2024 Ohio high school wrestling preview – Division 2 Edition
Ohio High School Wrestling Rankings – Division 1 – Division 2 – Division 3
The 2024 Ohio high school wrestling season is among us and its shaping up to be an exciting one in division 2.
In this article, we’ll cover the following topics to examine the landscape of Ohio division 2 wrestling:
State Tournament Team Projections
Three teams are nipping at the heels of perennial powerhouse Graham. See which one is most likely to knock off the 22-time reigning champion.
Dual Meet Rankings
While 3-4 hammers can put a team in the top 5 at the state tournament, 6-8 victories are often needed to win a dual meet. See which teams have put together solid lineups from top to bottom.
Returning State Champions
8 individual state champions return for the 2024 season, 3 of them still in contention to become 4-timers.
Top 25 Returning Wrestlers
A talented crew of wrestlers return this season along with a D1 state runner-up transfer. See who made the top 25.
State Tournament Team Projections
- Graham (125)
- DeSales (120)
- Buckeye (110)
- Watterson (100)
- Galion (60)
- Wauseon (55)
- Carrollton (50)
- Bishop Hartley (50)
- Ontario (45)
- Napoleon (40)
The division 2 team race is shaping up to be a tight one. Graham’s winning streak of 22 straight titles is in jeopardy of being broken this year with DeSales, Buckeye, and Watterson all waiting in the wings to claim the title if Graham should stumble.
Outside of the top 4, there are about a dozen teams who could finish 5-10.
Let’s take an in depth look at the current top 5.
#1 St. Paris Graham
Returning Qualifiers
- Brogan Tucker (1st)
- Gunnar Cramblett (1st)
- Elijah Jacks (2nd)
- Hayden Hughes (2nd)
- Bryce Kohler (3rd)
- Jake Landis (8th)
- Kaleb Morris (Q)
- Chett Mannier (Q)
Notable Wrestlers
- Joey Mockbee
- Cameron Mockbee
- Carter DeMarco
- Wyatt Kaemmerer
- Blaine DeMarco
Graham will be down two 3rd place finishers from last year. Colt Ryan graduated and Luke James transferred to Milan Edison.
However, Tucker, Cramblett, Kohler, Jacks, and Hughes are all title contenders. If they get 3-4 champs out of this crew, Graham could lock up their 23rd consecutive team title with a little help from the supporting crew.
Landis, Morris, and Mannier will look to improve on last year’s state performance while J. Mockbee, C Mockbee, and C. DeMarco could also contribute.
Add in freshmen Kaemmerer and DeMarco, both Jr. High state runner-ups, as two young talents who could bolster Graham’s chances to maintain their reign over division 2 wrestling.
#2 Columbus St. Francis DeSales
Returning Qualifiers
- Max Shulaw (1st)
- Lincoln Shulaw (2nd)
- Zachary Lopez (5th)
- Aidan Rush (5th)
- Andrew Barford (5th)
- Joseph Sanderfer (6th)
Notable Wrestlers
- Stanton Welch
Coach Palmer has the Stallions on the rise. They did lose champ McClelland and state placer Eagan to graduation, but picked up division 1 state placer Sanderfer from St. Ed’s in an offseason transfer.
DeSales will be anchored by the electrifying Shulaw brothers, but will need Lopez, Rush, Barford, and Sanderfer to all finish high on the podium in order to stay lock-step with Graham.
Freshman Welch (Jr. High state champion) is a powerful wrestler who compete like an upperclassman. He has a good chance of standing on the state podium come March.
Every point will matter in the Stallions quest to overtake the Falcons.
#3 Medina Buckeye
Returning Qualifiers
- Colyn Limbert (1st)
- Kaden King (1st)
- Eddie Neitenbach (3rd)
- Blake Bartos (4th)
- Nick Brunst (Q)
- Danny Beckett (Q)
Notable Wrestlers
- Dillon Badiu
- Jayson Knapp
- Austin McKee
- Liam Neitenbach
The Bucks return most of their lineup from a talented team that finished behind Graham and DeSales last year at the state tournament.
Returning champs Limbert and King, along with E. Neitenbach and Bartos are state finalist-level talents. Buckeye needs them all to deliver come March if they want to earn a team trophy.
Badiu, Brunst, Beckett, Knapp, and McKee are also state caliber wrestlers who cold bolster the Buck’s point total with end-of-season runs.
This team is a solid group from top-to-bottom. Expect to see upwards of 10 wrestlers sporting the beautiful brown, orange, and white singlets at the Schott this March.
