1991 Brakeman Report

1991 High School Wrestling Forecast
20th Annual Edition
Written by Brian F. Brakeman

1991 Brakeman Report (original)Download

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INTRODUCTION

The object of these annual reports encompasses two basic goals. First is to acquaint everyone with the basic character of each weight class and identify the participants who are likely to play a major role in its resolution. In addition, each district is examined as to whom its representatives might be. Second is to stimulate interest in the whole state tournament process throughout Ohio. Naturally, accuracy is also of primary concern, so care is taken to develop the most comprehensive list possible of outstanding wrestlers, though of necessity, the evaluation of their final place is, in part, subjective. Last year, for example, 36 of the 39 top choices reached state semi-final action.

This report was written during a six-day period in mid-January ending January 28, based on the information available at that time. It’s kind of a snapshot in time with a picture that will surely change in many ways by tournament time. The new weight certification rules (there really aren’t any) have made switching of weight classes much simpler, so that I anticipate many changes from what is shown here. In fact, some of those moves may well be precipitated by information contained within this document.

This will be one of the most interesting recruiting years in Ohio in some time. As always, there are the unmistakable blue chippers that are easily identified, such as Mollica, St. John, DiSabato, and several others. This group contains about the average number of sure collegiate All-Americans. What will be the challenge is that there are an extraordinarily large number of seniors who are one level below this top group. This very large group will have to be carefully sifted through to pick out the high potential collegiates from those that just will not get any better. Certainly, the results throughout the tournament process will provide valid clues as to which group each of these individuals belongs. However, in many cases, recruiters will have to look more deeply into each personal situation before an accurate (as much as possible) determination can be made.

One of the exciting prospects in 1991 is close team competitions in all three school classifications. In Division I, this could encompass as many as six teams and not be decided until the final heavyweight bout. In both Division II and III, there should be furious team struggles for the top spot with a number of schools having the potential to be champions. Teams from all around the state have the “horse power” to take the crown in these two classifications.

As faithful readers know, this report has long been used as a vehicle to promote change in the administration of high school wrestling — particularly at the tournament level. While it has not been a rapid process, progress continues to be made in establishing real equity for every competitor. Perhaps the high water mark of that struggle was reached this year with the expansion of the wrestle-back system to include all participants who have lost to a semi-finalist. This system guarantees a proper balance between fairness and interminable consolation rounds that can be provoked in double-elimination tournaments. I could not have been happier when the new system was announced because it fulfills a commitment many of us made a long time ago to work in that direction. We must recognize that this is a one-year trial, but every coach and competitor can be nothing but thrilled about a system that guarantees placement fairness.

DIVISION I

103#

PROJECTED CHAMPION: KARL GROVE (WEST CHESTER LAKOTA)

TOP CONTENDERS:

Johnson (Walsh Jesuit)
Wineberg (Fairfield)
Colucci (Westerville North)
Jayne (St. Edward)
Jeter (Sandusky)
Conyers (Trotwood Madison)
Boda (Fremont Ross)
Wheeler (Massillon Perry)
Cummings (Euclid)
Contos (Toledo St. John)
Pender (Cincinnati Princeton)
Hickin (Kent Roosevelt)
Lambers (Cincinnati Elder)
Cameron (Hilliard)
Forbes (Perrysburg)
Kaleal (Mayfield)
Stultz (Groveport Madison)
White (Cincinnati LaSalle)
Simpson (Shaw)
Cariotti (North Canton)
Lemley (East Liverpool)
Venugopalkrishna (Xenia Beavercreek)

There is a clear difference between defending champion Grove and the rest of the field assembled at this weight class. By electing to compete at 103#, Grove maximizes his chances for a second state title—assuming that he can perform at normal levels at this lower weight. Last year, Grove took the title by engineering three close victories in succession, but this year he should triumph much more easily. Even had he remained at 112#, he would have been one of the top three contenders and, perhaps, the most logical choice. He won the giant Medina Invitational (MIT) at that weight with few problems, displaying a workmanlike, professional approach that permitted no mistakes. The rest of the field will have to hope for a major upset if they intend to dethrone this wily senior.

Grove exits from an exceptionally deep and strong district. Most prominent of the remaining group is the sensational newcomer Wineberg, who has reeled off 20 consecutive triumphs including championships in three major tournaments (Cincy Holiday, Kenston, and Fairfield). Right behind him is state qualifier Conyers, who won the GMWA and the Wayne. None of this top trio has met. There are another half-dozen wrestlers with solid potential here. Pender gave Wineberg his only close match—losing in overtime—and has shown rapid improvement this season. The veteran Lambers has defeated both Pender and White, while winning places at every tourney entered. White has been erratic but can score a lot of points. A common opponent has been Contos, who defeated White and Pender but was shut out by both Wineberg (4-0) and Conyers (1-0). Other possibilities include Venugopalkrishna, Marks (Fairborn Baker), and Marinelli (West Carrollton). This district will be a war.

Many will be surprised with the freshman Johnson as second choice, but I’ve been impressed with his skills and his technique. He has won at both the OCC and North Canton but finished fifth at the MIT. He has twice lost to Jayne (beating him once), but when he is “on a roll,” he can be close to awesome. The key in my mind is a high confidence level, which he needs to establish momentum. He, too, wrestled Contos, shutting him out 5-0. Wheeler and Hickin are both good, winning at Marion Harding and Hudson respectively. Wheeler was handled by Johnson at their second meeting, while Wineberg beat Hickin. Other possibilities are Cariotti, Evangelista (Geneva), and Szittai (Barberton).

Colucci, if he can stay comfortable at 103#, is a quantum step ahead of anybody else at Hilliard. Clearly the recipient of a favorable draw, he was runner-up at the MIT to Dernlan, which included a solid win over Jayne. Cameron and Sturtz look like the next best, although two wrestlers from the Eastern Sectional could challenge. Lemley and Glover (Buckeye Local) were in the top three at the mammoth OVAC and have performed well all year.

The Mentor District is uncharacteristically weak at this weight. Usually, there are six or seven state-caliber wrestlers vying for three openings, but this year there is no such entanglement. I’ve rated Jayne, another freshman, best here, but this may be somewhat speculative. He has, after all, beaten Johnson twice, but he may well be overpowered by the more mature 103s. He is very scrappy and wins bouts that might get away from others. Cummings, Kaleal, and Simpson are three other possibilities, but none are likely to send your pulse racing. The other candidates are Melendez (Lorain Southview) and Cirino (Painesville Riverside), but it’s likely that the three qualifiers will include at least one major surprise.

The Rogers District is the one that I may be underestimating. All three state qualifiers from last year return at this weight and it seems like I ought to be rating them higher. However, they didn’t win a bout last year at States and they haven’t been super impressive this year. Still, both Jeter and Boda are enormous 103s and very strong and could well overpower the slicker freshmen like Johnson and Jayne. Boda, in particular, has had a lot of quick falls this year. Forbes, the third qualifier, is in real peril of not qualifying with the rapidly improving Contos rated above him. Puntieri (Toledo Rogers) is another possibility, losing by only two points to Boda earlier this year.

112#

PROJECTED CHAMPION: MARC GRAHAM (SHAW)

TOP CONTENDERS:

Barden (Fairfield)
North (Cincinnati Princeton)
Allen (Worthington)
Musser (Walsh Jesuit)
Ratliff (Marion Harding)
Wahl (St. Ignatius)
Friedle (St. Edward)
Franklin (Massillon Perry)
Worthington (Mansfield)
Huesing (West Chester Lakota)
Bedell (Upper Arlington)
Bentley (Valley Forge)
Best (Xenia Beavercreek)
Alejandro (Fremont Ross)
Lanese (Brush)
Penn (Franklin Hts.)
Butler (Bowling Green)
Bender (Sidney)
Geitgey (Glen Oak)
Pool (Toledo St. Frances)
Herbert (Uniontown Lake)

There is no clear-cut choice at this weight with five legitimate contenders, each with a reasonable chance at the title. I’ve picked Marc Graham who was hampered by an early injury at the State Meet and eventually defaulted to sixth place. Interestingly, Robinson, whom he beat for the District crown, ended up second. Graham, a senior, is an outstanding athlete with enormous power and speed and has not really been challenged so far this year.

Barden and North are both seniors who have competed against each other on a regular basis. Last year, North won their district bout, but Barden won the only meeting this year. They are both excellent and could easily win the title on a hot weekend. North lost to 103# pick Grove at the Cincy Holiday Tourney by a single point.

Allen was state runner-up at 103# last year as a freshman, losing only to Grove in the finals. This year, he has been given rough treatment at 119# and will, I’m sure, move down to 112# at certification time. He is good in close matches. Musser could be the freshman sensation of this year’s state meet. No wrestler in Ohio has ever won four big school state titles—not Fried, not DeAnna, not Milkovich. Musser has a stated goal of being the first, and it could happen. A sensational youth wrestler, he has lost to Graham and Grove, but not by irretrievably large scores.

The Mentor District should be very interesting. Graham, of course, leads the way, but there are other possible place winners. Friedle has a “grind it out” style that has won a lot of bouts, and he is particularly tough when ahead. Wahl, down from 119#, has also been solid all year, beating Friedle twice, and these two have the best chances for the qualifying spots behind Graham. Bentley was very impressive at Solon, but apparently has enormous problems making the weight—he was at 130# the last I looked. Still, should he make 112#, he will be very tough. Lanese has been erratic. Sometimes he looks tremendous—at other times, not quite that good. Only a sophomore, he could be very good. Two other possibilities are the great little freshman Rozick (Mentor) and Carreras (Lorain Southview).

Barden and North stand well ahead of the rest of the pack at the Dayton District. The big unknown is Huesing, who will just now get an opportunity to compete at his best weight. Should he do well, it will help West Chester Lakota in the team competition. The other contenders like Best and Bender will have real trouble at the State level. Other possibilities are Gregg (Dayton Wayne) and Serve (Springfield North).

At Hilliard, Allen will face some good competition. I’ve always liked Ratliff, and at 112#, he’ll be very tough. He lost to Allen 5-4 in district competition last year. He could easily place. Bedell and Penn are, in my mind, somewhat behind the top duo, although Bedell was MVP at the recent Beavercreek Invitational. Freeman (Columbus East) is a talent, but may be overmatched at the district level.

There’ll be a most interesting confrontation at Perry. Easily the top two 112s there are Musser and Franklin, who, until December, were teammates at Walsh. Then Franklin transferred to Massillon Perry and has been transformed into a whirlwind, winning, for example, at Tiffin. It is very reminiscent of the Elinsky/McNulty situation at St. Edward’s in the late ’70s when McNulty left for Elyria after losing some wrestle-offs. Their meeting at the Mentor District drew tremendous attention as McNulty won, and the following year took a state title. Elinsky was third the next weight up that year, despite being the early favorite.

Herbert is a real comer and, along with Geitgey and Fehn (North Canton), are strong possibilities for the third spot. Fehn did beat Musser in the consolations at North Canton. Averill (Youngstown Boardman) is another dark horse here, hampered, in part, by not wrestling a real difficult schedule.

The Rogers District is very weak. Worthington might be the best, but it will all be pretty much irrelevant at the state level. Besides those listed—Worthington, Alejandro, Butler, and Pool—other possible qualifiers are Foster (Maumee) and Tyburski (Toledo Start).

119#

PROJECTED CHAMPION: HERB RUSSELL (ST. EDWARD)

TOP CONTENDERS

Benjamin (Dublin)
Minick (Uniontown Lake)
Dolder (Gahanna Lincoln)
Kirkbride (GlenOak)
Kiousis (Medina)
Harrison (Fairfield)
Durkalec (Midpark)
Rizer (Marion Harding)
Gerome (VASJ)
Ford (Walsh Jesuit)
Newsom (Toledo St. John)
Cameron (Hilliard)
Ranallo (Mayfield)
Richner (Painesville Riverside)
Hunter (Sandusky)
Knudsen (West Chester Lakota)
Fichter (McFarland)
Olinger (New Philadelphia)
Parks (Toledo St. Francis)
Hollo (Cincinnati St. Xavier)
Hemsath (Cincinnati Elder)
Bukowski (Toledo Whitmer)

Sometimes when you begin to analyze a weight class that seems very complicated and difficult, there’s suddenly that one flash of insight that makes everything clear. Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened here, and I remain as befuddled as before. There are just so many possibilities that it’s difficult even to accurately assess what are high-probability events. At any rate, my choice is the undefeated St. Edward’s senior Herb Russell, who qualified last year at 103#. Already the champ at the OCC (third time) and North Canton tournaments, he brings a cerebral, analytic approach to the sport. An excellent student, he always seems to do better the second time he wrestles an opponent. His biggest shortcomings might be physical strength and a propensity for injury. Last year he lost in the quarter-finals although he had apparently pinned his opponent for the last 70 seconds of the bout. He cannot afford to get behind this year.

Russell faces a great field even with the defections of Allen and Barden to 112#. At Hilliard, Benjamin, Dolder, Rizer, and Cameron will vie for only three qualifying spots. They each are excellent wrestlers, and the draw may play an important role in who advances. Benjamin has been flat-out excellent all year, wrestling with great confidence. Rumors persist that he may drop to 112#, but I’ve rated him second here. At the Cincinnati Holiday Tournament, he was voted tourney MVP after defeating state qualifier Barden, state runner-up Allen, and state champion Noble in succession. Dolder wrestles a lot of low-scoring bouts and has lost only to Benjamin, while Rizer and Cameron have won several major tournaments apiece. Also good are Olinger and Sarge (East Liverpool), but their chances seem somewhat remote. However, Olinger was a state alternate last year and could surprise. MacKinnon (East Liverpool), who might have ended up here, broke his arm and will miss the rest of the season.

It’s a dynamite field at Perry. There are at least five standout competitors with several other possibilities lurking in the background. My favorite is the wonderful sophomore Chris Minick, who last year was one of only two freshmen to qualify for state competition above 103#. A real dynamo, he can score lots of points in a hurry. Kirkbride is extremely slender and tall and uses body length to real advantage. Last year he was 27-1 going into Districts where he failed to make weight, ending what had been a brilliant season. This year he has been a little erratic, for example, losing in the first round of the MIT and then winning seven consecutive bouts to finish third, including victories over four state qualifiers. A big plus is his pinning ability, which gets him back into lots of bouts. Down by six to Minick the first time, he won on a late fall but was unable to repeat that in their second meeting, which he lost. Kiousis, a two-time state qualifier, is a fooler. He always does better than I predict, so by my reckoning, he should place high at States. A winner at the incredibly difficult MIT, he does well because he appears comfortable and mistake-free in tense, low-scoring bouts. He’ll probably have ample opportunity to demonstrate that quality this year. Ford was fourth last year at 103#, and yet he’ll have a real struggle qualifying. Only a sophomore, he must learn to wrestle bigger, stronger kids, and he is working well toward that goal. Don’t count him out. Fichter is something of the unknown in this star-studded cast, but he is also excellent. He beat Ford to win at Coventry and won handily at Perry while finishing a strong third at Tiffin. He is a strong dark horse in this field. At the same time, McFarland, who had been the starter, is about recovered from a knee injury and may supplant Fichter. Other possibilities are excellent wrestlers like Rhodes (Cuyahoga Falls), Tiggett (Warren Harding), and Ferrar (Akron Kenmore), but their chances are really limited with this strong a field.

At Dayton, only Harrison would seem to have placement potential. He should dominate a relatively weak field at this district, and that title could well give him a good slot in the state draw. Knudsen, possibly down from 119#, is probably second-best here, but the rest of the cast is quite weak. I’ve listed Hollo and Hemsath, but those last two qualifying spots are up for grabs. Davis (Oxford Talawanda) and Rudd (Piqua) are other possibilities. A notable absentee will be Aaron Armstrong (Fairborn Baker), who was fourth at 112# last year but decided not to compete this season. He’d have been a top contender again this year.

At Mentor, Russell will face some strong competition, too. Durkalec won easily at Brecksville and has come on strong. He doesn’t wrestle a schedule that puts him up against most of the other top contenders, so he remains a little bit of a mystery. Last year he lost a state trip by 2 points to third-in-the-state Gustovich. Ranallo was a district semi-finalist last year, but then lost twice and was eliminated. He has done well at 125# all year and will be very tough at this weight. Right behind him for that last qualifying spot are Richner and Gerome. Richner, a state qualifier as a freshman, lost twice last year at Districts and went home early. This year he won handily at Richmond Hts. and lost by a point in the finals at Kenston to Barden. Gerome was third at the OCC, beating Ford in the process. Last year a tough overtime loss eliminated him early at Mentor, but he should go much further this time. Carver (Valley Forge) is an outside choice here, while state qualifier Whitman (Berea) would seem to have no chance. Of course, I would have said that last year, too.

At the Rogers District, only Newsom appears to have any chance at state placement. At the large GMVWA, he was voted Outstanding Wrestler (OW) for defeating two small-school state placers and the Kentucky State Champion. However, he was fifth at the OGG. Hunter could be an upset specialist from this District. Now at 125#, he appears to have both speed and power, but his results have not been commensurate with the apparent talent. He will need to be carefully considered by all opponents. Parks, Bukowski, Allison (Toledo Bowsher), and Meyer (Toledo Rogers) are among the contenders for the third spot.

125#

PROJECTED CHAMPION: John Marchette (North Canton Hoover)

TOP CONTENDERS:

John Marchette (North Canton Hoover)
Vaughn (St. Ignatius)
Hickin (Kent Roosevelt)
Gustovich (St. Edward)
Kern (Maumee)
Philiphs (North Olmsted)
Lawhorn (West Carrollton)
Lovejoy (East Liverpool)
Sackett (Akron North)
Combs (Fairborn Baker)
Stevenson (Massillon Perry)
Miller (Ashland)
Schillig (Gahanna Lincoln)
Knight (Shaker Hts.)
Carroll (St. Xavier)
Griffith (Dublin)
Torres (Lorain Southview)
Ashton (Perrysburg)
Whitaker (Warren Harding)
Walton (Austintown Fitch)
Glover (Toledo St. Francis)
Tye/Bonner (Cincinnati Princeton)
Allbaugh (Groveport)

This is a weight class that features a variety of styles and, as such, the state draw will, in my mind, be critical to the final outcome. My choice is the non-stop senior, John Marchette, who goes six of the hardest minutes in Ohio. It is a frenetic pace that wears down most opponents, especially in combination with Marchette’s great strength and exceptional takedowns. A fourth-place finisher last year, Marchette’s only defeat this season was to two-time Division III champ, Matt Dernlan.

Vaughn, a qualifier last year as a freshman, is by contrast a down-tempo wrestler who utilizes the legs. Injured part of this season, he is just beginning to regain his conditioning. He won at both Solon and Brunswick and lost to Gustovich (whom he defeated at Districts last year) in the OGG final. Gustovich is a tough, grind-out wrestler who never quits and whose slick little single is outstanding. He has been third the last two years and could well do so for a third time.

Kern was fourth last year, losing to Gustovich in the consolation finals at 119#. Much smoother than the other three, he has not wrestled a very demanding schedule so far this year, which may leave him less prepared for the rigors of the state bracket sheet. Finally, Hickin, the only non-state qualifier in this top group, has been marvelous, winning at both Kenston and Hudson with ease. He missed state qualification by a takedown last year, and that will not happen again. He is a very large 125# wrestler.

At Perry, Marchette and Hickin should dominate, but there are several other top-flight kids there. Sackett was fifth at Medina, losing only to Gustovich and Withrow (which he easily avenged), and is my favorite for the third qualifying spot. Walton is very good, but the person to really watch is state qualifier Whitaker. Up from 103#, he is a real “load” for anybody. If he drops to 119#, he could be a factor, although this district is very strong there, too. Stevenson, the Tiffin champ, faces an uphill struggle, but he already has defeated some top contenders, including Schilling. One who will be missing here is Chad Owens, the outstanding freshman from Walsh Jesuit. A fabulous youth wrestler, he made a very impressive high school start but apparently fell victim to academics. Watch for him next year.

