Newman senior Briar Ivey sees remarkable comeback end in heartbreaking loss in IHSA state championship match

CHAMPAIGN – The tears lined the face of Newman senior Briar Ivey, as he took deep breaths and stared hard into space.

“I just never stopped fighting, and I knew with my training I could get back,” he said.

Ivey saw his remarkable comeback end with a heartbreaking 10-9 loss against Riverdale’s Blake Smith in the Class 1A 157-pound state championship on Saturday night at State Farm Arena.

The bright stage at the University of Illinois marked a continuation of their rivalry after Ivey stunned the previously undefeated Smith 9-4 in the sectional final at Oregon.

“I tried to wrestle like I always do,” Ivey said. “It felt good knowing I could get the win.

“I knew this was going to be one of my last times wrestling, and I just had to put it all out there.”

Smith gained the upper hand with the early takedown and back points for the seemingly commanding 7-0 first period lead.

Ivey (41-3) stormed back with takedowns at the end of the second period, and the start of the third period that knotted the score at 9-9.

Smith secured the late escape for the victory.

Ivey had several advantages tight on his body but he could not quite pull through.

He was energized by the passionate crowd that cheered him on.

“Just working hard and staying persistent,” Ivey said. “I had a lot of trust in myself that I could do it.

“I’m hard-nosed and stubborn, and I like to wrestle hard.”

His oldest brother Bryce Ivey was a Class 1A state runner-up at 170 pounds in 2104.

Brody Ivey, the middle brother, was a three-time state medalist who captured the Class 1A 152-pound state championship in 2019.

Brody Ivey is an assistant coach in the Comets’ program.

Watching his brothers was a formative experience, and one that he was eager to duplicate.

“Briar is a pretty straight shooter,” Brody Ivey said. “I’d say he’s pretty calm.

“When he was younger, I just remember how we spent hours wrestling our trampoline. We’d make up scenarios about the state finals, and here we are.”

Briar Ivey never shrank from the significance of the moment.

“I think a big part is that a lot of people come in here, and they get scared by the big arena, the lights and everything,” Briar Ivey said.

“I just learned to take it as another match, and tie up with the energy.”

Despite the sharp pain of defeat, he simply ran out of time.

Ivey finished with a fall, major decision and a 7-4 victory in the semifinal win over Wheaton Academy’s Chasen Kazmierczak.

Taking part in the Grand March that preceded the state championship was itself a dream moment.

“I’ve been dreaming about this moment ever since I was a kid, and watching my brothers,” he said.

“Getting here was really sweet.”

The joy was not his alone. His family was there the entire way.

“We do it because we love it,” Brody Ivey said. “We don’t do it for wins and losses.

“Getting to this point was just a cherry on top.”

Comets’ freshman Landon Near suffered a heartbreaking 2-1 loss in the third-place match at 106 pounds.

“I really put in the extra work, for sure, to practices I didn’t really want to,” he said.

“That helped me get to the point where I had to get. I really like high school wrestling.”

Near (43-6) seemingly had a takedown near the end of the second period only for it to be ruled off the mat.

His future is very bright.

“I thought it was a really cool experience,” Near said. “It was a great atmosphere.

“Everybody was cheering for me. I could have done better this tournament. I also know it’s not the end of the day. Everything is going to be all right.”