#4 Columbus Bishop Watterson
Returning Qualifiers
- Mitchell Younger (2x champ)
- Joe Curry (champ)
- Neal Krysty (3rd)
- James Lindsay (4th)
Notable Wrestlers
- Michael Boyle
- C.J. Youell
- Tommy Haley
- Greyson Gonyers
Watterson returns their entire lineup from last year’s 4th place team and will add Jr. High state runner-up Boyle to their talented young team.
The Eagles will be anchored by returning champions Younger and Curry. Both are potential four-timers who will be favored to win their 3rd and 2nd state titles respectively.
Returning placers Krysty and Lindsay are both title contenders as well. If Watterson comes away with 3-4 champions, they could overtake DeSales and Buckeye and earn a team trophy.
The talented freshman, Boyle will battle for a spot on the podium while Youell, Haley, and Gonyers could all have breakout seasons.
The Eagles are the rising stars in division 2 and will essentially return their entire lineup again next year, plus some young freshmen hammers. They are my pick to finally overthrow Graham’s reign over Ohio division 2 wresting.
But, it wont happen until next year.
#5 Galion
Returning Qualifiers
- Gradey Harding (5th)
- Alex Griffith(Q)
Notable Wrestlers
- Landon Campbell
- Aydan Reyes
- Ryder Alberty
There’s quite a gulf between the top 4 teams and the rest of the field in division 2. About a dozen teams could finish in 5th place come March.
However, Galion seems to be the team with the most potential with a couple talented upper weights and some young hammers who could score big points at the state tournament.
Harding placed 5th in the state last year as a freshman, and incoming freshman Trukovich (Jr. High Runner-up) has the talent to be a state finalist.
Griffith was a match away from placing in a heavyweight class that only returns two state placers and Campbell will be a problem for most 215-pounders. These practice partners should sharpen each other as “iron sharpens iron”. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them both finish in the top 5.
Reyes and Alberty are both solid wrestlers who will also be fighting for a spot at the Schott.
Dual Meet Rankings
- Graham
- Buckeye
- DeSales
- Watterson
- Napoleon
- Wauseon
- Carrollton
- Ontario
- Miami Trace
- Madison
State Dual Meet Outlook
#1 Graham and #4 Watterson are the cream of the crop in the Wilmington district. Neither should have any trouble making the district finals where Graham’s depth will prevail.
#2 Buckeye will cruise to a Kenston district title. They will come into the state meet with confidence, looking to defend their title after defeating Graham 35-32 in the finals last season. #10 Madison looks to be the second-best team here.
#3 DeSales is the favorite to win the Norwalk district, but will have to go through a strong contention of #5 Napoleon, #6 Wauseon, and #8 Ontario to do so.
The Steubenville district is wide open with no clear favorite. #7 Carrolton and #9 Miami Trace are probably the best here, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Beaver or Steubenville claimed the title either.
Returning Individual Champions
- Javaan Yarbrough (Copley)
- Colyn Limbert (Buckeye)
- Joe Curry (Watterson)
- Brogan Tucker (Graham)
- Mitchell Younger (Watterson)
- Kaden King (Buckeye)
- Gunnar Cramblett (Graham)
- Max Shulaw (DeSales)
8 out of 14 champions from last year will return for the 2024 season.
Juniors Younger and Tucker will both be going for title number 3 and look to stay on track to become four-time state champions. Sophomore Curry will go for title number 2 in as many tries.
All other returning champs are seniors who will contend their second title.
Top 25 Returning Division 2 Wrestlers
- Max Shulaw (DeSales)
- Brogan Tucker (Graham)
- Mitchell Younger (Watterson)
- Gunnar Cramblett (Graham)
- Colyn Limbert (Buckeye)
- Javaan Yarbrough (Copley)
- Joe Curry (Watterson)
- Kaden King (Buckeye)
- Lincoln Shulaw (DeSales)
- Kaiyon McKinney (Perkins)
- Elijah Jacks (Graham)
- Hayden Hughes (Graham)
- Lance Overmyer (Clyde)
- Aiden King (Bishop Hartley)
- Eddie Neitenbach (Buckeye)
- P.J. Murphy (Reading)
- Bryce Kohler (Graham)
- Cooper Rathburn (Bishop Hartley)
- Aiden Mozden (Alliance)
- Cannan Smith (Chillicothe)
- Neal Krysty (Watterson)
- Coltyn Reedy (Sheridan)
- Joseph Sanderfer (DeSales)
- Brogan Fielding (Jefferson Area)
- Tate Hisey (St. Mary’s)
HM: Lindsay (Watterson), Lopez (DeSales), Carman (Carrollton), Rush (DeSales), Saccoccia (Steubenville), Schlosser (Clear Fork), Barford (DeSales), Blair (Chaminade-Julienne), Harding (Galion)
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tags: Ohio high school wrestling preview, OHSAA wrestling season preview 2024, Ohio high school wrestling rankings