At Mentor, Vaughn and Gustovich are strong, but they will not lack for competition. Philiphs may drop to 119#, but he has been excellent at 125#—winning at Brecksville. Knight nearly upset Gustovich at last year’s districts and contributes a dash of excitement at every meet he wrestles. Torres, Hayek (Midpark), and Pluhar (Maple Hts.) are all possibilities. I particularly like Torres should he get the right draw.

After Kern, the Rogers District does not look strong. Ashton was clobbered by Hickin 16-3 at Hudson, while Miller has been steady, but not spectacular. He has been second at the Ashland, Gorman, and Smithville tourneys—a kind of consistency that he would hope continues for the remainder of the year. Glover, fourth at the OCC, and Lindsey (Toledo Start) are other possibilities.

The Dayton District looks very weak, with Dobosh likely to stay at 130#, and thus, Lawhorn would appear to be the best of the rest. Combs has done reasonably well, while Carroll was a finalist at the Cincy Holiday. Besides this trio, either Tye or Bonner of Cincinnati Princeton could make an impact with Burns (Cincinnati Oakhills) or Sheperd (Xenia Beavercreek) as possibilities.

The Hilliard District is also weak, now that Rizor has moved to 119#. The top contender here is Lovejoy, who missed state qualification by a single point in the consolation finals at 130# last year. Now down at 125#, he was a strong second at the OVAC and appears ready to take a real shot at a state place. The Columbus duo of Schillig and Griffith are probably the top contenders for the last two spots, but that battle is really wide open. Certainly, Allbaugh has an excellent shot at qualification, with lesser chances for state qualifier Ireton (Logan) and Schultz (Westerville North).

130#

PROJECTED CHAMPION: DAN LEEMASTER (WALSH JESUIT)

TOP CONTENDERS

Dobosh (West Chester Lakota)
Gron (VASJ)
Nathanson (Shaker Hts.)
Grant (Westerville North)
Bulugaris (Xenia Beavercreek)
Smith (Gahanna Lincoln)
Jackson (Dayton Patterson)
Reece (Toledo St. John)
Ortiz (Lorain Southview)
Geers (Cincinnati Mt. Healthy)
McCullough (Wapakoneta)
Daugherty (Ravenna)
Arnold (Cincinnati St. Xavier)
White (Akron North)
Caldwell (Groveport)
Liberti (Alliance)
Camp (Troy)
Medina (Perrysburg)
Lewis (Reynoldsburg)
Weisner (Holland Springfield)

Defending state champion Dan Leemaster should dominate what is otherwise a relatively weak weight class. Already committed to Michigan, Leemaster stands out as one of the top half dozen seniors in the state. However, he is not upset-proof, as was clearly demonstrated by a Parkersburg sophomore, but that defeat is not likely to be replicated during this season. When he wrestles with concentrated fury, like in the first period with Gustovich in the dual or after Dobosh put him on his back at the MIT, he is truly devastating. So, the key might be simply staying focused on the task at hand—not always easy when you’re usually way ahead.

Leemaster emerges from a district with lots of journeymen wrestlers, but no one else that really stands out. I’ve listed Daugherty, White, and Liberti, and they all would make reasonable state qualifiers, but with, perhaps, very little placement potential. Other possibilities are Stahl (Medina) and Harris (Uniontown Lake).

Dobosh had Leemaster on his back at Medina, but that turned out to be a mistake as Leemaster unleashed a furious assault resulting in the fall. Except for that, Dobosh, fifth last year, remains undefeated. Rumors abound about a possible drop to 125#, but there would seem to be little gain—except for a much easier district competition. Dayton has the best and deepest field at this weight, including the steady Bulugaris, state qualifier Jackson, the undefeated Geers, Arnold, and Camp. Bulugaris won at both the GMVWA and Beavercreek and lost in the finals to Division II pick Calhoun at the Cincy Holiday. He may not be explosive enough for the top quintet. Jackson went 29-4 last year, but lost an overtime bout in the first round at States, which seemed to indicate a conditioning problem. Jackson handily beat Geers in first-round district action last year, but it may be a lot closer this year, while Camp is duplicating last year’s fine record. Gaskins (Vandalia-Butler) is also a solid candidate here. This will be a very good competition, where some state-caliber wrestlers will be left home.

Frankly, I had some trouble coming up with the requisite 21 names at this weight—that’s almost never a problem—and it’s because of some real weaknesses at the Mentor, Hilliard, and Rogers Districts. For example, state qualifier Nathanson and state alternate Gron stand out at Mentor, with Ortiz certainly a strong third choice. After that, there just didn’t seem to be anywhere near the usual Mentor District quality. It may be an opportunity for folks at other weights to think about. Anyhow, Nathanson is up from 112# and may be mulling a move down to 125#. There seems to be no good reason to do so. He is undefeated at 130# and with the right draw could be a possible finalist. Gron could well fit that same mold—losing only to Leemaster in the OCC and Coventry finals. Ortiz is also strong, and it’s difficult to guess who might even challenge this trio. Incidentally, state champ Van Cucha last year pinned Ortiz in 25 seconds in the consolation semi-finals and Gron in 26 seconds in the consolation finals for the final state berth. The third-place finisher here could be a finalist in 1991, as well.

Grant leads the Hilliard District, although the really good people have hammered him hard in the past. Smith is a strong second choice with placement potential. He won at Tiffin and Gahanna. Caldwell is my third pick, with Lewis somewhat behind—he pinned Smith earlier in the year but will have difficulty qualifying for States. Davis (Hilliard) and Ongalibong (Marion Harding) should both be here and could be a factor.

State qualifier Reece is the best out of the Rogers District, with the sophomore McCullough somewhat behind. Reece has lost to Gron, Arnold twice, and Gaskins among others, but has an uncanny knack for coming back and grabbing a high place. Medina is a possible third choice, but it could just about be anybody. The best 130# in this area is probably Todd Hicks—who was third in Division III as a freshman at Stritch, a Division I state qualifier as a sophomore at Toledo St. John, but is now a standout for Bedford, Michigan. He would have had placement potential here.

135#

PROJECTED CHAMPION: STEVE ST. JOHN (VASJ)

TOP CONTENDERS:

Miller (Oregon Clay)
Chandler (St. Edward)
Franklin (Walsh Jesuit)
Dodson (Hilliard)
Giovonozzo (Akron North)
K. LaCure (North Canton Hoover)
Kosarko (Maple Hts.)
Guillozet (Greenville)
Graham (Perrysburg)
Jageman (Fairborn Baker)
Downward (Westerville North)
Zinkan (Cincinnati Moeller)
Anderson (Pickerington)
Lazzara (Sandusky)
Furlong (Warren Howland)
Sperber (Cincinnati Elder)
Immel (Franklin Hts.)
Stackhouse (West Chester Lakota)
Turner (Cleveland Hts.)
White (Youngstown Boardman)

Steve St. John is one of the best wrestlers in Ohio and is a virtual certainty to capture his second consecutive state crown. Unbeaten during the past two years, St. John has really dominated since his sophomore year when only the presence of three-time state champ Shawn Nelson kept him from going unbeaten that year as well. As I said last year, he is not particularly flashy, but his mistake-free technique just gives his opponent no opening to exploit. He will be a superior collegiate wrestler at Arizona State and I’m anxious to measure his progress in the collegiate ranks.

I thought Chandler might have been the most physical sophomore wrestler I had ever seen last season. He just kept reminding me of the words Howard Ferguson had used at our last luncheon meeting when he said, “you are really going to like the way this little Chandler wrestles—he is really something.” He had everything but good luck, losing to St. John four times (but who doesn’t) and then missing state qualification because of some horrible strategic decisions (for which the coaches get blamed). Now he’s back with St. John again, and he has not wrestled with the same intensity I saw last year. Somehow that indefinable spark just doesn’t seem to be there. The one exception was the dual meet with Walsh where he exhibited much of his past physicality in defeating state place winner Franklin. A big plus is that he should be away from St. John at States.

The third Mentor qualifier is likely to be the excellent sophomore, Kosarko, who has blossomed into a standout competitor. He may not win it this year, but he still has two more chances to make good on his exceptional promise. There is little depth after this trio.

Miller was fifth last year at 130# and has been devastating all year, winning by huge margins everywhere. The right draw could make him a finalist, but it would be an enormous upset for him to defeat St. John. There is a large drop-off at the Rogers District after him, with Graham and Lazzara nominal choices for the last two spots. Sneider (Toledo Central Catholic) and Hasenaur (Holland Springfield) are two other possibilities.

Franklin placed sixth last year at 140# and has dropped a weight class this year—although with some difficulty. He won at Medina but failed to make weight at the OCC—certainly a sign of his struggle. He has lost to St. John and split with Chandler among the top group, delivering a consistently good effort. The unorthodox Giovonozzo, an old teammate from last year, is back this year for Akron North. He was a state quarter-finalist last year, and his very unusual moves are difficult to combat when seen for the first time. He will be a real problem for those from other parts of the state. State qualifier LaCure has moved from 119# to 135# and remained effective. Dobosh beat him by a point to deny him a place last season. There is good depth at Perry with Furlong and White, both excellent wrestlers from the Youngstown area, and Wright (Ravenna).

State qualifier Dodson parallels LaCure in moving up three weight classes, and he, too, lost a hard-fought battle to Dobosh at States last year. Up till now, he has gone at 140#—winning at Hilliard and Gahanna and finishing fourth at the MIT. His losses there were to the top pair of 140s in Division I, Strunk and Sabo. Behind him, the Hilliard District is very shaky with a lot of unproven talent. I like Downward the best of this group.

At Dayton, the field is in total disarray. Guillozet is a state qualifier who has wrestled well and may be the best state placement candidate. Jageman, Zinkan, and Sperber are other top choices to qualify. An intriguing possibility is Stackhouse, who has just dropped to 135# with very positive results. He could be a factor in the team competition if he can qualify out of this relatively weak district.

140#

PROJECTED CHAMPION: BRIAN STRUNCK (WEST CHESTER LAKOTA)

TOP CONTENDERS

Sabo (Walsh Jesuit)
Fetter (Marion Harding)
Tammerine (Perrysburg)
Grammes (Strongsville)
Curry (Cincinnati Mt. Healthy)
Saxton (Akron North)
B. LaCure (North Canton Hoover)
Clement (St. Edward)
Seesholtz (Hilliard)
Gearheart (Vandalia Butler)
Merrill (Elyria)
Evans (Dayton Col. White)
Kirby (Tiffin)
Bertone (Painesville Riverside)
Turba (Maple Hts.)
Craft (Galloway Westland)
Roche (St. Ignatius)
Marinelli (West Carrollton)
Crockrel (Toledo St. John)
Link (Wadsworth)
Bloomer (Toledo Start)
Polson (Xenia Beavercreek)
Tibolla (Austintown Fitch)
Tran (Findlay)

I face a real dilemma when it comes to the top choice here at 140#. In my own mind, Eric Sabo seems an easy choice after a sparkling fourth-place finish last year and an outstanding season this year marred only by an upset loss to Homer Wright. A great pinner, Sabo ends a lot of bouts early — a major advantage during long, arduous tourneys. And yet, every uninvolved coach tells me that Strunck will win because Sabo is “perfect” for his style. Not that Strunck doesn’t have good credentials, including previous state qualification and this year’s MIT title. My concern is that Strunck — not a pinner — wrestles more low-scoring bouts, which certainly increases the risk factor. I do believe Strunck has more chance of being the victim of an upset than Sabo. However, when the preponderance of choice is so great on one side, I’ll string along with Strunck but will not be at all surprised should Sabo triumph.

Strunck wrestles in the most crowded district, featuring a number of possible state qualifiers. Curry was one bout from state qualification last year and has but a single loss this season. He, too, is a pinner. Gearheart, Evans, and Marinelli are also steady performers with reasonable chances for qualification but not places. Polson, on the other hand, is more up-and-down but on successive good weekends could qualify and place. Other possibilities are Blazer (Cincinnati LaSalle) and Mays (Fairfield).

Sabo, however, exits from the most talent-laden area. No one, not even Sabo, has a guaranteed ticket out of Perry. Grammes, a state qualifier at 125# last year, has wrestled very well all year, including a big win at Brunswick. The very physical Saxton has kept me puzzled all year with different weights and results each week. He is really “on the bubble” at this district. LaCure, just a sophomore, has loads of talent and might be Sabo’s toughest challenger. He has been awesome lately and could have been ranked as high as third. Both Tibolla and Link are Top Twenty material, but that will not be good enough to get to States. I suspect some of this group may look at the somewhat easier 145# district as a possibility here.

Fetter was pinned by Sabo in the first round of States and never got back in the competition — although this year he will. He is a fierce competitor with an undefeated record and he will be a tough challenger against the top duo. I’m not sure what to think about Seesholtz. He was a great third at 145# at the MIT and otherwise lost only to Smith (narrowly) at that weight. Then he moves down to 140# and loses to St. Ed’s second-stringer (albeit a very good one) at Licking Hts. Like Fetter, he, too, qualified at 130# last year, losing to him 11-8 in the finals. That differential may be greater this year. Craft is a distant third choice, and after him, there is total confusion. Possibilities might be Hupp (Gahanna Lincoln) or Rice (Mount Vernon).

Tammerine stands out at the Rogers District, but placing him fourth overall may be a stretch. I was really impressed with his Hudson victory, including a last-round fall over Saxton, but he has not wrestled a strenuous schedule after that. Still, the victories have piled up in impressive fashion, indicating that his rating might not be so far off after all. The rest of this district is really mediocre at best. Kirby and Crockrel are my next two, but they won’t win a bout at States. There are probably better people that I’ve missed, but right now it’s not clear who they might be. I’ve listed Tran and Bloomer, or maybe Russ (Defiance) is the answer.

The Mentor District is unusual in that there are a number of journeyman wrestlers, but nobody really outstanding. This makes two consecutive years that this district has floundered at this weight. An exception might be Clement, who seems finally ready to make good on the early promise he showed. He started slow with a third at North Canton and a fifth at the MIT but was a tough third at the OCC, losing only to Sabo. He has placement possibilities. Merrill is good, but something always seems to go wrong. Still, he should qualify. Bertone and Turba are the journeyman types I mentioned earlier, while Roche has lost five times but is always in a match. Roche could possibly drop all the way to 130#, although that may still not really improve his qualification chances.

145#

PROJECTED CHAMPION: RICHARD FOSTON (NORTH CANTON HOOVER)

TOP CONTENDERS

Ovall (Holland Springfield)
Smith (Dayton Wayne)
Shanklin (Fairfield)
Lawless (Xenia Beavercreek)
Geese (Dublin)
Wilson (Stow)
Retherford (Ravenna)
Oden (Cleveland Hts.)
Tiberi (Gahanna Lincoln)
Zellner (Mansfield)
Beres (St. Edward)
Mohr (Delaware Hayes)
Swagler (Harrison)
Anderson (Oregon Clay)
Chiudoni (Massillon Perry)
Bennett (Elyria)
Chawdry (Hilliard)
Mahaffey (Toledo Macomber)
Pangallo (Cincinnati Oakhills)
Page (Maple Hts.)

Santa Claus came early at North Canton this year, and the prize package he delivered was Richard Foston. While at Bridgeport the past two seasons, Foston finished fourth and second in Division III, losing a 6-5 heartbreaker in last year’s final. Already the possessor of speed, strength, and good skills, Foston has been dramatically improved by veteran coach Walt Tolarchyk. Long recognized as one of the absolute best in Ohio, Tolarchyk has transformed Foston into a polished product who should take the big school crown this year. Only Division II Becks is in the same league as Foston, and a matchup somewhere between these two would be fun.

The Perry District contains two enigmas. First, Wilson, the last of that fine wrestling family, has had an up-and-down career already—and he’s only a junior. A state qualifier as a freshman, Wilson did not compete in the tournament process last year despite a 21-2 regular season record. This year, he won handily at Hudson but was upset at Brunswick and wound up third. Rumors persist that he may go 140#, but he should really do better here. Retherford was a state qualifier two years ago at 103#, but has campaigned all year at 152#. He has had some injuries but won the Solon Tourney rather easily. He should be at 145#, and as he grows into his new, larger body, he could become very good. Chiudoni, Jardine (Strongsville), and Denholm (Akron Springfield) are other thoughts.

State fifth-place finisher Ovall returns at 145# for his junior year and certainly has finalist potential. He totally dominates his district, which may not be totally positive in terms of developing conditioning and mental toughness. The trio of Zellner, Anderson, and Mahaffey are the best I could find, but they will not cause other qualifiers to lose much sleep. Farrell (Mansfield Madison) and Mayes (Toledo Central Catholic) are other possibilities.

State qualifier Smith has lost only to Division II standout Bryant in a bout that many saw him for the most part dominating. He is a big 145# and has lots of experience. He could possibly be a finalist. Shanklin won both the Cincy Holiday and Kenston at 152# and then crushed good opposition to win the Fairfield at 145#. He is a force to be reckoned with and may well surpass Smith. Lawless is one of these refugees from the holocaust at Xenia High School. Unbelievably, they have canceled all sports for at least one year, dismantling the once proud Xenia wrestling team in the process. Using every possible tool, these wrestlers have fled to Beavercreek and Bellbrook in order to compete. Lawless’ older brother is starring at Bellbrook, while he continues to perform wonderfully well here—and it can’t be easy. Incidentally, Toledo is likely to be next in this latest round of budget cutting. Lawless beat Geese to win the Cincy Holiday and also won the GMVWA and Beavercreek. His only loss was to Foston, and he, too, has strong placement potential. After this excellent trio, the quality drops sharply. I’ve listed Swagler and Pangallo, but there are a number of other possible contenders.

Defending district champ Geese (at 135# last year) returns to head a strong field. Streets missed qualification by one bout, as did Mohr. Tiberi also has good experience, and that is already one more excellent contender than spots available. An even more intriguing possibility is Chawdry, who campaigned with good success at 171#, but now, with Dodson and Seesholtz dropping, has moved down to 145#. There hasn’t been a lot of interaction within this group so far, which makes it difficult to establish a pecking order. I think Geese is reasonably safe for qualification, with Streets and Tiberi both shaky—I’d be surprised if both made it.

The Mentor District shouldn’t have a place winner here. Oden is very strong, but seems to have real lapses out on the mat. Beres is a fine wrestler and overall athlete, but seems to lose every close bout he wrestles. Bad luck and injuries have plagued him. After that, it’s really wide open. There is substantial opportunity here for some of the excess 152s.

152#

PROJECTED CHAMPION: JOE PLOUSE (AKRON NORTH)

TOP CONTENDERS

Gron (VASJ)
Dennis (Fairfield)
Cummings (Dublin)
Riklik (New Philadelphia)
Ramsey (Shaw)
Hiller (Centerville)
Boston (Stow)
Franklin (Lorain Southview)
DeYarmon (Buckeye Local)
Tobin (Clayton Northmont)
Ruddy (Toledo Central Catholic)
Taylor (Xenia Beavercreek)
Turns (Uniontown Lake)
Miller (Valley Forge)
Ryan (Hilliard)
Odita (Upper Arlington)
Jankowski (Toledo Whitmer)
Dobson (Norwood)
Olson (Holland Springfield)
Markham (Ashland)

This is an extremely fine weight class featuring four returning state place winners and eight returning state qualifiers, and yet, it really looks like no contest. State runner-up Joe Plouse has advanced to a higher plateau unmatched by any other in this field. Undefeated this year, he destroyed a good Medina field and roared through Hudson despite a fine effort by Division III contender Futo. Last year he lost the 145# title to Jim Andrassy in a hard-fought 4-2 bout, and that small margin is all the more impressive when we examine the sensational freshman year Jimmy is having at Kent State. Yes, it’s a fine field, but Plouse should dominate.

