Claymont sophomore Kamden Stout will wrestle for a state championship Sunday night, becoming the first Mustang to reach the finals in more than a decade.
Stout (44-4) advanced to the 165-pound state championship match at the Schottenstein Center after a dramatic semifinal victory Saturday. He will face Columbus DeSales junior Joel Welch (46-3) for the title.
Claymont has not had a wrestler compete in the state championship match since Ashton Eyler was a runner up in 2018. Tyler Warner was the last Mustang to win a championship in 2015.
Stout dominated his first two matches of the tournament. He opened with a 19-3 technical fall before securing a third-period pin in the quarterfinal round.
But the semifinal proved to be the biggest test of the weekend.
In a physically grueling match against Perkins sophomore Law Davlin, Stout found himself in what could best be described as a wrestling bloodbath, at one point bleeding from the mouth as the two battled through regulation tied 4-4.
The match went to sudden victory overtime.
Stout said the key in that moment was staying calm and maintaining his focus despite the exhaustion of a long day at the state tournament.
“I was just trying to stay focused and control my breathing,” Stout said. “It’s been a long day of wrestling, but I stayed ready.”
As the overtime clock wound down, Stout found his opening. The Claymont sophomore secured a takedown on Davlin for three points, sealing a 7-4 victory and punching his ticket to the state finals.
After the match, Stout said the first thing he did was look for the people who helped him reach that moment.
“My family and coaches mean everything,” he said. “I always look for them first.”
Now, one match remains.
Stout said his goal is simple: reach the top.
“I want to be one of the greats,” he said. “I want to be number one.”
The 165-pound state championship match between Stout and Welch is scheduled for Sunday night at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus.
