After one last set of blood, sweat and tears, Saint Louis senior Brandon Low stepped into Hawai'i high school wrestling history last night by becoming the first to win four individual state championships at four different weight classes.

Low, competing at 130 pounds, fought off two-time state champion Daniel Morita of Kahuku, 8-4, before a screaming crowd of 2,484 at Blaisdell Arena. Low won despite suffering a cut under his left eye midway through the first period.

"It's a huge relief," said Low, who joins Iolani's Patrick Higa (1983-1986) and Saint Louis' Jonathan Spiker (2000-2003) as the only four-time boys champions in the 40-year history of the state tournament. "It's a fairy tale ending, it's everything I could ever ask for."

Low won his first state title three years ago by beating Morita, 8-4, at 112 pounds. Low then won the 119 crown as a sophomore and the 125-pound championship last season. Morita had defeated Low in a preseason tournament when both were freshmen, but they had not met since the 2003 state final.

"I felt I had a good chance to win, but he got that takedown (late in the first period) and just won it from there," said Morita, who won the 125-pound title in 2004 and the 135-pound championship last year. "He played me smart; he knew I was a good outside guy and I was trying to get a good five-foot gap (between us), but he would always close it. It was a good match; I lost to him my freshman year and hadn't lost to any Hawai'i wrestler since, so I have a lot of respect for him. Win or lose, I think we respect each other. He won, so he's the best."

Morita did get to take home a gold medal, as Kahuku won its second team state title in three years despite not having an individual champion. The Red Raiders scored 188.5 points, outdistancing Punahou (166), Saint Louis (144.5), Lahainaluna (130) and Kamehameha (117).

Kahuku had four runners-up, three wrestlers in third place, one in fourth and three in fifth.

"It was a true team effort," Red Raiders coach Reggie Torres said. "We didn't have any individual champions, but we placed 11 guys, and that was the biggest thing. They all displayed a lot of heart. They're all hard workers, and even when they lost, they battled, so I'm very proud of them."

Morita advanced to the finals by defeating Punahou's Brendan Whitt, 6-2, in the semifinals earlier in the day. Whitt beat Low in a preseason match last December.

"(Whitt) gave me a good match, that was the most tired I was this season," Morita said. "But it was a good burn. I felt strong (going into the finals)."

Morita showed that energy immediately, attacking Low and scoring a takedown 20 seconds into the match to go up, 2-0.

"I knew he was good on his feet, so I was looking to take him down early and work from there," Morita said.

Low said Morita was quicker than he remembered.

"He's very fast, and very strong," Low said. "He almost has the same style as before, but technically he's a much better wrestler now."

Low closed it to 2-1 with an escape, then got a takedown with 40 seconds remaining to go up, 3-2. Low suffered a cut below his left eye after the two butted heads, and the match was delayed while trainers examined the cut.

"It actually motivated me more," Low said of the cut, which caused blood to drip down his left cheek. "It was an intense match already, but that made it even more intense."

Morita said he did not believe Low would be affected by the cut.

"Every wrestler will tell you, you don't feel the pain with that," Morita said, "especially in a match like this."

Low went up, 4-2, with an escape early in the second period, then took a 6-2 lead with a late takedown. Morita got an escape at the end of the period to close it to 6-3, then got another escape to close it to 6-4 early in the third period. That's how the score remained until six seconds left, when Low scored a takedown.

Low said the first-period takedown proved to be the key points of the match.

"After that takedown, the crowd got really loud and I felt it was my match from then on," Low said. "I think that was the turning point for me."

Low improved his career record to 136-6. Higa and Spiker each won at three different weight classes.

Ka'u's Dylan Rush also joined elite company, winning his third individual state title with a 3-1 victory over Mid-Pacific's Russell Fisher at 275 pounds.

"When I was in the seventh grade, I told my dad I want to be remembered as the best wrestler ever from the Big Island," Rush said. "He told me, 'Well, no wrestler from the Big Island has ever won three state championships.' I finally did it, so it feels great."

Waiakea's Landon Kurata, Mililani's William Smithe and Kamehameha's Gerritt Vincent each won their second state championship. Kurata (125 pounds) defeated Lahainaluna's Michael Viloria, 9-5, in a rematch of last year's 119 final. Smithe defeated Maui's Jonathan Los Ba–os, 4-2, in the 152-pound finals; he won the 145-pound title last year. And Vincent defeated Kahuku's Clellan A'alona, 4-1, at 189 pounds; he won the 171-pound title last year.

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com.