There are at least four solid contenders for the runner-up spot. One is Chad Gron, fourth last year at 135#, who has grown into a relatively small, but extremely effective 152#. Undefeated and really almost untested, he should dominate the Mentor District. It’s an interesting field behind him. Ramsey began the year virtually unknown, yet won at Brunswick over Cummings and lost to the Pennsylvania state champ by only two points at North Canton. It’s hard to know if he’s for real, but so far nobody has convinced me that he’s not. The sophomore Franklin is another one of those prodigies we see so often at Lorain Southview. A district qualifier last year, he has lots of tools. The extremely angular Miller is a possibility, but the weight may be a real problem for him. Other possibilities are Lima (North Olmsted), Tenaglia (St. Edward), and maybe Vernon (Mentor).

A second potential finalist is Dennis, fifth last year at this weight. He won both the Cincy Holiday and the Kenston at 160# and was equally effective at 152# at Fairfield. State qualifier Hiller and Tobin are strong opponents at Dayton, but are probably a good half dozen points behind Dennis. Kaleb Taylor, another victim from Xenia, could well gain the fourth qualifying spot. He has just joined the team within the past month. Dobson is also excellent, while Jackson (Cincinnati St. Xavier) and Whalen (Cincinnati Moeller) are long shots.

A third possible finalist is Cummings. He was sixth last year, losing to Robbins and Petche back-to-back before falling to Dennis for fifth. He’s had some tough luck this year, losing 9-7 to Ramsay at Brunswick and 8-7 to Shanklin at the Cincy Holiday. He’ll be ready by March. There is good depth at Hilliard. State qualifier Riklik is excellent and is, himself, the fourth potential finalist. He suffers from a slightly under-nourished schedule for a team that must compete at the Division I level. DeYarmon, a Division II district champ and state quarter-finalist, is a slight favorite for the third qualifying spot. He’ll be challenged by Ryan and Odita from the Columbus area, each of whom has scored some big upsets. Pomeroy (East Liverpool) is also a factor here, while Wahoff (Pickerington) cannot be overlooked. It will be a real donnybrook at this district.

At Perry, Plouse should have little trouble with state qualifier Boston, who heads the rest of a not very strong field. I’ve given Turns a nod for the third spot, but it’s really wide open. Xeloures (Massillon Jackson) is the first wrestler whose last name begins with “X” ever to be in this report, but that probably will not be a great help toward qualification.

At Rogers, there just is not much to discuss. Ruddy is just down from 160# and he appears to be the best candidate here. I’ve also listed Davis, Olson, and Markham, but this is probably not a good example of fact-based decision-making. Two other possibilities are Dadzie (Toledo St. Francis) and Davis (Perrysburg).

160#

PROJECTED CHAMPION: RICH HEPP (ST. EDWARD)

TOP CONTENDERS:

Deer (Toledo Waite)
King (West Chester Lakota)
See (Galloway Westland)
Drake (Oregon Clay)
Beasom (Warren Howland)
Ruiz (Lorain Southview)
Caraffi (Strongsville)
Calihan (Hamilton)
Seymour (Hilliard)
Schilling (Sylvania Southview)
Lunardi (Willoughby South)
Fickes (Centerville)
Knaul (Gahanna Lincoln)
Sheck (Euclid)
Hawker (Perrysburg)
Poulos (Akron North)
Sweet (Dayton Wayne)
Leonard (Cloverleaf)
Smith (Sidney)
Carroll (Westerville North)

It just didn’t seem right that two of Ohio’s finest seniors would face off at 171#, so I’m pleased that Rich Hepp decided to drop to 160#. I really think it’s his natural weight and it provides him with his best shot at a state title. Last year, a freak home injury kept him out the last half of the season after a tremendous start. He had lost only to two-time state champ Genovese in Ohio and even then, lost an 8-2 lead. This year, both of his losses have been to defending state and national champ Mollica — one a third-period blowout at Medina, the other a tight 8-6 dual loss decided by a takedown in the last 20 seconds. Extremely intelligent, Hepp should, with one big exception, dominate this field through a combination of exceptional physical tools and analytical skills.

At Mentor, Hepp should cruise to the championship with only Lolly Ruiz as a possible contender. Since they compete at the same sectional, they’ll be apart at the District level. Ruiz is very physical and has good state placement potential. After him, there is a big gulf before competitors like Lunardi, Sheck, and Boiani (Valley Forge) appear.

The one real threat to Hepp is Josh Deer, third at 160# last year. He is yet another contender who dropped from 171# and his speed and power will be difficult to neutralize. Very confident, he can be extremely flashy on the mat, but it’s backed up by some solid skills. He has some terrific head and arm combinations. Last year he lost 7-6 in the first round and then won three relatively easy bouts for third. Drake was fifth at this weight last year and has been even better this year, losing only to Deer. Schilling and Hawker are the best candidates for the last spot, with Kokensparger (Holland Springfield) a long shot. This district will send three fine wrestlers at 160#.

A possible threat to Hepp is likely to come from King, who also just dropped to 160#. His only loss was a technical fall to Mollica in the MIT finals and he will be very difficult for everyone at this weight. A state qualifier at 160# last year, he appeared to have first-round jitters and lost a tough overtime match. A victory there might have made him a finalist. Calihan lost an overtime bout to King in the consolation semi-finals, costing him a state appearance last year, but he should rebound well this year. Fickes has lost only to top contenders like Dennis, while Sweet has been a consistent placer. That would leave state qualifier Smith at home the second weekend in March. Other possibilities are Hall (Dayton Patterson) and Margioras (Xenia Beavercreek).

See has been very consistent at both 171# and 160# this year and he has finalist potential. His only loss was an overtime defeat to state third-place finisher Josh Deer at 171#. He’ll be very tough at this weight. Seymour has been solid all year, winning at Hilliard and Gahanna and missing the MIT finals by a single point. Knaul is also good, losing a 15-13 shootout to Seymour earlier and dropping a 4-point bout to Drake at Tiffin. This trio should all qualify with Carroll as a possible dark horse.

There’s an interesting mix of candidates at Perry. Beasom may be the best wrestler in the Warren-Youngstown area and has definite placement possibilities. Caraffi was a district finalist last year at this weight while only a sophomore. He beat Farmer in the semi-finals before losing to McKean. Then at States, he took a first-round exit, while Farmer went on to place second. This year he has lost a number of close, low-scoring bouts, none of which taken singly mean much. However, they do paint an overall picture that is not as positive as anticipated in terms of improvement. Even so, this district is relatively weak with this top duo trailed by Poulos, Leonard, and a host of others.

171#

PROJECTED CHAMPION: MARK MOLLICA (WALSH JESUIT)

TOP CONTENDERS

Keiner (North Canton Hoover)
Hager (East Liverpool)
Spaulding (Miamisburg)
Robinson (Worthington)
Eckle (Upper Arlington)
Kocsis (North Ridgeville)
Auerbach (Bedford)
Sawyer (Strongsville)
Hoy (North Olmsted)
Westerbeck (Sidney)
Patrilla (Toledo St. Francis)
Joyce (Dayton Wayne)
Yuskewich (Cincinnati St. Xavier)
Nolfi (Youngstown Boardman)
Materni (Holland Springfield)
Palmer (Logan)
Peterson (Pickerington)
Cohen (Brush)
Salter (Toledo St. John)
Pontius (Toledo Bowsher)

After the Larry Kaufman upset loss last year at 189# snapped a decade-long string of correct choices, this is now the weight class in Division I where I’ve chosen the most consecutive winners. That streak is certainly not in jeopardy in 1991 with Mark Mollica now an overwhelming favorite to capture his second consecutive state title. Mollica cruised to his first championship last year—pinning in the finals—and then went on to take the Junior Nationals last summer. Undefeated the past two years, it has been a real pleasure watching him develop from a promising freshman to one of the top high school performers in the country. His pinning ability may also be a crucial element in Walsh’s favor should the team competition be as tight as forecasted. One other interesting sidelight is that a Mentor District qualifier has won the last four state titles at 125#, 145#, and 171#, but none will be favored at these weights in 1991.

The second finalist at this weight could also come from the Perry District. State qualifier Keiner will have the advantage of being “away” from Mollica in the state bracket, and with Hepp, Deer, and King moving to 160#, he has good finalist chances. Keiner has lost only to Hepp (twice) and Mollica this year and has shown good improvement. There will be a real dogfight for the last spot, featuring four possible contenders. These include the blocky Sawyer, who won two district bouts last year; the pin-or-be-pinned Nolfi; the fine sophomore Mims (Ravenna); and Gash (GlenOak).

State qualifier Hager leads the Hilliard contingent and had been perfect this year until an injury default at the OVAC. Assuming full recovery, he should be poised for a high state place. Just about as good is state qualifier Robinson, who lost to Hager in last year’s district. He split two bouts with King—before King dropped to 160#—and has been a bright star for Worthington. Eckle is also excellent, winning at Beavercreek (over Westerbeck), Brunswick, and Upper Arlington. He, too, has placement potential. This would eliminate both Palmer and Peterson, who might well qualify at most other districts.

Spaulding was a state quarter-finalist last year and has been solid this season as well. He pinned Joyce to win the Wayne Invitational but suffered his only loss to Westerbeck, 13-12, at Troy. Westerbeck is my second choice at this district, while Yuskewich and Joyce make up my picks for the four qualifying spots. Yuskewich, just down from 189#, was fourth at the OCC. Other possibilities are Pater (Fairfield), Johnston (Wilmington), and Zang (Cincinnati Oakhills). If Walker (West Chester Lakota) moves to this weight, he could well be a factor.

At Mentor, state alternates Kocsis and Auerbach lead the way. Kocsis and Myers form a great one-two punch for North Ridgeville, and I’m sure they push each other in the room. Auerbach had a great sophomore season last year but has not looked quite as good this year—although injuries have played a part. At this weight, he probably has the most upside potential. Hoy and Cohen should battle for the last qualifying spot, and one of them will be a tough first-round candidate for some other district champ.

Now that Deer has moved to 160#, the Rogers District is in total disarray. Patrilla and Materni are probably marginally the best, but that is not saying a whole lot. I’ve also listed Salter and Pontius and evaluate Wampler (Perrysburg) as having, perhaps, the most upset potential. The rest of the 171s will be hoping to draw into this district.

189#

PROJECTED CHAMPION: JERMAIN DANIELS (DAYTON WAYNE)

TOP CONTENDERS

Rivera (Oregon Clay)
Eaton (Groveport)
Uphouse (Hilliard)
Ostholthoff (Cincinnati Moeller)
Myers (North Ridgeville)
Caniglia (Hudson)
Lisco (St. Edward)
Dekany (Sylvania Southview)
Dudley (Clayton Northmont)
Rosser (Lancaster)
Cook (North Olmsted)
Grant (Sandusky)
Davidson (Xenia Beavercreek)
Altman (Holland Springfield)
Lindimore (Westerville North)
Yates (VASJ)
Smith (Wooster)
Wilson (Youngstown Boardman)
Mendoza (Lorain Southview)
Walker/Uhl (West Chester Lakota)
Pelton (Gahanna Lincoln)
Turley (Massillon)
Habel (Toledo Whitmer)
Anderson (Newark)

With a 4-3 victory in the state finals, Jermaine Daniels capped his junior season with a 35-0 record and a coveted state title. An enormous 189#, he wears down opponents and last year seemed to own the third period. This year he has been very impressive, but not perfect. Lonny Rivera, the senior from Clay, caught him as he worked a cradle and “stuck him” in the finals at Tiffin. Just as interesting was Daniels’ narrow escape over Division II star Philiphs at the St. John’s Invitational, pulling out a 9-8 triumph. So, he’s not invincible, but it will take a mammoth effort to dethrone him—although, I believe, there are several in this field capable of that effort.

Daniels exits a very fine district. The big junior Ostholthoff was a rare sophomore state qualifier at the heavier weights and accomplished it on a bad knee. Quite healthy this year, he blitzed the field at both the Cincy Holiday and OCC. However, Rivera eliminated him 12-2 in the first round last year. Dudley won at the GMVWA and missed state qualification by two points last year.

The fourth spot is probably the only one still unaccounted for. Davidson is the shrunk-down heavyweight. Maloney and Walker are also strong possibilities. Right on the fringes might be Thomas (Cincinnati Princeton).

As mentioned, Rivera upset Daniels and has wrestled an unblemished schedule so far—in fact, he has not really been pushed hard the entire year. That will likely continue through his district competition as well. It will only be at the state level that Rivera will begin to be pressured—and, of course, respond in kind. Dekany is a pinner and should back up Rivera in this area. At the state level, he’s going to have problems. The third slot will be a dogfight. My favorite is the recently shrunk-down Grant, who has wrestled heavyweight all year. He could be very tough at this weight class. Altman, Habel, Moreno (Fremont Ross), and Martin (Wapakoneta) could all be involved, too. Notable by his absence is state qualifier Michael Jackson (Toledo Scott), who was 32-3 last year as a junior. He apparently will not be competing.

State qualifiers Eaton, Uphouse, and Rosser all return at Hilliard and must be accorded favorites to qualify once again. Eaton is flat-out excellent and is a potential finalist. He has dominated all three tournaments entered and should go much farther than last year’s quarter-final effort. Uphouse, weighing only about 180#, has crushed everyone but Daniels (who tech falled him), including the championship at the MIT. On a comparative score basis, he has actually done better than Eaton. He faces a real dilemma, however. Clearly, the exodus of talent makes 171# look very attractive when you can make that weight. On the other hand, he has performed so brilliantly at 189# it doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense to change. Oh well, that’s why the coaches make the big money. Rosser is clearly on the bubble here. He was third at Tiffin and may be vulnerable to the likes of Lindimore, Pelton, Anderson, or Hysell (Galloway Westland).

Again, I would be surprised if any of the Mentor qualifiers are able to earn more than a low place. Myers, only a junior, has real talent, but his toughest matches have to be in the room with Kocsis. He may not be psychologically ready for the Daniels, Riveras, and Uphouses. Lisco, another junior, has made solid progress, and a low place is a distinct possibility. He doesn’t seem super strong to me. Cook, another reformed heavyweight, won the Brecksville and could be a factor even at the state level, but his big problem might be Yates, who hardly anyone has ever seen. A fine sophomore wrestler at Painesville Harvey last year, Yates went 18-7 but did not reach the district level. This season he transferred to St. Joseph and has improved dramatically under the tutelage of Coach John Storey—long recognized as one of the best developers of big men in the state. Yates won at Perry and was second at Coventry behind Turley. He was not able to compete at the OGG, but his progress has been rumored to be exceptional and he may be a qualifying threat. Other Mentor possibilities are Bolden (Midpark) and Cash (Elyria).

The weakest district is at Perry, where Caniglia looks easily to be the best. Two years ago, as a sophomore, Caniglia captured a sixth place thanks to an excellent effort and good bracketing. Last year he was a district semi-finalist, lost two quick bouts, and was gone. This year he should be a strong favorite to take the district crown, although a state place could be a stretch. After him, all is chaos. I’ve listed Smith, Wilson, and Turley, with the last mentioned maybe being a real “sleeper.” Susec (Geneva) is another candidate, but Geneva’s schedule really permits no true evaluation of their talent until tourney time.

HVY.

PROJECTED CHAMPION: ERIC POEHLER (HILLIARD)

TOP CONTENDERS

Green (Fremont Ross)
Rohrbacher (Worthington)
Middleton (Perrysburg)
Clay (Akron Firestone)
Miree (Cincinnati Princeton)
Terebeniec (St. Edward)
Hammerstein (Wapakoneta)
Patty (Mayfield)
Ross (Mentor)
Allen (Wooster)
Hansen (VASJ)
Jones (Groveport)
Esterle (Cloverleaf)
Wolford (Findlay)
Baytos (Youngstown Boardman)
Dillon (Troy)
Ogletree (Trotwood Madison)
Holmes (Berea)
Asher (Fairfield)
Robinson (Hamilton)

I have spent the entire season looking for good Division I heavyweights and I have not found very many. For whatever reason, there are probably five heavyweights in Division II that, competing here, would probably be considered favorites. One thing anyway, the competition should be even, unpredictable, and exciting, and it just may uncover that superior heavyweight who has been around the entire time, unrecognized by most of us.

My pick is the 220# dynamo from Hilliard, state qualifier Eric Poehler. He has won titles at Hilliard, Gahanna, and Licking Hts., and finished second at Medina to Ray Edmonds, a Division II competitor. Poehler is quick, well-schooled, and a pinner who has already defeated a number of the other top heavies. His cause would be helped with a state draw that didn’t contain a lot of the 275# heavyweight types.

The heavyweight that I really like is also at the Hilliard District, but Chris Rohrbacher lacks experience. Behind Bateman the past couple of years, he lacks experience in the tight bouts, but he is truly going to be outstanding. If he had one more year of varsity experience, he probably would have been my choice. He won at the Cincy Holiday and Worthington and lost a sudden-death bout to Edmonds at the MIT. If he keeps progressing, he could well surpass Poehler by March. Jones is a possible third choice at this district with Wilson (Marion Harding)—who has defeated Jones this year—and Jackson (Westerville North) as other possibilities.

Another real threat to Poehler is the mammoth Green. A state qualifier last year, he got “bombed” in the first round and eliminated. This year he is undefeated but probably still not consistently wrestling up to his potential. That entire Rogers District is strong. Middleton was also a first-round state loser who, like Poehler and Rohrbacher, has lost to Edmonds. He seems like definite placement potential. Anytime I see the name Hammerstein from Wapakoneta I know the boy will be big and strong. Jon is no exception, and he could be the third qualifier. Other possibilities include Wolford, McLaren (Toledo DeVilbiss), Crampton (Toledo Start), and Wojciechowski (Toledo Bowsher).

Clay heads a relatively weak Perry District. A state alternate last year, he has lost a couple of close bouts which have reduced his visibility. At Solon, Patty pinned him in the semis after being behind the entire bout, while at Hudson, Middleton hung a 3-2 semi-final loss on him. Clay did win at Coventry, pinning Hansen. Behind him are Allen (who also lost a close bout to Edmonds—who seems to have beaten every Division I heavyweight) and Esterle. There should be some upsets here with Baytos, Cogar (Uniontown Lake), and Zoul (Strongsville) possibly being involved.

State quarter-finalist Terebeniec heads the Mentor District, but he looks in need of a little retrofitting. Somehow, he doesn’t seem to have any shot at all, and only his incredible strength keeps him winning. The talent is clearly there, but somehow it has been hidden most of this year. He looks like he’s wrestling not to lose rather than going out and making his moves. Don’t forget he has beaten Rohrbacher twice this year, along with a number of other good heavyweights. Ross was second at North Canton, losing in the last seconds to Terebeniec, and then was runner-up at Brecksville to Fickell. Patty won at both Solon and Kenston and remains undefeated currently. Both these boys could create waves at the state level. Hansen is also a certain contender, while Holmes remains undefeated—including a big win over Dool. The huge Swift (Lakewood) is yet another possibility.

At Dayton, the cupboard seems almost bare. Miree has potential and could score at the state level. The rest of that area is not very strong.

