By Joe Shinners Madison – Davion Willis talked the talk, and then he walked the walk. And everyone in the crowd of 12,837 that packed the Kohl Center to watch the championships at the individual state wrestling tournament let Willis know that his efforts were well appreciated. In a rare showing at the state tournament, Willis, the Milwaukee Custer senior, received a standing ovation after his thrilling 3-1 overtime victory over No. 1-ranked Wisconsin Rapids sophomore Devin Peterson the final at 171 pounds. Willis, in his third trip to state wearing his singlet emblazoned with the familiar City Kid logo, fell to his knees in the center of the mat after he won his only state title as the crowd jumped to their feet and erupted in cheers. “That’s who I represent,” said Willis, who finished the year with a 54-1 record. “We don’t get any respect in the city. I got a whole lot of disrespect form people after I said that I was going to win. But that’s what I did. I wasn’t running my mouth. I was running. Working out at Ringers. Even at the tournament, I heard people tell me that I couldn’t do it.” Willis did, and he beat one of the state’s premiere talents in the process. Peterson entered the tournament and the final ranked No. 1 in the state after winning national titles at level in Greco-Roman, folkstyle and freestyle. He didn’t have enough, however, to overcome Willis’ desire for a state title with the match on the line in crunch time. “I may not be a national Greco champion, but I am a state Greco champion,” said Willis, who last summer became the first Milwaukee wrestler to win a state Greco age-group summer title in 20 years. Several times Peterson got in deep on single legs, but couldn’t get Willis to the ground. Some felt Willis should have been called for stalling for leaping out of bounds. Willis maintained that he just couldn’t be budged when cornered in tight circles. The crowd began chanting, “Willis, Willis” several times throughout the overtime period after three periods elapsed with the score tied, 1-1. Willis, however, never heard the support. “I wish I would have,” Willis said. “Those are things where you live in the moment with those types of feelings. I heard people yelling Davion, Davion and Devin, Devin. I didn’t hear them cheering for me.” It was a grueling final that saw Peterson suffer a laceration above his right eye after Willis inadvertently caught him with an elbow with 4 seconds left in the second period after a frantic series of action near the edge of the mat. Peterson’s cut was covered and he managed to continue in the most physical of the D1 finals between two high level Greco-Roman wrestlers. It was an upper-body specialist’s final, and Willis prevailed when he defended one of Peterson’s shots and slipped behind the highly touted Rapids’ sophomore for a takedown and two points with 6 seconds remaining in the match. “I’m strong as an ox,” said Willis. “I wasn’t really worried (when Peterson neared a takedown). But he wrestled a hell of a match. He’s a good wrestler.” Peterson (49-3), who finished second at 160 a year ago, credited Willis’ strength but questioned the calls near the edge of the mat. “He’s one of the strongest, most physical kids I’ve ever wrestled,” said Peterson. “I thought I should have won the match. (Willis) was jumping away from me when I had the singles up.” Willis gave Custer its first individual title since Demetrius Gaines won the 189 title in 2004. Willis gave the City Conference its first title since Milwaukee Bradley Tech’s Jeff Lemmer won the 160 title in 2008. Dieringer rebounds: Port Washington junior Alex Dieringer (45-1) regained his championship form when he defeated Wisconsin Rapids sophomore Rylan Lubeck, 5-1, in the D1 final at 140 in a battle between two of the top young wrestlers in the state. It was Dieringer’s second state title in three championship appearances and erased the terrible taste in his mouth from his loss in the D2 finals a year ago. Dieringer scored a first-period takedown and added a second period escape before sealing the match by countering Lubeck’s desperation throw with 2 seconds left in the period for his final takedown. Dieringer controlled the match from the beginning and never allowed Lubeck (48-4) to get any offense going. “It feels good,” said Dieringer. “We wrestle together on the schoolboy national team so it sucks I had to go against him. But I had to do it.” Added Port coach Angelo LaRosa: “I thought we could out-slick (Lubeck). I knew we could ride him. I knew we could get a takedown.” Suelfohn reaches top: Arrowhead junior Jake Sueflohn (48-1) had unfinished business in the state all year long. Consider it finally completed. Sueflohn, a finalist at 125 a year ago and place-winner as a freshman, totally dominated Stoughton senior Jackson Urso (35-5) in a 7-2 victory in the final at 135. Sueflohn opened with a takedown at the 1-minute mark and rode Urso out the first period. Sueflohn added an escape and a takedown in the second and another solid ride to finish the period with a 5-0 lead. In the third, Sueflohn added a takedown before giving up a reversal with 9 seconds remaining to win his first state title. “Jake was just relentless riding,” said Arrowhead coach John Mesenbrink. “You’re so worn out when you get ridden out that way. That’s from all the tough matches that Jake had to wrestle this year. He was like a college kid on top. That’s a big asset of Jake’s.” Other area finalists fall: Muskego sophomores Justin Scherkenbach (112) and Jordan Gruettner (189) each fell short in their upset bids to win state titles. Scherkenbach (45-5) lost to top-ranked Appleton West junior Ryan McQuade (47-1) by a 10-3 decision in the 112 final. Gruettner (45-5) lost to top-ranked Kaukauna senior Noah Budi (48-0) by a 6-1 decision. At 215, top-ranked Beloit Memorial senior Alex Polizzi (45-0) defeated Greenfield senior Patrick Bruyette by a 14-2 major decision. And at 285, South Milwaukee senior Bill Mitchell (18-1) was pinned by top-ranked Superior senior Nikola Bogojevic (48-0) in 4:37 in the only final that featured two undefeated wrestlers. Also, Kenosha Tremper’s two wrestlers – freshman Tyler Rice (103) and sophomore Dominic Garcia (119) – lost in the finals. Rice (47-7) lost to Milton sophomore John Wells (44-5) by a 10-5 decision. Garcia (52-2) lost to Pulaski senior Justin Enderby by a 7-0 decision. 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