Class 5A state wrestling: Deer Creek's Nolan Boyd claims title; Antlers finish 2nd

Boyd picked up championship No. 2 on Saturday night but there wasn't an encore on the backflip.

With Deer Creek in the hunt for its first team championship, team points were at a premium. The team was deducted a point after last year's backflip.

Boyd was dominant all season and punctuated his fantastic junior season with an 8-0 major decision to claim the Class 5A 171-pound championship.

�This just proves last year wasn't a fluke,� Boyd said. �That was my goal this year � to prove to people I do belong here.�

No better way to prove it than to beat everybody you compete against. Boyd finishes his season at 43-1. His only loss is to Tuttle's Zachary Beard, who Boyd also beat earlier in the season.

In the championship against Altus' Drake Martel, Boyd left no doubt. His plan was to wear Martel down early. He did that, scoring a takedown and earned two points on nearfalls on two separate occasions.

�I could feel him getting weaker,� Boyd said. �His conditioning was just about gone. That last period was just about riding him out.