TEAMS

Walsh Jesuit — While St. Edward has beaten them in both dual meets and tournaments during the season, the State confrontation will likely turn in a different direction. They have two sure champs in Mollica and Leemaster, and state placers Sabo and Franklin should score heavily as well. A key element is that at least one of the great freshmen—Johnson or Musser—needs to strongly contribute, but that looks like a reasonable possibility. If state placer Ford gets hot, or Williams does well at the weak 160# class, it could be a runaway.
St. Edward — If they are to win a state title for Greg Urbas, it will truly have to be a total effort. While Hepp and Russell are favorites, there is not the same level of surety as with the Walsh duo. Gustovich can score, but the two other big guns, Chandler and Terebeniec, have, at times, seemed listless. What could win it for St. Ed’s is if a couple of the next-level boys—like Jayne, Friedle, Clement, Beres, or Lisco—get hot, qualify, and score at States. The odds say that is unlikely. Remember, though, that the new consolation gives teams with depth like St. Edward and West Chester Lakota a much better chance to win.
West Chester Lakota — The big four of Grove, Dobosh, Strunck, and King could all be finalists, but that is pushing good fortune kind of hard. Still, Grove seems like a sure winner at 103#, while the other three are certainly very heavy potential scorers. They match up at three weights with Walsh—103#, 130#, and 140#—and need to win two of those. They also should qualify another four wrestlers out of their district, but whether that second quartet can score at the State level is very problematical. In perfect circumstances, they could win it all.
North Canton Hoover — Again, a team with two projected champions—Marchette and Foston—and some great potential in some other areas. Foston is a high-probability winner, but the linchpin of the team is Marchette. Should he do well, we could see heavy scoring from some of the others like Keiner, Billy LaCure, and Ken LaCure. In my mind, Bill LaCure is a key player. He has been red hot lately, and the 140# weight class is not super strong; a lot of points could be gained right there. If the top teams falter, North Canton could conceivably be champs.
VASJ — Yet one more team that has the horsepower to win in perfect circumstances—and wouldn’t it be something if they repeated. St. John is a sure champ (though Miller is very tough), and Chad Gron has been splendid all year. If Bryan Gron comes through, this trio could score 60 points. After that, people like Gerome, Yates, or Hansen have to create a miracle.
Fairfield — Another deep team that could benefit from the new, superior consolation rules. Wineberg, Barden, and Harrison—the first three weights—all have placement potential, while Shanklin and Dennis are excellent middleweight competitors. They may qualify some other fringe wrestlers out of their district, but not folks who contribute at the State level. A big problem is that there is no superstar who can provide guaranteed big points.
Oregon Clay — The Rogers District is relatively weak, but the big three of Miller, Rivera, and Drake are big-time scorers at the State level. The first two have finalist potential and will pick up some additional pin points as well. Unlike VASJ, they have no other scoring possibilities.
Hilliard — A team that could vault four or five places upward in the standings if they can cash in at some critical weights. Uphouse and Poehler are sure to be strong scorers, particularly the latter boy at the weak heavyweight class. After that, they have an enormous number of possible State qualifiers from the likes of Dodson, Seesholtz, Seymour, Ryan, Chawdry, Davis, and the two Camerons. This is a team made for the new consolation format, and it will be their challenge to see how they can utilize it best.
Worthington — A team that features a trio of stars—State semi-finalist Allen, Robinson, and Rohrbacher. If Allen regains form at 112#, both Robinson and Rohrbacher should score heavily at weak 171# and heavyweight classes. There’s no margin for error here since backup scoring is non-existent.
Perrysburg — This is kind of a mystery team, but one with substantial potential. Middleton and Tammerine are the principal factors, but Ashton, Graham, and Forbes have State-caliber records. If someone like Hawker or Wampler can help, they’re up a few more notches.
Akron North — A nice team that may not be able to score much above the District level—Plouse, of course, being an enormous exception. Still, Sackett, Saxton, White, and Giovonozzo are all good possibilities, and if one or two can come through, they could make the Top Ten.
Dayton Wayne — Jermaine Daniels is the principal scorer here, and Smith may be able to contribute substantial points. What has to happen is for people like Joyce, Sweet, and Gregg to contribute.

DIVISION II

103#

PROJECTED CHAMPION: KELLY SHIELDS (EDISON SOUTH)

TOP CONTENDERS

Wheaton (Greenfield McClain)
Santa Maria (Kenston)
Dominique (Bryan)
Sanders (CAPE)
Henderson (St. Paris Graham)
Gaca (Canfield)
Beard (Clyde)
Lovejoy (Martins Ferry)
Davis (Milan Edison)
Kramer (Wooster Triway)
Warner (Claymont)
Habermehl (Hamilton)
Bourne (Chardon)
Acklin (Columbus DeSales)
Zeno (Margaretta)
Hickman (Camden Preble Shawnee)
Lafountain (Paulding)
Toye (Olmsted Falls)
Haverdill (Lake Catholic)
Meek (Milbury Lake)
Worley (Lebanon)
Falcioni (North Royalton)

Somehow this is a weight class that just hasn’t developed into a clear picture over the first half of the season. Part of the reason is that several of the prime contenders wrestle isolated schedules that give them little contact with those from other parts of the state. In addition, as is always the case at this introductory weight, there has been an influx of freshmen and sophomores whose overall impact has yet to be fully evaluated. What this all leads up to is that any of a half dozen contenders could win the title, and if a couple of the good 112s drop down, it could dramatically change the outcome.

My choice is Kelly Shields, the outstanding sophomore from Edison South. Last year as a freshman, Shields blitzed all opposition in winning four tournaments, including the mammoth OVAC, and taking sectional and district titles as well. He came to States with 31 consecutive victories and extended that by one with a technical fall in the first round. Then Lang quickly took him down twice in the quarter-finals (once to his back) and Shields seemed to disintegrate. He ended up losing 16-4 and was eliminated when Lang was edged in the next round. This year Shields has again gone undefeated, winning the OVAC once more (he could become the second in history to win four times) and looking very sharp. Whether he has gotten mentally tougher will probably not be truly tested until the districts—but the answer looks to be totally in the affirmative.

Shields’ toughest competition might be right there at the St. Clairsville District in the person of Jesse Wheaton. A state qualifier last year when he won 45 matches, he too was eliminated in the quarter-final round. Now an experienced senior, Wheaton will be a severe test for anyone at this weight. He and Shields have never met. This leaves only one remaining opening at St. Clairsville and that should be a real struggle. I was mightily impressed with Warner at the MIT as he finished a strong fourth—losing to St. Ed’s Jayne in overtime 13-11 in the consolation finals. However, Lovejoy defeated him easily at Barnesville and has to be accorded the favorite’s role. A possible dark horse is Ricker (Dover), although Warner beat him 12-5 in their dual meeting.

At Firestone, state alternate Santa Maria has to be accorded the favorite’s role and consideration as a possible state finalist. He has been runner-up at North Canton (to Johnson) and Kenston (to Wineberg) and has wrestled a perfect schedule against Division II competition. Gaca, a senior, has the experience and strength that many of the younger wrestlers here lack, but, at the same time, may not possess their athletic abilities. He won at Solon and was a strong third at Brunswick, losing a 1-0 heartbreaker in the semis. Kramer, who was a district qualifier last year and has lost only once this year, may be something like third best here, but it really is difficult to tell. Freshmen like Falcioni, Bourne, and Haverdill are possibilities. Toye, if he can make 103#, will also be a contender for state qualification. There are a lot of other possibilities like Beal (Tallmadge), Beros (Canton South), and Herrick (Highland).

The Galion District will probably be dominated by the very physical Dominique. A real pinner, he was a district semi-finalist last year, losing 5-4 to Smith. He then took a nosedive all the way to sixth place. Undefeated this year, he really may be better than I’ve placed him. Beard has lost twice this year (once to Division I powerhouse Boda and once to Zeno), but has been very consistent overall. He has beaten a number of the good 103s (including Zeno) and should grab a qualifying spot. Davis, Acklin, Zeno, and LaFountain are good, with the last of those mentioned currently appearing to be left out of state qualification. Clearly, the differential between everyone here, except Dominique, is tiny and small variations in individual performance could have a large effect on the overall outcome. I also like Meek, Reynolds (Port Clinton), and Denman (Oak Harbor). Missing here is state qualifier Page (Toledo Swanton) who beat Dominique 3-2 last year but who will miss the entire season due to injury.

As Dominique is dominant at Galion, so too should Sanders be at the Dayton District. Only a sophomore, he was very close to state qualification last year and has been even better in 1991. He was third at the Cincy Holiday, losing only to the excellent Wineberg. Rated directly behind him is Brett Henderson, whose tournament plans are not known to me. He has been at 112# most of the season and has done reasonably well. For example, at Licking Hts., he defeated Colucci in the quarter-finals before losing the title bout to Blackburn. He wrestled at 103# at the MIT, losing to Dernlan there in sudden-death overtime. Should he be at 103#, his close, conservative style will be difficult to defeat. Behind them are two other district qualifiers who have also performed well this year—Habermehl and Hickman. While they certainly have appropriate qualifications for state qualification, they would have difficulty winning a bout once there. Also listed is the improving Worley, who could surprise for a qualification berth, and old rivals Everhart (Springfield Shawnee) and Baugh (Kenton Ridge).

112#

PROJECTED CHAMPION: CHARLIE SAMPSON (MARLINGTON)

TOP CONTENDERS:

Lang (Brecksville)
Bernardo (Trinity)
Roe (Byesville Meadowbrook)
McDaniel (Uhrichsville Claymont)
Roth (Kansas Lakota)
Sommer (Crestwood)
Smith (Lexington)
Hess (Kenton Ridge)
Payne (Fairview Park)
Enright (Lebanon)
Kersten (Oak Harbor)
Brettell (Steubenville)
Srihanouvang (Lima Shawnee)
Lucas (Akron St. Vincent)
Frey (Cincinnati Purcell)
Scott (Watkins Memorial)
Cunningham (Martins Ferry)
Behrens/Reisinger (Marysville)
Garafalo (North Royalton)
Benham (Dayton Northridge)

This is the third consecutive year that 112# in Division II has one of the deepest, classiest fields in all three school classifications. Why that is, I don’t know, but maybe, instead of lots of analysis, we should just sit back and watch the action unfold once more.

Last year, the Firestone District dominated at 103#, finishing first, second, third, and fifth. This year, most of those folks are back at 112# and it creates a real dilemma. It’s kind of like the old game — rock, scissors, paper — where each element can defeat one of the other ones but loses to the remaining object. Sampson beats Lang, decisioning him at Districts (3-2) and States (7-4). Lang beats Bernardo at Districts (3-2) and at a tourney (12-4). Bernardo beats Sampson at Wadsworth. So I copped out and picked the defending state champ Sampson, although I think it might be Lang’s turn this year. Sampson is very tall and methodical, cashing in on his consistency with a state runner-up trophy as a sophomore and the state title last year. Lang can be a whirlwind, scoring points in huge bunches. Bernardo is also a tremendous scorer but has had third-period problems in the past. Of course, Roe might actually be better than any of them, but more on that later.

The Firestone District is very deep. Besides that top trio, both Sommer and Payne are solid Top Ten candidates. Sommer, in particular, is impressive, and his Kenston win attests to his abilities. Payne has probably improved more than any of the other Top Five mentioned here, but may still have a short way to go. Lucas beat state runner-up Boardwine the first week of the season, but it remains to be seen if he can go with the top boys. Garafalo is kind of a “shot in the dark” here, edging out such folks as Hamad (Nordonia), Audrick (Warrensville Hts.), Ross (Highland), and Spencer (Canton South) for that last rated position.

The two dynamos from St. Clairsville may be every bit as good as the Firestone trio — or, perhaps, better. Roe was district champ at this weight last year and won a bout at state before losing to Todd Hill. This year, he has been crushing all opposition, including a 16-5 final round drubbing of a West Virginia state runner-up at the OVAC. I thought very seriously about projecting him as champion. McDaniel is a tough little character who got third at Barnesville (lost in the semi-finals on an illegal slam) and fifth at Medina, losing his semi-final bout to Musser 5-4. He, too, was a state qualifier at this weight, losing to the very tough Rich Randall in the first round. Brettell has been very sharp of late — second at Richmond Hts. and fourth at the OVAC — and should grab the third qualifying berth. Cunningham, Kruse (Hillsboro), and Lamberson (Bellaire) are other contenders, but not very serious ones.

State Division III runner-up Cody Roth will probably do well in District competition but may be in for a real surprise at States. Undefeated this year with over 20 wins, he will likely do no better than a low-to-middle place. State qualifier Dan Smith is a steady competitor who is always there at the end. He’s won two Gormans and was district runner-up last year. Kersten got the fourth and last qualifying spot last year and then captured a sixth at the States. He has just dropped from 119#, where he competed with good success. He’ll do even better here. Now that Lima Shawnee is Division II this year, we’ll see more of their headliners. Srihanouvang is solid state qualification material. All four of this top quartet are from Toledo sectionals. Weaker at this particular weight class, the Central District qualifiers will have to fight hard to get any places. Scott, Reisinger, and Hammond are their best shots, with Barouh (Bexley) a possibility. Owens (Norwalk) and Gonzalez (Clyde) are other Toledo competitors also looking at that fifth spot.

I think the Dayton District is somewhat weaker. State qualifier Enright and state alternate Hess look best here, with each winning some important tourneys. Enright shredded Kersten at Oak Harbor, while Hess has won several smaller tournaments. Frey and Benham are nominal choices for the last spot.

119#

PROJECTED CHAMPION: JOHN NOBLE (LEBANON)

TOP CONTENDERS

Hegarty (Highland)
Kersten (Oak Harbor)
Llewellyn (Steubenville)
Stoll (Milan Edison)
C. Shaw (Uhrichsville Claymont)
Carone (Toledo Swanton)
Butterfield (Bexley)
Mrosko (New Lexington)
Corso (Sandusky Perkins)
Nye (Revere)
McKinney (Clermont NE)
Lunsford (Circleville)
Kitchen (Twinsburg)
LeBeau (Miami Trace)
Bailey (Ravenna Southeast)
Anderson (Dayton Carroll)
Ambroziak (Lake Catholic)
Meade (Watkins Memorial)
Fiocello (Buckeye)
Byers (Urbana)

If they would have held a vote for the Outstanding Wrestler in the Division II State Tournament last year, mine would probably have gone to John Noble. He began by knocking off a defending state runner-up on a technical fall, pinned a state placer, beat another state runner-up 9-2 and then beat a defending state champ for the title 11-2. It was quite a performance, especially for a sophomore. This year things have not gone quite as smoothly. At the GMVWA, he pulled out a last-second 9-8 win over Newsom, then lost to Benjamin 4-3 and barely held on to beat Barden 3-2 for third. Granted, those are all Division I wrestlers, but there just didn’t seem to be the flash and dash of last year.

At Oak Harbor, things seemed to turn around once more, and Noble began to look like the devastating terror of last year. If true, the state title is well in hand even though, as presently constituted, this is a relatively strong weight class. Had it not been for an overtime loss his freshman year, this would have been his third state title.

At Dayton, Noble should be joined for state action by two returning qualifiers — McKinney and Anderson. Both are well behind Noble and are probably not in much danger of becoming place winners. The undefeated Byers and, perhaps, Snider (Springfield NW) are other possibilities.

Hegarty was my Division I choice at 103# last year when wrestling for Holy Name, but fell just short, losing to Grove in the semi-finals and finishing third. At 103#, he was devastating in the top position, utilizing his great strength to gain a carload of pins. His only weakness was a lack of quickness in gaining takedowns. At 119#, he has had mostly success, although some disturbing lapses as well. He has already lost to Kiousis, Kirkbride, and Rowland but has beaten such stalwarts as Minick and state runner-up Allen. I think Noble’s quickness may be too much for him. State qualifier Nye and Kitchen look to be quite a distance behind him at this district and, in fact, all four of the other qualifying berths are pretty much open. I would expect to see some real surprises here.

Initially, the Galion District did not seem terribly strong, but recent events have changed that assessment. State qualifiers Kersten, Stoll, Butterfield, and Lunsford are all at this weight now. While none of them have the octane rating to go with Noble or Hegarty, all of them need to be considered for a low place. Butterfield was sixth last year but won only one bout, 3-2, over Mrosko. Kersten and Lunsford were shut out in their state appearance, although Kersten has really shown improvement recently. Stoll was a state qualifier at 103# last year and ended up a strong fourth. He has been up three weight classes (125#) all year without missing a beat, winning at Edison and Bellevue and finishing second at Marion Harding. Carone, also just down to 119#, missed state action last year but beat Heuerman at Rogers and wrestled a perfect dual schedule. That’s five solid candidates already. Someone to watch here is Corso, who was second at Tiffin to Dolder 3-2 and has a wealth of experience. Meade, Blair (Rossford), and Mosure (Columbus DeSales) are other possibilities here, but with a five-man qualifying format, they can’t have very high hopes.

Two wrestlers who I think have made amazing progress are Craig Shaw and Chris Llewellyn. Both fell short in state qualification bids last year but may have vaulted ahead of better-known competition in 1991. Shaw has beaten the excellent Kirkbride twice while compiling a 17-2 record. He is a tough, feisty competitor. Llewellyn won the OVAC at this weight and looks very ready for state action. That puts state qualifier Mrosko in some jeopardy here, with LeBeau possibly out in the cold. Last year, LeBeau beat Shaw 8-0, but I would be surprised if that happens again. Napier (Hillsboro) is another legitimate contender here.

125#

PROJECTED CHAMP: LENNY SCHORK (SOLON)

TOP CONTENDERS:

Giffin (Watkins Memorial)
Galeazzo (Lake Catholic)
Possage (Lisbon Beaver Local)
Taylor (Clyde)
Withrow (Wooster Triway)
Wilson (Byesville Meadowbrook)
Fisher (Marion Franklin)
Rust (Tipp City)
Eggar (Fairfield Union)
Stone (Akron St. Vincent)
Corvin (Milan Edison)
S. Shaw (Uhrichsville Claymont)
Yeager (Bellaire)
Ream (Springfield NW)
Coler (Morgan)
Heuerman (Anthony Wayne)
Huhn (Goshen)
Kelty (North Royalton)
Madden (Dayton Alter)
Philabaum (Canal Fulton NW)

Again, this is not a particularly strong weight class, although it does contain quite a number of former state qualifiers. Most of them, however, have been shut out at the State level and have never been thought of as top-echelon performers. A real exception to that generalization is the slick junior from Solon, Lenny Schork. Last year he wrestled brilliantly at the State level losing the championship only in the last seconds. This year he got off to a slow start at the Solon Classic, but looked good at the MIT losing only to long-time nemesis Gustovich. Included among his victims there were state champion Hartman, Shaw and Withrow. While not the largest 125# in the State, he has the advantage of not having to make a severe weight cut on a week-after-week basis. That type of draining regimen may affect some of the others here. Certainly no one in this field has better moves than Schork and I foresee him winning the title in relatively straight-forward fashion.

At Firestone, Schork will face one of his principal rivals in Galeazzo. He has had an excellent year — second to Hickin at Kenston and third at the OCC losing to Gustovich — and is a large 125# (but not as big as Hickin). His problem is a total lack of real experience at the district and state level. Almost never does such a wrestler win a state title without at least some hard district competition in his background. A plus for Galeazzo will be that he and Schork should be on opposite sides of the draw. Possage was fourth just two years ago and has beaten everyone this year, but the excellent Nathanson from Division I. Last year he reached district semi-finals in good shape and then dropped three bouts to miss a state trip by one place. He may well supplant Galeazzo as second best here. Withrow is also excellent and should make the trip to States. There is a major gap between this quartet and everyone else. I’ve listed Stone, Kelty and Philabaum, but there are plenty of other candidates. Two such would be Carroll (Marlington) and Seacrist (Chardon).

