career.

A state champion in Ohio as a freshman and sophomore, he transferred to Stillwater for his junior season as he competed as an Oklahoma State commit.

But things changed after Jordan finished as the Class 6A state runner-up at 113 pounds last February, as he flipped to OU in the offseason.

That ultimately led to him transferring high schools during his senior season, and he’s now at Noble.

Jordan hasn’t been there long but is off to a strong start and earned his first tournament win as a Noble Bear on Saturday, claiming the 120-pound title at Carl Albert High’s Malcolm Wade Memorial Invitational.

Jordan dominated en route to the championship and was named the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler for the lower weights.

He’ll try to claim his first Oklahoma state championship next month and is happy to be doing it in Noble.

“I love it,” Jordan said. “I’d say it’s a better environment for me. I love everybody. They’re humble. They’re nice.”

Jordan is one of the top recruits in the nation.

He’s the second-ranked 120-pound high school wrestler in the country, according to FloWrestling.

Jordan was named to The Oklahoman’s All-City first team last season after finishing 39-2. He narrowly missed claiming the title, losing 4-3 to Ponca City’s Christopher Kiser in the finals. Now a senior, Kiser is a Michigan signee and two-time state champion.

Jordan’s decision to transfer to Noble came down to his future.

“I’m just getting ready for college,” he said. “Just getting prepared. And I saw Coach (Mike) Lightner, ‘I said, he’s from OU, so let’s just join his team.’”

Lightner is a former OU assistant. The Marlow alum wrestled for the Sooners from 1998-2001, winning a national title in 2001 and four Big 12 championships at 144 pounds.

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OU signee Beric Jordan, who starred at Stillwater last year, is now wrestling for Noble.
OU signee Beric Jordan, who starred at Stillwater last year, is now wrestling for Noble.

Elgin claims team title, Carl Albert and Duncan tie for second

Elgin, which is ranked second behind Coweta in Class 5A, won the tournament with 273 points.

Tenth-ranked Carl Albert and No. 6 Duncan each had 168 points as they finished in a tie for second and were followed by No. 9 Del City (163½) and No. 3 Chickasha (143).

Carl Albert won the state tournament title last season after placing fifth at regionals and not advancing to the dual state tournament.

The Malcolm Wade Memorial Invitational has long been a solid tournament, and teams get to gauge how they fare against tough competition.

“We had 21 (teams) this year,” Carl Albert coach Curt Hodges said. “Usually we have anywhere from 20 to 24. We have 11 of the top 15 (in Class 5A) here. It’s one of the tougher ones in the state for sure. Kind of a 5A preview of state.”

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Carl Albert's Kasen Miller, top, wrestles Coweta's Brock Roberts in a Class 5A 138-pound semifinal match at the state tournament on Feb. 24 at State Fair Arena.
Carl Albert's Kasen Miller, top, wrestles Coweta's Brock Roberts in a Class 5A 138-pound semifinal match at the state tournament on Feb. 24 at State Fair Arena.

Carl Albert’s Kasen Miller wins 138-pound crown

Kasen Miller has reached the podium at the state tournament in every season during his high school career, but a championship victory remains a goal he hasn’t fulfilled.

The Carl Albert senior will try to change that this season, and he proved Saturday he has a good chance of making it happen.

Miller won the 138-pound title as he defeated Lawton MacArthur’s Kaden Wallace 5-0 in the finals.

Miller placed fourth at 113 pounds at the state tournament as a freshman before earning runner-up finishes as a sophomore and junior at 126 and 138, respectively.

A championship win would be the perfect ending to a great high school career.

“I feel good,” Miller said. “Just need to keep working.”

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Del City's Deontre Buttram won the 175-pound title at Carl Albert High's Malcolm Wade Memorial Invitational on Saturday.
Del City's Deontre Buttram won the 175-pound title at Carl Albert High's Malcolm Wade Memorial Invitational on Saturday.

Del City’s Deontre Buttram claims 175-pound title

A week after placing third at the 79th annual Geary Invitational, Del City senior Deontre Buttram won the 175-pound championship at Carl Albert.

Buttram was named the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler for the upper weights.

“Feels good to compete here,” he said. “You got a lot of fans in the stands. Even my teammates said I always struck out at this tournament. They still came to support.”

Buttram placed third at 165 pounds at last year’s state tournament and was at Putnam City before that.

“I’m feeling pretty nice,” Buttram said. “I’m ranked one in 5A, so just trying to see who comes to the state tournament and/or regionals and challenges. So, I’m feeling pretty good about that.”

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Nick Sardis covers high school sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Nick? He can be reached at nsardis@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @nicksardis. Sign up for The Varsity Club newsletter to access more high school coverage. Support Nick's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU wrestling signee Beric Jordan wins at Malcolm Wade Invitational