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MARIETTA - Kell rallied from an 18-point deficit to beat Etowah, 39-27, on senior night Tuesday.

Seniors Ben Butela, Sam Sayari and Josh Hodge contributed to the victory, while Tyler Gropp's loss prevented what could have been a much closer outcome.

Etowah's 24-6 lead came after the first six matches, but the Longhorns earned pins and a forfeit in five of the final seven bouts to mount the come-from-behind win.

The Eagles' solid start peaked when 135-pounder Zach Rogers earned a 15-0 technical-fall win over Ryan Sands.

That's when the tide turned.

Neither team could earn points after a double forfeit at 140, and Kell took control with five straight victories to stake a 36-24 lead.

Matt McCrory and Butela earned pins at 145 and 152, respectively. McCrory's came with 19 seconds left in his match.

Kell benefited from Sayari's forfeit victory at 160, which allowed the Longhorns to tie the meet at 24-all.

Michael Abraham (171) followed with a pin in 4:54 and Zach Wade added a pin at 189 to put Kell on top, 36-24, with two matches remaining.

"We knew Etowah was strong at the lower weight classes, and that's where we have a lot of our young wrestlers," Kell coach Steve Lattizori said. "I told our kids that, as long as they don't get pinned, then we would have a shot, and that's what happened. Those kids stepped up at those lighter weights. The double forfeit at 140 helped and their forfeit at 160 was a bonus."

Gropp clinched the match for Kell at 215 pounds. His 7-5 loss to Hudson Reichsteiner snapped Kell's streak, but it also prevented any chance of the Eagles having enough points to tie the contest.

Hodge's decision win at 285 resulted in the final 39-27 score.

Etowah's early run began with a pin in 2:45 for Jeremiah Lutz at 103 pounds.

Steven Summey prevented the Eagles' Walter Leyva from earning more than a major decision after dropping a 13-2 contest at 112.

Andrew Stringer (119) put Kell on the board after sneaking in a pin in 5:01 over Toby Martinez. With Etowan ahead, 10-6, Nick Wagner put the Eagles back on track with a 13-0 major-decision victory over Michael Lattizori at 125 pounds.

T.J. Galloway worked the Longhorns' Benje Grifenhagen, into an 18-3 technical-fall loss at 130 pounds and Zach Rogers also posted a technical fall win, 15-0, over Ryan Sands at 135, giving the Eagles the 24-6 advantage.

By preventing the early pins, Kell kept the match close enough for its upper weight classes to win the meet.

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