Until recently, the best and deepest district overall was the one at Galion. Then both Stoll and Carone opted for 119# providing a little breathing space for those that remained here. This “evening out” procedure should improve the quality at 119# while, at the same time, not eliminating some good people here. State qualifier Giffin was injured in first round state action last year and could not continue. This year he has won impressively at Licking Hts., Hilliard and DeSales, although none of those tourneys featured super-tough 125s. Bubba Taylor has already twice qualified for State action –each time winning his first round bout and then losing a tough quarter-final match. And each time he failed to get to the consolation bracket under the old format — something, thankfully, that cannot happen this year. Taylor has won three tourneys this year and remains unbeaten at this time. State qualifier Eggar may be rated too high, based on some of his early season results. He did not place at Licking Hts. (130#) and seems to have been in a small slump. Last year, though, he beat Giffin 10-9 at Districts. Fisher is a powerful competitor and should be able to qualify. Corvin has been very successful at 130# and could be the fifth qualifier, although Heuerman, Keske (Bellevue) and Mayer (Bexley) will push him.

There’s a lot of experience at St. Clairsville, but I’m not sure how well these qualifiers will match up with those from other districts. Wilson lost to District champ Yeager in last year’s semis 15-13, but still qualified in the third spot. He beat Rust in first round action before losing to eventual champ Zamiska and finishing sixth. He looked good early in the year destroying Shaw in the Barnesville final, but then didn’t make the final at Hamilton Twp. and was sixth at the OVAC. Yeager was the District champ last year, but did not wrestle well at States and has struggled some this year losing at least three times. Shaw beat Kersten at the Medina, but then lost twice including a 17-1 drilling by Schork. State qualifier Coler won a first round bout at States and lost a tough quarter-final bout. He has not looked as good this year losing to Pinkerton at Marietta and Case at Cadiz. Four good wrestlers — none of whom seem to be operating at maximum efficiency right now. At Steubenville, state alternate Jones (Steubenville) has wrestled only sporadically and mainly at 119#. With Llewellyn seemingly having that position nailed down, we may see him here at 125#.

While there’s experience at Dayton as well, it, too, has not had much success at the State level. Both Rust and Huhn were first round losers who did not much impress. Rust, however, was a strong third at Tiffin this year, second at Troy (to Ream) and second at Wayne (to Combs). He has the most chance of placing — even though splitting with Ream this year — because of his experience. Madden and Byers (Urbana) are other possibilities.

130#

PROJECTED CHAMPION: JOEY CALHOUN (BETHEL-TATE)

TOP CONTENDERS

Wright (Crestwood)
Knight (Steubenville)
McAtee (Big Walnut)
Lippert (Kansas Lakota)
Scherf (Oak Harbor)
Mancuso (Milan Edison)
Rupanovic (Buckeye)
Silcox (Sandusky Perkins)
Klempa (Bellaire)
Cottrell/Francis (North Royalton)
Shook (Fairview Park)
McDaniel (Uhrichsville Claymont)
Fraley (Cincinnati Turpin)
Behnfeldt (Napoleon)
Armstrong (Hillsboro)
McCauley (Louisville)
Paul (Doylestown Chippewa)
Dunlavy (Anthony Wayne)
Besecker (Tipp City)
Taylor (Morgan)
Sizemore (Western Brown)
Kent (Lake Catholic)

Basically, there are five prime candidates to win the title here, and statistically, each of their probability of success probably does not differ by much. It’s one of those situations likely to be decided by something like the shape of the draw, the vagaries of officiating, or someone with a “hot” hand. Let’s look at each of the principals here.

Calhoun is a two-time state qualifier who finished fifth his sophomore year after reaching the semi-finals and lost an overtime bout to place last year. He may have the greatest raw potential of the quartet but wrestles in an area where he is rarely pushed. Generally wrestling up two weight classes, he still barely breaks a sweat in most bouts. His mid-season highlight, the very tough Cincinnati Holiday, saw him win easily against Division I competition, including both Arnold and Bulugaris.

Wright was state champ at 103# as a sophomore, winning a key bout in overtime against Noble in the semi-finals. Last year, Noble caught him in the 112# finals and took revenge with an 11-2 drubbing. This year, he has outgrown Noble, moving all the way to 130# and done so with great success. Extremely quick, he should be a half step ahead of many of the 130s, though possibly not as strong. He is an excellent competitor.

Knight began the year at 125# — same as last year — and was outstanding in early duals and at Richmond Hts. Then he moved to 130#, presumably to accommodate growth, and has been even better. He won the Big Red Invitation in smashing style, then beat a two-time West Virginia state champ for the OVAC crown. A state qualifier as a freshman and not since, he could be the tournament surprise.

McAtee is the most consistent of this group. Already a two-time state qualifier, he was fourth last year after capturing the district title. This year, his only loss was up at 135# against Dodson, where he was just too small. A strong pinner, he can save himself with early falls.

Lippert was fourth in Division III last year and finished with 40 victories. This year, his only loss was a dual meet defeat at the hands of Soto. He won tournaments at Van Buren, Fremont Ross, Fremont St. Joseph, and Clyde. All this has been accomplished at 135#, and yet I’m told he will compete at 130#. It’s a gamble that could result in a State finals berth or, perhaps, no place at all.

No one is close to Calhoun at Dayton. State qualifier Fraley lost to Calhoun 10-2 last year, and the rest of the group is even farther behind. I’ve rated Besecker and Sizemore, but don’t overlook Clark (Lebanon).

There is some depth at Firestone. Wright, as discussed, is very good but not so much so that he could not be upset by several in this field. Rupanovic has wrestled both here and at 135#, but with Pariano and Carcelli at 135#, my guess is he’ll be here at tourney time. A state qualifier last year, he was eliminated in the quarter-finals in a tough struggle with Scherf. They could well meet again. Cottrell has been a surprise this year, winning, for example, at Brunswick, while Shook is finally coming into his own at Fairview. McCauley was a finalist at North Canton but only fifth at Wadsworth; hence, he currently is “on the bubble” in this district. Paul and Kent are two other possibilities here.

McAtee and Lippert are not sure shots at Galion. State place-winner Scherf returns at the same weight and will be difficult to beat. A state semi-finalist last year, he could be the one potential finalist I may have overlooked in the opening of this discussion. Mancuso was the state alternate last year at 119# and has been outstanding this season as well. He has won three major tournaments and should be a major factor at the district level. Silcox and Behnfeldt do not have the same gaudy kind of credentials as the top three, but they are proven winners. Dunlavy, Schrock (Galion), and Laughlin (Clyde) are another step behind and will need to be at their very best to have any hope of qualification.

At St. Clairsville, Knight will meet some rugged competition. Klempa was district champion at this weight last year before losing to Scherf in the first round at States. This year, he won at Bellaire but was second at Barnesville and fifth at the OVAC. Knight trounced him 10-3 there. McDaniel should drop to 130#, although his chances of qualification are probably not significantly greater here. He didn’t place at Barnesville but was a semi-finalist at the MIT before falling to sixth. Former state qualifier Taylor, Armstrong, and Gilman (St. Clairsville) are other possibilities.

135#

PROJECTED CHAMPION: TONY PARIANO (FAIRVIEW PARK)

TOP CONTENDERS

Carcelli (Benedictine)
Shanteau (Oak Harbor)
Lemasters (Edison South)
Shaw (Clermont NE)
Mesenburg (Milan Edison)
Ferritto (Kenston)
Romp (Rossford)
Driscoll (Nordonia)
Brown (Washington Court House)
Ianaggi (North Royalton)
Didion (Bellevue)
Greatorex (Loveland Hurst)
Fondale (New Lexington)
Brown (Camden Preble Shawnee)
Touvell (Byesville Meadowbrook)
Evans (Canton Central Catholic)
Johns (Lima Shawnee)
Cockerham (Carlisle)
Voegeli (Canfield)
Wimmers (Marysville)

The essence of this weight class is a titanic two-man struggle between two of the finest wrestlers in the state. Since both exit from Firestone, they should meet in the state finals for the final confrontation. Senior Dan Carcelli is the defending state 130# champion and a two-time state qualifier. Last year he finished third in the district, losing a tough 10-6 semi-final bout to Mike Rodriguez. Then at States, he caught fire, triggered by a 5-4 upset decision over favored John McCumber. In the final, he this time defeated Rodriguez, ironically, by that same 10-6 count. This year he remains totally undefeated, including a Richmond Hts. title and an OCC crown over two-time state champ Dominic DiSabato. He won the coveted Outstanding Wrestler award there. It’s not quite good enough. Pariano, just a junior, has already twice finished fourth in the state — last year at 135#. Last year Pariano won the Firestone District in impressive style, beating the tough Jim Jones 8-4. Then, in the state semi-finals, defending state champ Babe Sidon caught him in that fluky step-over for five points, winning the bout. Jones then beat Sidon for the state title in the finals. Pariano is also undefeated this year.

This pair has met once, with Pariano winning 1-0. My choice is Pariano simply because I perceive an extra shred of talent that will carry the day. It should be close and exciting, and it’s kind of a shame either has to lose. And, in point of fact, they probably don’t, since either could probably win at 140#.

The fireworks at Firestone may not be confined strictly to the top duo. Ferritto won at Kenston and was runner-up at North Canton to Chandler. Last year he lost both his district bouts in what was a very difficult draw. Driscoll was a district semi-finalist in Division I last year and has won at Solon and Brecksville. He is very tough. Ianaggi got a late start but is currently undefeated. He won two district bouts last year. This is my quintet of qualifiers, but that would leave out state qualifier Evans, who is 17-2, and the stolid Voegeli. Other possible qualifiers are Levy (Warrensville Hts.) and Rupanovic (Buckeye).

There would have been a second terrific struggle, though at a lesser level, at Galion — but then Lippert moved to 130#. Now, two-time state qualifier Shanteau stands alone here and should cruise to the district crown and could well place in the top three at States this year. He has been excellent this year. Mesenburg was a state qualifier at 112# and is up four weight classes. Actually, he has campaigned all year at 140# and done very well, so 135# would seem to be an excellent fit for him. Romp, too, has really improved, and along with Didion and Johns, should comprise the final three parts of the qualifying quintet. There really is a lot of talent here. Wimmers is excellent and may well nudge out one of those rated above him. Also good is Smith (Watkins Memorial), Thorn (Perkins), and Hisey (St. Marys Memorial).

State qualifier Lemasters is a level up above everybody else at St. Clairsville. He started the year at 145#, winning the River Valley title, and then dropped to 135#, where he won at Steubenville and then finished second to West Virginian star Shelek at both Buckeye Local and the OVAC — losing by a single point each time. Behind him are state qualifier Brown, state alternate Fondale, and Touvell. All of these wrestlers would certainly be appropriate state qualifiers, but only two can make it. A second trio of Hershberger (West Holmes), Wilkinson (Cambridge), and Gregan (St. Clairsville) have little chance.

There is not a lot of fiercesome talent at Dayton. Two-time state qualifier Shaw heads the field, but he has never won at States. After him, there just isn’t much. Greatorex has a great record against generally inferior opposition — may not have even been taken down once so far — but that will not help against the battle-hardened veterans he’ll meet at Nutter. I’ve also listed Cockerham and Brown, with Daniels (Urbana) someone to carefully watch. Puskar (Dayton Carroll) could also play a role here.

140#

PROJECTED CHAMPION: CHAD KLINE (WOOSTER TRIWAY)

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Pipo (Edison South)
McKendrick (Ravenna Southeast)
Tyson (Kansas Lakota)
McKinney (Warrensville Hts.)
Jenkins (Lewistown Indian Lakes)
Wright (Sandusky Perkins)
Taylor (Clyde)
Jones (Uhrichsville Claymont)
Howard (Doylestown Chippewa)
Jackson (Clermont NE)
Gibson (Utica)
Periandri (Padua)
Gifford (Miami Trace)
Francis (North Royalton)
Dietrich (Napoleon)
Kyer (St. Clairsville)
Atkinson (Tipp City)
Akenhead (Marlington)
Crabtree (Springfield NW)
McCormick (Shelby)

This is a weight class where there is lots of potential for upward mobility. Nobody currently here is anywhere near invincible, and the winner is likely to be someone who couldn’t win their district the week before.

My choice is Chad Kline, who has wrestled all season at 145#, but will drop at tourney time. Last year Kline won two district bouts but lost an overtime heartbreaker to Bryant, which basically doomed his qualification chances. This year he won the Smithville and Triway on major decisions, and at the MIT, lost in the first round, then won six straight before losing to Seesholtz and finishing fourth. At 140#, he should be very strong.

The Firestone District is about as good as it gets at this weight class. McKendrick is a former 103# state qualifier who has gotten big. He also won at Smithville (at 140#) and had a recent big win over Bryant. He could win it all. McKinney was fifth at 145# last year and will apparently drop to this level for States. If so, he will be a real “load” and will be able to challenge anyone. He has been somewhat erratic this year, winning at Richmond Hts., but placing third at the small West Geauga Invitational and eventually defaulting to sixth at Brunswick. This trio should qualify relatively handily. Below them are Division III fourth-place finisher Howard, who did not originally choose to participate this year. Then he returned less than a month ago and hasn’t missed a beat. Periandri, Francis (if he decides not to go 130#), and Akenhead will all be on the lookout for the last spot.

Pipo was sixth last year at this weight but should be a finalist this year. He won at River Valley, Buckeye Local, and the OVAC—the latter in particularly impressive style over Gallantine. His only loss—an overtime upset to the rated Kyer—does not, in my mind, diminish his season-long efforts. State qualifier Jones also has placement potential, and he could be a big factor in the team struggle. He pinned Kyer at Barnesville. At Medina, he lost a sudden death bout to Dean Wright and then won four before succumbing to LaCure. Gifford and Kyer should battle for the last state berth.

At Galion, state placer Tyson may be the best or may be supplanted by Wright and Taylor, who are both very good. However, Tyson beat Taylor 8-5 at Fremont St. Joseph and 5-2 at Fremont Ross before Taylor turned the tables at Clyde with a 14-4 thumping, winning him the OW. Gibson, Dietrich, and McCormick are the top favorites for the last two spots, with Weider (Bellevue), Rice (Marysville), and Obert (Hamilton Twp.) also in the hunt.

Jenkins heads a relatively weak Dayton District. A state qualifier last year at 130#, he lost two straight bouts. This year should be substantially different. Nobody else here is a state threat, as I’ve listed Jackson, Atkinson, and Crabtree. A long shot here is Vodenik (Mason).

145#

PROJECTED CHAMPION: CHARLES BECKS (LAKE CATHOLIC)

TOP CONTENDERS

Bryant (Kenston)
Pilarcyzk (Chardon)
Houser (Milan Edison)
Alvarez (Hamilton Twp.)
Exline (Canfield)
Shipley (John Glenn)
Planck (New Richmond)
Weider (Bellevue)
Culler (Buckeye)
Roseberry (Steubenville)
Bishop (Mason)
DeNune (Big Walnut)
Mesaros (Ravenna Southeast)
Rhodes (Toledo Swanton)
Anders (Clyde)
Halaiko (New Lexington)
Dunn (Kenton Ridge)
Keller (St. Clairsville)
Johnson (Clermont NE)
Hassey (Columbus DeSales)

Everybody knew that Charlie Becks was going to be somebody special in wrestling, even as a freshman in high school. After all, he had the genes—his father was a state runner-up and college star—and he had the fluid moves that no one can really teach. That promise surfaced last year as he returned from injury to finish as state runner-up, battling the undefeated Woods to the final seconds in a close 9-7 loss. In 1991, he has to be rated as a strong favorite at this weight, although he is certainly not upset-proof. Having been down the tournament road all the way to the finals will be a major advantage since there is very little such experience here. But, in the end, he’ll have to wrestle four solid matches—and if that occurs, he will win. If so, it will extend my longest Division II streak of consecutive winners to five.

Becks competes in the best district. State qualifier Bryant has lost only three times—to Foston, McKendrick, and Becks in sudden death overtime—and could be the top challenger here. He has beaten some top people and has the ability to ratchet up his performance when he meets the very best. He will be a dangerous foe. Pilarcyzk was something of a surprise qualifier (at least to me) last year, as he worked his way through the consolation round winning four bouts. He also won one at States before succumbing to Vcelka. He has good placement potential. This trio would seemingly be assured of qualification.

The next group is good but will necessarily be involved in a wide-ranging struggle for the last two berths. Exline has come on strong recently and would seem to be the best of the rest. He was third at Solon and Brunswick and has been very strong in eastern Ohio. Culler was second at Buckeye to Division III pick Homer Wright and was fifth at the MIT, losing to Division I pick Foston and Division II 140# pick Kline. He has met the best this year and done reasonably well. Mesaros is another possibility here, along with Payne (Solon) and Gasier (Jefferson).

The Galion District is also crowded with good talent—though not quite at the level of Firestone. Alvarez has spent much of the year at 152#, but should be down here come tournament time. His brother was runner-up at 145# last year. Alvarez was one bout from qualification last year and has won several tourneys this year—the most recent at Barberton over the excellent Riklik. Houser is another of the Edison wrestlers up a bunch of weight classes, and he is one of the best. A district qualifier last year, his only loss was to Mohr of Delaware Hayes after a late start which saw him miss the early part of the year.

Weider, DeNune, and Rhodes are other candidates here, but watch for Anders to make a splash by district time. Schnell (Sandusky Perkins) and Sherman (Napoleon) are other possibilities here, but the interesting figure is Hassey (Columbus DeSales). Somehow, when I watch him, there always seems to be a lot of real talent that somehow gets submerged during the ebb and flow of the bout. Should the ability ever really surface, he could be a factor.

Both the St. Clairsville and Dayton Districts seem a little under-nourished at this class. State qualifier and placer Shipley did not qualify last year and has had injury problems this year. He gets the top ranking at St. Clairsville more on past record than victories this year. Roseberry has been a steady performer, placing sixth at Richmond Hts. (injury default), fourth at the OVAC, and first at Steubenville. Not a record sheet to send the pulse pounding, but one that may augur well for state qualification. Halaiko, Keller, and Butcher would seem to be the top candidates for the last berth. Last year, Roseberry was the state alternate at 140#, while Halaiko won two bouts at that weight. Butcher was at 152# as a district qualifier but lost in the first round.

The Dayton District is not very strong. Planck was a fine 135# last year but did not see tournament action. He has been excellent this season. Bishop, Dunn, and Johnson are those that were rated, but nobody here can win bouts at the State level.

152#

PROJECTED CHAMPION: KIRK HENRY (UHRICHSVILLE CLAYMONT)

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Johnson (Marion Franklin)
Collier (Steubenville)
McClain (Norwalk)
Grether (Nordonia)
Armstrong (Chardon)
Zickafoose (Tipp City)
Benham (Dayton Northridge)
Slone (Willard)
Dunn (Hamilton Ross)
Gruezke (Logan Elm)
Montgomery (Madison)
Hurrell (Oak Harbor)
Alexander (West Holmes)
Orosky (Lake Catholic)
Miller (Fostoria)
Wuethrich (Mason)
Koledin (St. Clairsville)
Johnson (Galion)
Mishnick (Olmsted Falls)
Schmittel (Kenston)
Murphy (Miami Trace)
Greene (North Royalton)

This is one of my long-shot specials in 1991. I’m breaking one of my normal rules by selecting a wrestler with no previous state tournament experience over good people who have been there before. Yet Henry has some great credentials in his own right and will have the added impetus of a tough team competition. He has had a career of injuries timed with some bad luck and the wrestling gods may finally smile upon him in his senior year. The ability is there, believe me, and all it will take is the right circumstances to unlock it. That will happen in March. Henry beat the formidable Vcelka to win at Barnesville and copped the OW as well. Injuries prevented him from competing at Medina and it would have been interesting to see his progress in that cauldron of activity. Last year Henry was the state alternate losing two difficult bouts at crucial times. That shouldn’t happen this year.

At St. Clairsville, Henry will face long-time rival Jon Collier again. Last year Collier beat him 10-9 at Districts and went on to reach the State Meet. This year he won at both Steubenville and Richmond Hts., but lost to Vcelka in the OVAC semi-finals and finished third. This duo is well ahead of anybody else here. I’ve listed Murphy, Koledin, and Alexander as possible third qualifiers. None of that group can match either Henry or Collier.

Erik Johnson was a Division I state qualifier at this weight last year and will be a formidable rival to Henry this year. Very strong, he ripped through the field at Licking Hts., including a sound thrashing of state qualifier Bo Ramsey. Every year Marion Franklin produces a couple of outstanding wrestlers and this year Johnson leads the way for them. That entire Galion District is rich in talent. State qualifier McClain has been a terror all year ripping just about everyone. He has finalist potential. Slone won handily at Wadsworth and lost a wild one-point decision to Pittman at the Gorman. Last year he was a district semi-finalist before losing to state runner-up Alvarez and state third placer Miller in consecutive rounds and being eliminated. It was extremely tough luck and he could well place this year. I may not have ranked him high enough — but there were so many candidates here. Gruezke has been sharp all year and should qualify, while state qualifier Hurrell looks like a shaky fifth qualifier. He has not looked as good as last year when he peaked in the late portion of the season. Foster has beaten Hurrell and could easily be a factor here. That’s six good candidates, but there are still some other solid possibilities. Johnson of Galion was a Division I state alternate in 1990, but his sixth-place finish at the Gorman is cause for concern. His title at Marion Harding, on the other hand, is cause for optimism. Conrad (Kansas Lakota) has won some small tourneys and gave McClain a struggle before dropping a 14-10 battle. There’ll be some upsets here with this many good kids all in one spot.

While five will qualify out of Firestone, only two will play a major role in the resolution of this weight at Wright State. Grether was pretty much an unknown 140# last year flailing away in obscurity. This year somebody turned on the switch and it’s a whole different wrestler. He won at Solon and was even with Connelly at Brecksville when a “header” into the spectators forced him to default. He has been outstanding all year and should impact the State meet with authority. State qualifier Armstrong is also very good, but their schedule is such that it is impossible to judge his overall progress. Like teammate Pilarcyzk, he was an early-round district loser who swept through four consolation bouts for a third. Among his victims was the impressive Farley of Buckeye. His luck ran out in Columbus and he was a first-round loser. I’ve rated four wrestlers who placed at Kenston, but there must be some good talent in the Akron-Canton area I’ve missed.

At Dayton there are three wrestlers with legitimate state placement hopes. State qualifier Zickafoose leads this group. He was runner-up in district action last year but lost in first-round state action. He was fourth at Tiffin at 160#, but won at Tipp City and Wayne at 152#. Only a junior, he’ll be a very top contender next year. Benham was the District champ at 145# last year winning impressively and then was a state quarter-finalist before being eliminated. He benefits from having the excellent Roberts as a workout partner and his record this year has been unblemished. He will challenge Zickafoose. Dunn was 24-4 last year, including two district losses — both to state qualifiers — and he has been equally strong this year. Wuethrich also won two district bouts last year and he will be a stiff challenge for Dunn. Also a strong candidate is Hickey (Cincinnati Turpin), who won two bouts at the 160# Districts last year.

160#

PROJECTED CHAMPION: MARTY COONTZ (RAVENNA SOUTHEAST)

TOP CONTENDERS

Minnard (Fairfield Union)
Matson (Miami Trace)
Roberts (Dayton Northridge)
Farley (Buckeye)
Pelfrey (Eaton)
Loeffler (North Royalton)
Mapes (West Geauga)
Burger (Norwalk)
Duff (New Richmond)
Lucy (Galion)
Grabarcyzk (Toledo Swanton)
Booth (Bellaire)
Chaddock (Minerva)
Hinkle (Jefferson)
Shumard (Edison South)
Tommas (Sandusky Perkins)
Sullivan (Springboro)
Dubois (Watkins Memorial)
Abram (New Lexington)
Kucia (Cincinnati Purcell)

This is really an excellent weight class with a number of fine performers in each of the four districts. It has the potential to be a great competition—for second place. Towering over this assembly is defending state champ Marty Coontz, who won in fine style last year and seems to have pushed it up a notch or two this year. He literally hasn’t been challenged in any form throughout this entire season—although he has met none of the top-rated boys. A two-time state qualifier, he looks out of reach for even a field as good as this.

The Firestone District is well stocked with good competitors. Farley qualified as a sophomore at 152# last year. He has been a mainstay of Buckeye’s fine team all year, winning several smaller tournaments and finishing third at the MIT (winning seven straight consolation bouts after a first-round loss to eventual champ Evans). He is a good pinner. Loeffler has been very steady for North Royalton, winning a whole series of close bouts against strong opposition. It should make him mentally tough for tournament time. He won the Brunswick and has twice defeated Division I state qualifier Caraffi. Mapes is a transfer from Berkshire, where he was a Division III state qualifier. He was involved in some confusion on the second day and was not able to compete in the consolation rounds. He won at Brecksville. Chaddock looks much too slender to compete at this weight, but has a whole variety of stratagems to utilize his body length and technical knowledge to win. Right now he is 15-0 and a real factor here. Hinkle was runner-up at the MIT and has some real strange moves that are very effective. That is the top six, from which five will qualify. On my “possibility” list, I have another 11 names, which indicates the depth present. Tops on that list are Breeden (Lorain Brookside), Daso (Fairview Park), Hall (Ashtabula Edgewood), and Marusek (Padua). Missing this year is Damani Wallace (Akron Hoban), who, for whatever reason, is not participating. He would have been a major factor.

At Galion, there is excellent quality as well. Minnard has been outstanding this year, including a first-period fall over Seymour at Licking Hts. Already a two-time state qualifier, he finished sixth last year at 152#—he won his first two bouts and then lost to eventual state champ Cruze by a heartbreakingly close 7-6 score. He quickly lost two more in the consolation rounds. He has an excellent headlock. Lucy was second at the Gorman to Blubaugh but avenged that loss in a later dual. He is a steady performer who is probably a step behind Minnard. Grabarcyzk waltzed through the Rogers, winning the final 11-0. Many rank him the best at this weight in the Toledo area. He was a state alternate last year, losing his go-to-state bout to Minnard 12-4. This trio is trailed at a respectful distance by about six other potential qualifiers who will vie for the two remaining berths. Best of this second group is Burger, who won Edison and Fremont St. Joseph while losing a 17-11 final to Ruddy at St. John. He did not, however, see district action last year. Also contenders are Tommas and Dubois, with Shaw (Hamilton Twp.) a possibility should he drop from 171#.

State qualifier Matson dominates the St. Clairsville District. Last year, he swept through this tournament, winning by a technical fall in the finals and having only one semi-close bout with Shumard. He won a round at state but then ran into the unorthodox Bartos and was eliminated. This year, he won the giant GMVWA, beating Division I state qualifier Smith in the finals 11-2 (his semi-final win was 14-1). He could easily be a finalist, but I don’t see him beating Coontz. Booth and state alternate Shumard are next best, but they are way behind Matson. There could be an opportunity here for a less well-known competitor to qualify.

The Dayton District is also strong. The best here is defending district runner-up and state qualifier Chad Roberts. Like Matson, he, too, lost to the unorthodox Bartos, and under the new consolation rules, they would have met last year. His high point this season was the OW at the Carroll Invitational, which included a big win over Sean Allex. Roberts beat Pelfrey 12-6 in the district semis last year, and there’s no reason to think that margin has shrunk. Pelfrey still managed state qualification but met Coontz in the first round and lasted 79 seconds. He won this year at Edgewood and was second at Wayne. Duff beat Sullivan last year 11-6 as they placed fifth and sixth in district competition. They will be the top choices for the third qualifying slot.

171#

PROJECTED CHAMPION: TROY WEBB (HAMILTON TWP.)

TOP CONTENDERS

Farmer (Fairfield Union)
Schumm (Trenton Edgewood)
Prather (Canfield)
Rozmus (Urbana)
Kendig (Lima Shawnee)
Caldwell (Miami Trace)
Long (Clyde)
Parton (Loveland)
Carney (Nordonia)
Davis (Marysville)
Maag (Orrville)
Bell (John Glenn)
Cadez (Sandusky Perkins)
Reynolds (Uhrichsville Claymont)
Simpson (West Geauga)
Warr (Warrensville Hts.)
Tate (Licking Valley)
Dodd (Tipp City)
Simmerman (Little Miami)
Anderson (Steubenville)
Tomaro (Brecksville)
Cassady (Edison South)

The way this report is constructed centers around writing 39 short essays (one for each weight class) over a six or seven day period. There is no reason to write them in any particular order (thanks to the word processor), so I start first with those that seem easiest—like ones that contain names such as Dernlan, St. John, or DiSabato. That gives me a little more time to collect information on difficult weight classes, hoping something will turn up to make things easier. Gradually, they all get done until I’m left with the single most difficult case—and this is it. I have probably made ten calls seeking guidance and help, but the best one I made was to the Hamilton Twp. coach who told me that Troy Webb was going to compete at 171#. Suddenly things got a little brighter.

Webb competed at 160# last year, finishing a strong third at Districts (losing only to state runner-up Cofer) and then won his first match at State before being eliminated. This year he has wrestled at 189# all year and has been nothing less than sensational—winning three tournaments in easy style. For example, he crushed Rippey at Barberton and handled Siddle to win at Hamilton Twp. I had thought he might be light for 189#, but his results were so good it didn’t seem to make any difference. At any rate, he intends to certify at 171# and has to be considered the favorite at that class.

He exits from the strongest of the four districts, not that that means a tremendous amount here. Farmer was a state qualifier at 171# last year and won a first-round bout before falling to Kelly Keenan in the quarter-finals. Undefeated this year, he won the Hamilton Twp. on a fall. He will be one of Webb’s principal competitors. Kendig was a Division I district qualifier last year (not so easy in the Northwest) and has done reasonably well this year—including a second at Tiffin. I really don’t know what to expect from him. Someone that I may have underrated is Long, who currently stands 17-1 on the year. He was first at Clyde, Fremont St. Joseph, and Fremont Ross, indicating excellent tournament discipline. He was a state qualifier last year at 160#, losing to Webb 4-1 in the district consolation finals—while at States, Matson put him out in the first round. Davis is my choice for the fifth qualifying spot, making up a solid quintet of qualifiers. That would leave out the experienced Cadez, who missed state qualification at 189# by a single point last year. He has not seemed as sharp this year. Tate (Licking Valley), who lost to Long 7-6 in the first round of districts and to Webb 15-9 in the consolations, is also back. He is a long shot here, as is McCormick (Shelby).

At Dayton, Schumm and Rozmus are both state qualifiers who have failed to win at that level. I like Schumm better of this pair. He was third at the district last year and then lost a competitive match to Losie at States. This year he won at Edgewood and was second at Fairfield, suffering a narrow loss to Pater. Rozmus was a state qualifier at 189# last year as a freshman. He pretty much came out of nowhere to nail three falls and a technical fall in the consolations to finish third, but was pinned by Bateman in the first round at Cincinnati. This year he has lost only once, but Urbana wrestles a relatively light schedule. Parton has to be evaluated in much the same manner. He is undefeated this year—almost no close matches—but Loveland wrestles a schedule that cannot be called demanding. Remember, though, Parton was a district semi-finalist last year—losing 3-2 in the semis and then falling in the consolations. Dodd was also one match from States at 160#, while Simmerman has been excellent this year after a 21-7 mark last year. Dodd was fourth at Tiffin and third at Wayne.

The Firestone District does not have much to challenge the top echelon. Prather is a solid journeyman performer whose biggest triumph was at Solon over Auerbach. He won one district bout last year. Carney won at both Solon and Brecksville and was extremely good at the first-mentioned tourney. Rumors continue that he will drop to 160#, but it’s difficult to find much strategic justification for that move. Maag has been very positive, winning at Wadsworth and finishing second at Doylestown. He was a district semi-finalist last year before losing three straight bouts 4-2, 3-1, and 1-0 to fall to state alternate. That will not happen this year. Simpson and Warr have the best shots at the last two spots, with Tomaro a real possibility. Simko (Louisville) and Hoopes (Beloit West Branch) are other thoughts.

Caldwell was sensational at GMVWA with a strong fourth-place finish, losing only to Division III top guns, Sintobin and Philiphs. Injured during the mid part of the season, he still looks like the best at St. Clairsville. He is up from 145#—which is quite a leap. Bell was fifth in the district last year with three wins, and I expect him at this weight at tourney time. He would be the second qualifier, but that third spot is really wide open. Anderson and Cassady are two possibilities, but the most intriguing thought is Reynolds. A district semi-finalist last year, he lost to Manteau and then Shumard in overtime to get fifth. This year he was third at Barnesville. He, in my mind, could play a significant role at this weight class and, if so, could be a major contributor toward Claymont’s team hopes.

189#

PROJECTED CHAMPION: JEFF PHILLIPS (NORWALK)

TOP CONTENDERS

Peters (Uhrichsville Claymont)
Bateman (Edison South)
Nutter (Buckeye)
Groves (Big Walnut)
Kamalie (Field)
Burress (Steubenville)
Monak (Oak Harbor)
Linger (Springfield NW)
Francis (North Royalton)
Rise (Goshen)
Dorn (Ravenna SE)
Van Hoene (Cincinnati Purcell)
Holtz (Lake Catholic)
Heard (Marysville)
Bouldin (Forest Park)
Crutcher (Washington CH)
Eyler (Galion)
Weaver (Revere)
Delph (Carlisle)
Siddle (Byesville Meadowbrook)
Antram (Beloit West Branch)
Coats (Warrensville Hts.)

This is a weight class where it’s likely we’ll see a whole spectrum of styles put on display at the State meet. As we discuss the players in each district, it will be interesting to speculate on how these matchups will be resolved.

My choice is Jeff Phillips, the highly mobile 189#er from Norwalk. Last year he qualified at 171# and lost a close 10-8 decision in the first round to eventual state runner-up Buzbee. This year he has become a devastating pinner, winning both the Edison and Fremont St. Joseph tourneys on falls. However, the highlight of his season was his only loss at the St. John Invitational when he dropped a tight 9-8 decision to defending Division I state champ Jermaine Daniels. Right behind Phillips is another returning state qualifier, Groves, a big 189#, who qualified with a tight 8-7 win over Cadez at last year’s district in this weight class. He was hammered in the first round at States and eliminated. Despite his great record, he has never really impressed me, which is undoubtedly more of a flaw on my part than on his. The mountainous Monak rates third in this district but is in the top ten overall. He won at Oak Harbor and Sandusky St. Mary and was fifth at the MIT, losing narrowly to Peters and being pinned by Nutter. Heard and Eyler are the top contenders for the last spots, with Heard winning their individual matchup 3-2 at the Gorman finals. Two other possibilities are Bernard (Anthony Wayne) and Brown (Napoleon).

The very strong and fundamentally solid Peters is down to his last chance for state placement. Three older brothers all placed, and with a number of younger male siblings, this family might well challenge for most brothers placed at States. Currently, the DiSabato family, with six, and the Hoppels, with five, lead the way. Peters qualified last year and after a first-round win, lost to Fickell. He then lost an overtime bout for placement. This year he beat Siddle easily at Barnesville and finished second at the MIT to Uphouse. Bateman won at Buckeye Local, Steubenville, and the huge OVAC tourney, defeating Burress twice in the process. His only loss was to Hager at River Valley. Last year he was a state quarter-finalist, losing there to the excellent Rakoczy. Burress is one of those tall, whipcord slender wrestlers who generate power far out of proportion to their apparent physique. As mentioned, Bateman has beaten him twice, but at Richmond Hts., he won the title, pinning all four of his victims in the process. He lost to Peters in overtime last year in the consolation finals to decide the last qualifying berth. Crutcher may get left behind once more. Burress eliminated him 6-5 last year after Bateman had defeated him in the semi-finals. Siddle has only marginal hopes.

At Firestone, the effervescent Nutter heads the field. He is six minutes of non-stop action that just wears down the opposition. He won two matches at Districts before elimination last year. He was third at the MIT (losing only to the champion Uphouse) and pinning Monak. Right behind him is state qualifier Kamalie, who has blitzed an easy schedule this year. A fifth-place district qualifier, he lost early at State. Francis has gotten really big this year and has generally had things his own way during the season. He won at Brunswick and is undefeated. He does not always seem to utilize his good shot. Dorn and Holtz are two possibilities for those last two vacancies, but neither is a sure shot. Both Weaver and Antram could challenge, as well as Coats and Clapper (Padua). Among the missing here will be Hunt (Kenston), who was fifth last year but has sustained a season-ending injury.

State qualifiers Linger and Rise lead the Dayton District, which is probably the weakest of the four. Both lost first-round state matches. Linger gets the nod because he wrestles a rougher schedule, which has included a runner-up trophy at Wayne (losing to Daniels on a TF). Bouldin is a fabulous athlete but not a particularly experienced wrestler, while Van Hoene is injured and may miss the rest of the season. That leaves the stolid Delph as the possible third-place winner here. Other thoughts are Armbrust (Lebanon) and Martin (Greenon).

HVY.

PROJECTED CHAMPION: LUKE FICKELL (COLUMBUS DeSALES)

TOP CONTENDERS

Ayers (Bellaire)
Edmonds (Akron Hoban)
Willits (Greenon)
Jenkins (Lewistown Indian Lakes)
Johnson (Sandusky Perkins)
Hunter (Roger Bacon)
Dool (Lorain Brookside)
Casey (Oak Harbor)
Schulz (Little Miami)
Paglio/Bronson (Lake Catholic)
Dietz (Shelby)
Coats (Warrensville Hts.)
Fox (Willard)
Anders (Miami Trace)
Brendle (Louisville)
Dokes (Steubenville)
Hassan (Edison South)
Soika (Padua)
Stepic (Wickliffe)
Pennington (Eaton)
Paxson (Kansas Lakota)
Sheets (Meigs)
Diehl (Lima Shawnee)
Krug (Kettering Alter)

In the last half-dozen or so years, we in Ohio have had the pleasure of seeing some excellent upper weight wrestlers. People like Mike Davies, Mark Coleman, Mike Funk, Rex Holman, and Mike Buddie come to mind. All of them were measured against the best Ohio has ever produced and placed at the highest level. Now, once again, we’re seeing another great big man perform in our state—and he may surpass all the others. Last year as a sophomore, Luke Fickell won the 189# championship in Division II and then took the 220# title at the Junior Nationals. He is just so phenomenal in the top position that he cannot be resisted. This year, as a heavyweight, he has devastated all that he has wrestled and seems a sure shot to win his second state title. And this crown will come against the best heavyweights in the state because they’re all in Division II this year. It’s no accident that the most prestigious titles around the state have been won by Division II participants. The MIT, OVAC, Brecksville, GMVWA, Wayne, Gorman, Tiffin, Marion Harding, Hudson, OCC, and Brunswick, to name just a few, were all won by wrestlers in Division II. It certainly has never happened before.

At Galion, there are a carload of good heavyweights. Fickell, of course, is in a different grouping, but that still leaves four state vacancies. Topping this non-Fickell list is Chad Johnson, who finished 22-10 last year but had a poor district. This year, his only loss is to Green, and he won the Tiffin title with four falls. Casey was the state alternate last year, losing a criteria decision to Dietz in his go-to-state bout. This year, he has been consistent, placing in every tournament. He was pinned by Fickell. Dietz was a state qualifier and finished sixth—losing to Willits. He is coming back from injury and may be fresher in March than most of his competition. He won both the Gorman and the Marion Harding. Right behind Dietz is his arch-rival Fox. Fox lost 1-0 in the Gorman final, but that is certainly not an insurmountable difference. That is the top five, but Paxson and Diehl both have reasonable chances of grabbing a spot. Freeman (Milbury Lake) lost in the consolation rounds at last year’s district to Dietz 2-1. Other possibilities are Roston (Galion), Podraski (Milan Edison), and Cook (Marysville).

Norm Ayers, like Fickell, a junior, is another emerging talent. Much bigger than Fickell—he must be close to the 275# limit—he showed amazing mobility last year for a man his size. He started slowly last year (fourth at the OVAC) but captured a state qualifying spot and had a quick fall in the opening round. State third-placer Waugh then eliminated him in a tight quarter-final bout. This year, he has been unbeatable, winning at Bellaire, Barnesville, and the OVAC—all finals ending early. At the OVAC, he won by technical fall over one of the top large school heavyweights in West Virginia. After him, there are about six to eight heavyweights, all of whom are about equal. I’ve listed Anders, Hassan, Dokes, and Sheets, but that is based generally on very tightly contested bouts. Other possibilities are Poland (Uhrichsville Claymont), McFarland (Martins Ferry), and Cunningham (Warsaw River View).

At Firestone, Edmonds has moved somewhat ahead of the rest of the field. He won at Hudson and the MIT after being a state qualifier last year. Willits beat him in overtime for a place, but I don’t think that will happen again. Like Fickell and Ayers, he is a junior and has tremendous potential. At about 260#, he is a nice size for today’s mobile big man. State qualifier Dool has done well this year, winning two or three smaller tournaments. Edmonds beat him 11-0 for third place at Districts. Lake Catholic has two fine heavyweights in Bronson and Paglio. Last year, Paglio was a district semi-finalist at 171# and then lost three straight bouts to fall to state alternate. This year, at 230#, he has just returned from a hernia operation. Bronson, varsity heavyweight for three years, was third at Kenston and fourth at the OCC. Either of these boys has a good shot at state qualification. Coats has done a fine job, winning at Richmond Hts., West Geauga, and Brunswick. I may have rated him too low, but this is his first full year of varsity heavyweight experience. Soika, state qualifier Stepic, and the mammoth Brendle are other rated possibilities. Also good are Houston (Avon Lake) and Boone (Akron St. Vincent). A special dark horse is Atha (Field), who has come on strong in the last six weeks.

There are three top heavyweights at Dayton. Willits was fifth last year, winning a lot of decisions. It was kind of unheavyweight, but all four of his district bouts and all five of his State bouts went the full six minutes or longer. This year, Mr. Willits has learned to pin. At GMVWA, he had falls in the last three rounds and pinned in the finals at Springfield Catholic and Hamilton Township as well. He is a huge kid, and he is beginning to take advantage of his size. He is unbeaten this year. State qualifier Jenkins, another great junior, lost an 8-7 overtime bout to Willits for the District title and was Ayers’ victim in the first round at State. He was fifth at Marion Harding and second at Troy earlier in the year, so he may be vulnerable. Hunter has been terrific all year—now at 19-1—losing only to Rohrbacher. Watch for him. State qualifier Schulz is back despite what the state program read, and he, too, is a junior. That leaves the excellent Pennington and Krug with no place to go.

TEAMS

Uhrichsville Claymont — During the last decade, this squad has produced a lot of state place winners, but this will be the first time they enter the tournament as the favored team. It’s a beautifully balanced squad that has the potential to pick up points at many different weights. The five munchkins that fill the opening weight classes are all tough, feisty competitors with Scott McDaniel, in particular, having high placement potential. In the middle, state qualifier Jones and Henry are both excellent, while Peters is the best of the big men. I think that Henry, McDaniel, and Peters will be top placers, while some of the others will pick up points. The key man to me is Reynolds at the weak 171# class, who has the potential to be a big contributor.
Oak Harbor — Another wonderfully balanced squad with scoring punch in many areas. The question is how many of their stars can score at the state level. Both Kerstens are excellent, while Scherf and Shanteau are about ready to really do well at Wright State. Scherf, however, must navigate that crowded 130# field. Hurrell also needs to reach peak form, and Monak and Casey have to get excellent state draws to score.
Edison South — On a strictly by the numbers count, this could be the highest-scoring Division II team. Of course, that’s predicated on them doing as well as I have predicted. Still, the quartet of Shields, Lemasters, Pipo, and Bateman are all returning state qualifiers and OVAC finalists. If they perform equally well at Nutter, they could win the whole thing — not unlike a Barnesville team of a few years ago.
Lake Catholic — It’s still not clear to me where they are going to score at the state meet. I mean, we know Becks will win and Galeazzo will place, but who else can contribute? The heavyweights are good, but look at their competition. Can Haverdill, Orosky, Ambroziak, or Holtz score at states? Somehow, they always come up with a few more points than I anticipate.
Steubenville — An uncharacteristic Steubenville team in that it has forsaken its balance for a few individual stars. However, Llewellyn, Knight, Collier, and Burress are all excellent, and perhaps a Brettell or Roseberry can help. If others falter, they could be right up there in the hunt for the championship trophy.
Kenston — A team that was severely damaged by a critical injury, but which still retains good talent. Out for the season is state place-winner Hunt, and that probably costs about 20 points. However, Santa Maria, Ferritto, Bryant, and Schmittel are all good and can score at the state level. A little bad luck, however, could drop this team a long way.
Ravenna Southeast — Coontz will score a boatload of points, while McKendrick should contribute a fair share as well. After that, it’s people like Dorn who have to make their presence felt.
Norwalk — There are so many good Division II teams in Northwest Ohio that they’re likely to knock each other off in the districts. With teams like Oak Harbor, Clyde, Norwalk, Milan Edison, Kansas Lakota, and others, it is really a hotbed of great wrestling. This team has two powerhouse competitors in Philiphs and McClain and some potential backup scoring from Owens and Burger.
Kansas Lakota — Only a boy or two over the Division III limit, this is a potent team with some solid individual stars. Lippert, Roth, and Tyson are best, but Conrad, Paxson, and Coleman are solid, too. A nice team, but can they get enough wrestlers through that tough district?
North Royalton — Another great team, but possibly one that just doesn’t have the firepower to score big at the state level. They have all kinds of quality people, but no one superstar that can be counted on to score 25 or so state points.
Fairfield Union — An unusual choice, perhaps, but Minnard and Davis may have finalist potential. In addition, the Eggar brothers are potential scorers as well. A long-shot selection.
Buckeye — A team much like North Royalton with great dual meet capabilities, but perhaps not a lot of real “heavy hitters.” Rupanovic, Culler, Farley, and Nutter are all good but may not be strong enough at the state level.
Milan Edison — The mystery team that has wrestled all year at weights well above what they’ll certify at. It’s a very good team with great depth and solid performers. However, the big question is, as always, the ability to score at the state level.
Columbus DeSales — Fickell. That’s worth 30 points, anyway, which will generally get you in the top ten.

DIVISION III

103#

PROJECTED CHAMPION: TIM DERNLAN (WEST LIBERTY SALEM)

TOP CONTENDERS

Klco (Perry)
Williams (New London)
Workman (Coventry)
Firem (Chanel)
Merrill (Mansfield St. Peter)
Wright (Belpre)
O’Dell (Brookville)
Dilger (Norwalk St. Paul)
Booth (Smithville)
Ballard (Barnesville)
Steiner (Batavia)
Clemens (Lima Central Catholic)
Frohnapfel (Bridgeport)
Zientek (Liberty Center)
Spencer (Edison North)
Kosins (Bellbrook)
Roesch (Sandusky St. Mary)
Smith (Cardinal Stritch)
Kuntz (Cuyahoga Hts.)
Kinzel (Wellsville)
Logsdon (Fremont St. Joseph)
Ziegler (Cardinal)

Last year we talked about the Dernlan brothers and the DiSabatos winning potentially 11 state titles apiece. Well, both sets of brothers are right on track to do so, and none of them may have been any better than Tim. He has the look of a four-time state champ, and there is little in this competition that will provide much of an obstacle. Already twice the winner of the huge MIT, Tim would be competitive in any of the three school classifications. His title would make the four Dernlan brothers the second set in history to have four two-time state champs among their number — the DiSabatos, with Dominic winning last year, were the first. Incidentally, no Ohio wrestler has ever put together four consecutive unbeaten years, but Tim has the first 55 during his career.

Dernlan emerges from an otherwise competitive district. O’Dell has now wrestled four years at the weight class (two varsity, two JV) and has the “senior edge” against the mostly freshmen and sophomores. He was fourth at the huge GMWA, third at Fairfield, and first at Troy, and is undefeated against Division III competition. Steiner and Kosins have the best shots at the final qualifying berth, although Creech (Milton-Union) could be a factor. Another contender might be the recently cut-down Biribilas (Dayton Oakwood).

The Cuyahoga Hts. District could have as many as three placers as there is a good pool of talent present at this weight. Last year, Klco was eliminated in district competition by two place winners in what was a tough draw. This year he has been outstanding and is certainly at a comparable level to everyone but Dernlan. So far, his only loss was a tough overtime affair to the highly rated Division I Cummings. Workman too was one bout from state qualification and has been solid all year. The real surprise might be Firem, who has grown into a legitimate 103#. Only 17-17 last year, he has wrestled an extremely difficult schedule with real success. Coach Coghill, who has had excellent success in the past decade has seemingly worked his magic once again. Firem has lost twice to Workman the past two seasons but may be poised to vault past him by March. The unheralded Booth is my choice for the fourth qualifying spot, with Kuntz and Ziegler possibilities. Mescan (Columbia Station), the brother of last year’s district champ, may also play a role at this weight.

The huge Fostoria District will again send five qualifiers at each weight, but at 103#, there will not be the top-to-bottom strength we saw last year — when they placed three wrestlers in the top five. The recently cut-down Williams was district runner-up and state qualifier last season and has been very successful at 112# so far this year. He is a physically tough competitor. Merrill is extremely quick and will be a real challenge to the three Cuyahoga Hts. District boys rated ahead of him. He is the major unknown factor here. The freshman Dilger also has placement potential, while Clemens and Zientek are vulnerable in the district context. Two other possibilities are the very tall Roesch — down from 112# last year — and the quickly improving freshman Logsdon, who pinned to win the Van Buren. Also a contender might be Smith, just down to 103#, after some successful efforts at 112#.

The Olentangy District may be a step behind the other three at this weight class. An exception might be senior state qualifier Wright, who so far has campaigned exclusively at 112#. He was a district runner-up in 1990 and should dominate his generally much younger competition. Last year, his two losses were the district finals and first-round state bout after winning his first 30 in a row. He needs to meet some tougher people during regular season action. The Eastern schools look to dominate (over the Central) at this weight, with Ballard, Frohnapfel, Spencer, and Kinzel being rated. Their intramural battles go on all year, so they are very familiar with one another. Arnold (West Jefferson) is a possibility as well, and I never totally discount Ready lightweights, so Amicon (Bishop Ready) cannot be forgotten.

112#

PROJECTED CHAMPION: JIM BOARDWINE (STREETSBORO)

TOP CONTENDERS

Maiani (Sandusky St. Mary)
Walker (Akron Manchester)
Blackburn (Licking Hts.)
Fowler (Apple Creek Waynedale)
J. Steiner (Batavia)
Crum (Caldwell)
Circle (Delta)
Littleton (Shadyside)
Breuer (Cardinal Stritch)
Meyer (Versailles)
Wilkovich (Columbia Station)
J. Soto (Otsego)
Nightengale (Wellsville)
Walz (Ayersville)
King (Brooklyn)
Perez (Stryker)
Hider (West Salem N\J)
Al-Samkari (Dayton Oakwood)
Terrill (Brookville)
Buckley (Union Local)

This is not a particularly strong weight class, but it does feature legitimate contenders from virtually every part of the state. What will make it even more interesting is that there has been very little interaction between most of those rated, so we should see a lot of surprises.

The strongest district is at Cuyahoga Hts., where four state qualifiers (three of whom placed) match up. Top on the list and my choice at this weight is the very tall Jim Boardwine. In Division II last year, he captured the district crown over then state runner-up Sampson and then lost a heartbreaking 7-6 rematch in the state finals. By now he should be used to the pressure and still operate at full efficiency in close bouts. He won at Hudson in very impressive fashion and has lost only to Lucas the first week of the season. He should be there at the end.

Walker was a district third last year but then caught fire at the State meet. He won two one-point decisions and then lost his semi-final on criteria, ending up fourth. Undefeated this year in limited action, he has been again very impressive. Fowler, sixth last year at States, is now down to 112#. He was second at the incredibly difficult MIT, finishing ahead of Kirkbride, Hegarty, Allen, Minick, and Cameron, although a wonderful draw didn’t hurt. In contrast, he was sixth at Smithville, losing three times. He, too, is very tall, and a match-up with Boardwine will look like a basketball game. State qualifier King was a surprise last year, qualifying despite an 18-16 record. He had the worst draw at 103#, being outscored by Dernlan and Maiani 39-9. In my mind, Wilkovich has a better chance of gaining that fourth spot, though the draw will be crucial. Last year, Wilkovich was a 103# terror but had to move to 112# when Mescan went down. Hider and Skolnick (Liberty) are other possibilities.

Maiani was a strong third at 103# last year, losing only a 5-2 bout to Dernlan. Now at 112#, he has had very good success once more and will be a stiff challenge for Boardwine. There is a gulf between him and the remaining 112s at Fostoria, although certainly not an insurmountable one. Circle, Walz, and Perez have wrestled many times, so there’ll be no surprises here. The ending order will mostly depend on who’s hot that particular weekend. Circle was an impressive second at the GMVWA, handling a number of solid Division I wrestlers there. State qualifier Breuer has just dropped to 112# after finding it tough sledding at 119#. This class should better suit him, and he has placement possibilities. The young Soto is still developing, but he has lots of talent and may capture a qualifying spot this year. Right behind this group is a solid trio of Boroff (Evergreen), Poth (Hicksville), and Tester (Genoa). It should be an exciting competition.

There are also a lot of contenders at Olentangy. Blackburn was fourth at the MIT and was very impressive, winning at Licking Hts. He could be a finalist based on recent efforts. Crum wrestles in an out-of-the-way part of the state, but he continues to perform well. Last year he won two district bouts and finished 28-6. State qualifier Littleton has been up and down this year, with a big win at Bellaire St. John and a second at Shadyside to Buckley. However, he was sixth at the OVAC, although losing only to competitors from much larger schools. Nightengale and Buckley are two other possibilities here, with Gardner (Columbus Academy) another possible choice.

Steiner seems much better than the rest at Dayton. He was a state qualifier in 1990 but lost in the first round. This year he has won several small tourneys, but more impressive was his strong third at Fairfield against the top 112s in the area. Again, I see a gulf between Steiner and the rest of the field, with Meyer and Al-Samkari having the best chance of bridging it. Other contenders include Terrill, Oudomsauk (Wyoming), and maybe Donley (Milton Union).

119#

PROJECTED CHAMPION: JIMMY SMILES (BISHOP READY)

TOP CONTENDERS

Lambdin (Black River)
Rowland (West Salem NW)
M. Kosins (Bellbrook)
M. Feckanin (Ledgemont)
Barnes (Otsego)
Stout (Brookville)
Goodson (Union Local)
Rosin (Sandusky St. Mary)
Mirolo (West Jefferson)
Spencer (Edison North)
Boardwine (Streetsboro)
Reineck (Fremont St. Joseph)
Hehr (Woodsfield)
Miller (Hopewell-Loudon)
Allen (Brookfield)
Minton (Cincinnati Reading)
Brown (Edgerton)
Reid/Garza (Hicksville)
Wingfield (Versailles)
Quinn (Hannibal River)

There are certainly more than the average number of weight classes in Division III where one wrestler appears set to dominate. This is one of those with defending state champion Jimmy Smiles well ahead of everybody. An excellent takedown artist, he is just too good for the rest of the field. Last year he pinned in the state finals and had only one somewhat competitive bout—a semi-final win over Ethan Moran. This season, injuries gave him a late start, which might have the positive effect of keeping him fresh for March. His only loss was to Division I pick Herb Russell at the OCC final, and his first week back Soto scared him in a 6-5 bout at 125#. If healthy, he won’t have any that close at the Nutter Center.

There is a good field at Olentangy. Goodson and Spencer were 2-3 at the OVAC and have been mostly solid all year. Mirolo just dropped from 125# and is the best in Columbus after Smiles. He will have to be at his best to qualify, though. Both Hehr and Quinn were disappointing at the OVAC, but both were a bout from state qualification last year—Hehr losing by the margin of a single takedown. Another candidate would have been Platt (Licking Hts.), but injuries look to keep him out of the competition. Kellett (New Albany) might also contend at the district.

Lambdin and Rowland are old rivals who are only a point or two apart. Rowland won their latest meeting, but I think Lambdin’s turn may be next. Lambdin is already a three-time state qualifier but has never placed. He has had a string of incredibly difficult draws and bad luck. If there’s an evening-up process in this life, he should be a finalist this year. Rowland, a two-time state qualifier, was a finalist in 1990, losing to Hartman in the 112# finals. It was kind of a magical story with Rowland finishing fourth in the district and then almost winning the whole thing. He, too, has been excellent this year, winning three tournaments, and this week defeating the excellent Hegarty at Doylestown. Right behind this duo is state qualifier Mike Feckanin, who beat Rowland for third last year at Cuyahoga Hts. Feckanin drew defending champion Mattin in the quarter-finals, losing 2-1 and being eliminated. He, too, has been outstanding in 1991. That leaves only one qualifying berth open with the elder Boardwine, state alternate Allen, and a whole host of others to vie for. Watch for Shipman (Cardinal), Lynch (Perry), and Gray (Smithville) in this donnybrook.

Things are just as confused at Fostoria, although the quality is not as good. Barnes qualified at 125# last year but has switched weights with Soto. His top effort was a narrow 11-10 loss to Amicon at the higher weight. Behind him is the sensational freshman Rosin, who already this year has won at Edison and Fremont St. Joseph, while finishing third at Sandusky St. Mary and Marion Harding. If he hasn’t worn down, he should qualify. Also close by is state qualifier Reineck, who has battled Rosin all year, and “A” Classic champ Miller, who has had a very good year. Behind this quartet is another foursome with qualifying potential. I think Brown and Reid are the best of this second group, but Goeltzenleuchter (Ayersville) and Grime (Archbold) are also possibilities. As is so often the case in the Northwest, the five-man qualifying format generally results in a wild, frantic scramble for the last several berths.

State qualifiers Kosins and Stout are way ahead of the rest of the 119s at Dayton. Stout was sixth last year and fifth the year before, and he has been a steady placer and occasional winner at tournaments this year. My thinking is that Kosins may have inched past him. Both could capture low places. The rest of the field is at least 8 to 10 points behind.

125#

PROJECTED CHAMPION: MATT DERNLAN (WEST LIBERTY SALEM)

TOP CONTENDERS

Soto (Otsego)
Hartman (Wellington)
Amicon (Bishop Ready)
Shinkle (Batavia)
Lawless (Bellbrook)
Mokros (Shadyside)
Reichert (Norwalk St. Paul)
Donahue (Bellaire St. John)
Torzok (Perry)
Moody (New London)
Case (Cadiz)
Meade (Clear Fork)
Lipinski (Brookville)
Edwards (Columbia Station)
Fetterman (Gibsonburg)
Bailey (Brookfield)
Hinkle (Highland Sparta)
Krzynowek (Cuyahoga Hts.)
Reid (Hicksville)
McMullen (Smithville)

This is really an excellent weight class, but as good as it is, Matt Dernlan should cruise to his third state title. Now the winner of over 100 consecutive bouts, this deceptively skilled competitor is the best 125# wrestler in Ohio regardless of school classification. Like all the other Dernlans, he is so well-trained and superbly conditioned that it takes an extraordinary effort just to stay close to him. His technical fall in the state finals over the excellent Peters clearly demonstrated how good he is at the Division III level, and his MIT triumph over Marchette placed that superiority in a broader context.

Dernlan is not the only good wrestler at the Dayton District. Shinkle, who finished fourth last year at 112#, spearheads what is becoming a strong Batavia team. He was voted Outstanding Wrestler at the Fairfield Invitational—a real honor considering the excellent field assembled there. Only a junior, he has lost just two bouts in two years and will be a real factor in 1992. Lawless should be the third qualifier, as this expatriate from Xenia has already won three tournaments this year. All three qualifiers should place at the state level. Unfortunately, the improving Lipinski and Wright (Valley View) might be left out.

At Fostoria, Soto should be the big gun. He placed third in the state as a sophomore two years ago, but last year lost in the quarter-finals and was eliminated (something that cannot happen this year). He is excellent on his feet and should spend as little time on the mat as possible. He lost a 6-5 decision to 119# choice Smiles earlier in the year for his only defeat. There are three other state qualifiers here—Reichert, Meade, and Fetterman—and Fetterman may face qualification difficulty. Even Meade and Reichert won’t have it easy, as a strong field will converge on Fostoria. I particularly like Moody and Reid (if competing at this weight). Barnes (Delta) and Demorest (Edgerton) are also good. Aside from Soto, only Reichert seems to have a reasonable chance at state placement.

I’ve placed defending 112# state champ Hartman third—not due to a drop in skill, but as a reflection of the high-caliber competition. A district runner-up in 1990, he wrestled brilliantly at States, giving up only one point despite facing a defending state champ and a former state runner-up. At 125#, he has been somewhat less successful, but only marginally so. He could be a finalist again. Torzok is second best here and wrestled Amicon tough in a 10-8 loss. The rest of this district is relatively weak, with the last two berths up for grabs.

Amicon leads the Olentangy District, though I suspect he might be slightly undersized for the weight. Last year, he drew defending state champ Mattin in the first round of states, lost a competitive bout, and was then eliminated when Mattin was defeated. Two-time state placer Mokros (second and fifth) will vie with Amicon for district superiority and may, in fact, win it. He’ll be the larger of the two, and his scrappy style is pretty much unrelenting. Donahue, a clever legman and a state third placer two years ago, is another top contender. He and Mokros have clashed before, with Mokros generally winning. At the OVAC, Mokros finished third while Donahue was injured and had to default out. State qualifier Case was only seventh at the OVAC, but that doesn’t reflect his talent. He should secure the last qualifying spot. Another important candidate is Hinkle, a transfer from Texas where he was a freestyle champ. He has performed well in smaller tournaments. Other potential contenders include Waller (Caldwell) and Pinkerton (Waterford).

130#

PROJECTED CHAMPION: Jeff Abbott (West Liberty Salem)

TOP CONTENDERS

Moran (Versailles)
S. Feckanin (Ledgemont)
Howard (Licking Hts.)
Kramer (Delphos St. John)
Johnson (Jonathan Alder)
Garcia (Columbus Academy)
Adams (Aurora)
Hengsteler (Arcadia)
Moritz (Brookville)
S. Allan (Brookfield)
McKeever (Cadiz)
Fuentes (Liberty Center)
Wilson (Olentangy)
Soppitt (Perry)
Baker (Union Local)
Genovese (Woodridge)
Castro (Otsego)
Howard (Batavia)
Schmenk (Sandusky St. Mary)
Mamich (Chanel)
Privette (Dayton Oakwood)
Gleckler (Evergreen)

I think this weight is likely to evolve into a three-way dogfight for top honors between Abbott, Moran, and Feckanin. With the first two exiting from the same district, it would mean that the one away from Feckanin would have a far easier path to the finals. Feckanin, of course, would have to beat both to win. Let’s look at each top contender individually.

Abbott is already a three-time state qualifier in Division II when he wrestled for St. Paris Graham. As a sophomore, he captured a fourth place, but last year a very difficult draw cost him a place he surely deserved. Now wrestling at West Liberty Salem, he certainly benefits from having Dernlan as a workout partner. He was a solid fourth at the MIT, losing to Chris Grant twice, and won the Wayne at 135 against arch-rival Ethan Moran. A tremendous pinner, he seems to have had trouble staying relaxed at the State level and wrestling his best.

Moran is also a three-time state qualifier in Division III, including a runner-up finish to Dernlan as a sophomore and a fourth place finish last year. He has lost only to Abbott this year and should really be labeled a co-favorite with him. Not the pinner like Abbott, he uses good strength and fine athletic ability to ensure victory. Shorter than Abbott, the cut to 130# should not affect him as much.

Feckanin, only a junior, has qualified for States each year — finishing second to Yinger as a freshman and fifth last year after a heartbreaking semifinal loss. I think he may match up better with Moran than Abbott, but either will be tough for him to beat. He is quicker than either of them and should be able to score on his feet, however.

At Dayton, former state qualifier Moritz is a reasonable third choice beyond the top duo. He has performed in a steady manner, placing at the GMVWA (sixth), Troy (fourth), and Fairfield (second). He should be more battle-hardened than his closest competition, Howard and Privette.

Feckanin would appear to have unequaled stature at Cuyahoga Hts. Both state qualifier Allan and Adams are good enough for a low place. However, Adams, in particular, has wrestled well this season. The fourth berth is wide open. I’ve listed Soppitt, Genovese, and Mamich, but they are only marginally superior to a whole spectrum of other contenders. Mitchell (Chagrin Falls), for example, missed state qualification by one bout and three points last season. He may be better than my listed trio. Wise (Rootstown), if this is where he certifies, may also play a role here.

I’m not quite sure about the Olentangy District. State qualifier Howard is starting to come on at this point in the season and may be slightly better than either Johnson or state qualifier Garcia — but it’s very close. Last year, Howard defeated Garcia 10-9 at Districts, and Johnson took Garcia 3-2 at the North Union Invitational. Two other strong possibilities from the Eastern sectionals are McKeever and state qualifier Baker, both of whom placed at the OVAC. McKeever, in particular, has had a truly excellent season. Baker came on strong at the end of last season to gain state qualification and could do so again this year. This would appear to leave out Collins (Bishop Ready) and Lindsey (Marion Pleasant), although each has had some high points this year.

The Fostoria District will provide a lot of folks for the bracket sheet, but not many potential placers. State qualifier Kramer is a strong, blocky competitor with good riding abilities. He’ll outmuscle many in this competition. The rest of the eventual qualifiers are likely to be overmatched at the Nutter Center, although Hengsteler or Fuentes could pull a surprise. Two other possibilities beyond those rated are Zeller (Genoa) and Johnson (North Baltimore). Not too exciting here.

135#

PROJECTED CHAMPION: Dominic DiSabato (Bishop Ready)

TOP CONTENDERS

Hoffman (Liberty Center)
Wilson (Olentangy)
Behrens (Hawken)
Ford (Delta)
Wheeler (Otsego)
Rinehart (Galion Northmor)
Broud (Wellington)
Tipton (Cadiz)
Courtot (Newark Catholic)
Bey (Versailles)
Fisher (Garrettsville Garfield)
Vonier (Wauseon)
Peace (Batavia)
Nicola (St. Thomas Aquinas)
Tyson (Elmwood)
Lamanna (Ledgemont)
Safenovitz (Beachwood)
Al-Samkari (Dayton Oakwood)
Ledesma (Evergreen)
Wax (Bellbrook)
Gross (New London)
Joyce (Chanel)

This is the last year for the last of six brothers who have made wrestling history in Ohio. Between them, they have already won ten state titles, and the 11th will probably be the easiest one of all. When Dominic stands on the victory stand, I think we’ll all remember Vince, Luke, Leo, Mike, and Adam as well, in tribute to a great wrestling family. Dominic will be the first to take three titles in the family and, in fact, will become a very rare four-time finalist.

As for the competition, there won’t be much, not at least for first place. This is the weakest weight class in Division III — except for DiSabato — and I’ve struggled to find people to put in the second through sixth slots. It seems like we ought to go from first to about seventh. Last year, DiSabato’s closest bout was a 17-7 quarter-final blowout, and he won’t have one that close this year. His only loss has been to Division II state champ Carcelli in an exciting one-point bout, but there is no chance of that here. Incidentally, this is the weight class with the longest unbroken string of winners in the report — six — and the extension of that streak seems pretty certain.

At Olentangy, there should be a four-way battle for the three spots left behind DiSabato. The leading contender is Wilson, who was the district runner-up at 125# last year and won a bout at States. It’s a bout I won’t soon forget as he was way behind Tuttle when he caught and pinned him with 12 seconds left. He lost a close match to Lippert in the next round. Rinehart had a much shorter district effort — it was a quick two losses and out. However, he won the big Gorman Invitation over a very tough field and, when healthy, is certainly capable of placing. Courtot was one bout from state qualification but lost a narrow 7-5 decision. He has been very successful at a number of smaller tournaments around the state this year. Finally, Tipton has made great progress throughout the season, winning the Cadiz Round Robin, the Mountaineer Classic, while placing third at Buckeye Local and fourth at the OVAC. Earlier, McKnight (New Albany) would have been rated as a fifth prime candidate for these three spots based on an excellent 1990 district culminating in his state alternate finish. So far, in 1991, he has not been as successful.

District champion and state qualifier Hoffman is probably the best at Fostoria. He won a state bout last year. This year, he cruised to the “A” Classic title and has generally been very tough on Division III competition. Ford and Wheeler are other candidates for low places. Wheeler was a district qualifier as a freshman and ended the year at 27-8. This year, he has wrestled at several weights with good success, including a runner-up finish to Romp at St. John. Ford was a strong third at GMVWA and is a sound, experienced competitor. Venier has a terrible (relatively) record but has been searching for the right weight class. If this is it, he’ll do just fine. Last year, he was twice one victory from States but lost both times. Tyson, Ledesma, and Gross are other possibilities — each of whom has been a consistent placer. Two other possibilities are Fiant (Clear Fork) and Kesson (Lima Central Catholic).

Two-time state qualifier Behrens heads the Cuyahoga Hts. contingent, and he is still looking for his first state victory — it should happen this year. There is a big fall-off after that, with the tough Broud standing next. He has never quite put it together, but this should be his year. Behrens eliminated him last year. State qualifier Fisher is back, but is by no means a sure choice. He needs to reach peak form if he is to qualify again. Lamanna is pretty much an unknown — though I think he might be a transfer from Euclid — but this excellent sophomore is 15-4 against some good competition. Wrestling a weight up most of the year, he was third at Ledgemont and Bishop Ready, although DiSabato TFed him there. He may already be ahead of Fisher. I’ve also listed Nicola, Safenovitz, and Joyce, and they both have qualification chances. Two other thoughts are Hampton (Richmond Hts.) and Maruschak (Perry).

It’s pretty weak at Dayton at 135. Bey and Peace are possibilities, with Al-Samkari and Wax looking for that third state berth. Maybe they’re better than I think, but for now, this contingent looks like they’ll be facing first-round trouble.

140#

PROJECTED CHAMPION: Ryan Peters (Beachwood)

TOP CONTENDERS

Mazey (Chanel)
D. Wright (Wellington)
Wellmeier (Lima Central)
Kantor (Dayton Oakwood)
Sams (Wellsville)
Miracle (Sidney Lehman)
Alvarado (Archbold)
Mamere (Huron)
Wright (West Jefferson)
Lavender (Casstow Miami East)
Wilson (Jonathan Alder)
Fow (Chagrin Falls)
Cook (Sycamore Mohawk)
Gregory (Williamsburg)
Kepling (Otsego)
Balwanz (Bellaire St. John)
Brumbaugh (North Baltimore)
Gray (Norwayne)
Straughter (Grandview Hts.)
Foote (Wauseon)

Last year, as a sophomore, Peters won his first 35 bouts moving into the state finals before losing on a technical fall to Dernlan. It was already his second state qualification and boded great things for the future. That should begin to happen this year as Peters moves toward his first state title. Again undefeated, Peters has wrestled as high as 152# while preparing for tournament action. While he has to be accorded the favorite’s role, he will face stiff competition — particularly within his own district.

The Cuyahoga District is loaded. Two-time state qualifier John Mazey was the district champ at this weight last year and then lost a hotly contested state semi-final bout on a highly disputed stalling call. He ended up fourth as his vanquisher went on to the title over an opponent Mazey had majored at the district level. Mazey has wrestled a very strong schedule, winning at Solon and Wadsworth and placing fourth at North Canton — all at 145#. Former state qualifier Dean Wright was a 16-13 upset loser in first-round district action last year and didn’t qualify. Had he done so, Wellington may well have won the state title instead of Bishop Ready. He was second to Strunck at Medina and will be a major factor at this weight. The excellent Fow should grab the fourth berth, but there is no margin for error either in wrestling or pairings. Gray is a possibility for a qualifying spot somewhere, with Ebert (Apple Creek Waynedale), Kasarda (Streetsboro), and Huggins (Sandy Valley) as other challengers. This is a great weight class here, but I wouldn’t be surprised if some people move up to 145#.

Wellmeier was 34-5 last year as a sophomore, including state qualification. A wrestler who likes to roll around, he is a big scorer, racking up points and pins in a big hurry. This district has some other interesting possibilities. I’ve rated Alvarado over Mamere, despite a lot of past evidence suggesting that it should go the other way. After all, Mamere pinned Alvarado at the district level, and while both gained the States, Mamere placed fifth while Alvarado was a first-round loser. Still, recent results have seen Mamere struggling while Alvarado has looked great. Buddy Cook was pretty much unknown until his big win at Van Buren, including an overtime win over state placer Tyson from Kansas Lakota. It suddenly put into the proper context his other tournament wins during the year. Kepling is another strong possibility coming off last year, where he ended up as the state alternate. Other possibilities are Foote and Brumbaugh, with McHugh (Liberty Center) as a real long shot.

The Dayton District features four returning state qualifiers, although that could change quickly. Two-time qualifier Kantor leads the way after a season that has seen him win at Edgewood, Springfield Central Catholic, and Oakwood. He won on a default over Miracle, who would seem to be his closest competitor. Miracle should be perfectly well by tournament time and should qualify easily. He could possibly grab a low state place. Lavender was a district third at 130# last year and then dropped a 12-11 first-round bout. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him look at 135# as an opportunity. State qualifier Gregory has disappeared from view, but a third-hand source told me he would be at 140#. He could be a factor. Tucker (Valley View) is another possibility.

The natural choice at Olentangy would have been state quarter-finalist Lee Miller (Olentangy), who seemed on his way to an outstanding year. He has left the team, presumably for the rest of the season, and will not compete. That leaves state qualifiers Sams as the top choice here, and he also was a quarter-finalist last year, losing to Homer Wright at that point. He suffered his first two losses recently — both heartbreakers — but has definite placement capabilities. Wright and Wilson are both good, with the former winning two district matches at 145# last year. Wilson has recently won two smaller tournaments and has been sharp in doing so. Balwanz and Straughter have been on the fringes of success and have state qualification potential, although it is unlikely they could win there. Three other candidates are Gregg (Shenandoah), Howard (Licking Hts.), and Dubinsky (Union Local).

145#

PROJECTED CHAMPION: Homer Wright (Wellington)

TOP CONTENDERS

Futo (Streetsboro)
Demorest (Edgerton)
Slone (Jonathan Alder)
Donaldson (Milton-Union)
Buckley (Union Local)
Moyer (Brookville)
Smith (Norwalk St. Paul)
Spencer (Genoa)
Witherite (Richmond Hts.)
Kelly (Bishop Ready)
Babcock (Evergreen)
Hayes (Caldwell)
Flesher (Sandy Valley)
Dorley (Lima Central Catholic)
Noble (Bellbrook)
Coiffard (Sandusky St. Mary)
Hanood (Tusky Valley)
Versch (Aurora)
Worst (Carey)
Bergman (Versailles)
Bakos (Mapleton)
Call (Wellsville)

This is a weight class with a lot of imponderables dealing with injuries, weight changes, and styles. My choice is Homer Wright, a two-time state qualifier and third place finisher at 140# last year. Wright has had some injury problems but should be healthy by tournament time. Wright was second at the MIT, beating Division I contenders like Seesholtz and Beres and losing to the superior Foston by just 3-2. He scores well from his feet and has wrestled a lot of pressure bouts, which may be the telling consideration at this weight class.

Wright’s biggest challenger could be at that same Cuyahoga Hts. District. Futo was a Division II district qualifier last year at 140#, but Streetsboro competes in Division III this year. I think Futo has made a quantum jump in terms of improvement during the past year. He’s been up at 152# most of the year and gave Division I choice Joe Plouse one of his best matches of the year. Witherite is at a clear level lower than either of the top two boys at this district. Up three weight classes, he may lack muscle for Wright or Futo. Flesher is also up those same three weights and may face the same problem. He has been excellent, however, so far this year. It would not really be good strategy to move to 140# considering the crowded competition there. Versch and Bakos are two other possibilities, with Rose (Cardinal) an outside chance.

Demorest was sixth last year at 140#, losing 9-3 to Wright along the way. He crushed Worst at the “A” Classic and has had little trouble against anyone so far this year. It can’t hurt either having Nye as a workout partner. State qualifier Spencer is my second choice at this district, and he is low-place potential. State qualifier Smith had an injured knee that kept him out of the lineup the first six weeks. After a couple bouts, it apparently continues to bother him. It casts doubt on his tournament availability and his conditioning. Norwalk St. Paul, while not blessed with lots of wrestlers, has had a good record in state tournament action. Babcock is just down from 152# and could be a factor. Dorley is something of an unknown, but his track is very good. He was a semi-finalist at the OCC. Coiffard is just down from 152# and immediately won the Panther Classic. He may be able to qualify at this weight. Worst was a 103# qualifier two years ago and is still finding out how to wrestle with his new huge body. His team, Carey, looks to be developing a fine squad, which should really mature next year. Good (Collins Western Reserve), Tate (Eastwood), and Meyer (Ottawa-Glandorf) are other state candidates.

A major unknown is which way Slone will go. At 145#, he looks like a good candidate for placement. He was one bout from state qualification last year at 153#, but rumors persist that he will drop to 145#. Buckley also has placement potential. He was second at Bellaire St. John (to a Pennsylvania wrestler), second at the OVAC (to a West Virginia champ), and first at Barnesville. It’s been an exceptional year. Kelly was one bout from qualification at this weight last year, so he should be a top candidate to make it this time. He has had trouble with Smith this year, losing to the Norwalk St. Paul version at Ready and to the Dayton Wayne version at St. John. Hayes is also strong, although Buckley beat him by six in the Barnesville final. Hanood, Call, Smarella (Mingo), and Sensenbaugh (Newark Catholic) are other possible contenders.

Donaldson, a Division II state qualifier, heads the Dayton fare much better in 1991. Bergman contends for the Division III state District. Both were first-round losers, but should there be a big drop-off after them, with Noble and the last spot.

152#

PROJECTED CHAMPION: Tom Nye (Edgerton)

TOP CONTENDERS

Vcelka (Union Local)
Connelly (Rocky River)
Ramsey (Licking Hts.)
Weber (Wauseon)
Pittman (Ontario)
Phelps (Cincinnati Reading)
Baird (Coventry)
DeGenova (Bellaire St. John)
Surmay (St. Thomas Aquinas)
Miller (Versailles)
Sedlick (Wellington)
Dimel (West Jefferson)
Patrick (Galion Northmor)
Link (Oberlin)
Goettke (Bishop Ready)
Estridge (Batavia)
Mericle (Sherwood Fairview)
Carpenter (Marion Pleasant)
Hopperton (Columbia Station)
Colwell (Eastwood)
Seim (Dayton Oakwood)
Villareal (Gibsonburg)

Tom Nye really is an amazing wrestler. A rapid-fire pinner, a tremendous scorer right from the neutral position, and a turner in almost every situation, he dominates this weight class. Nobody has beaten him during the last two years, and during that time he has had only one close bout (Shepherd in last year’s semis). And yet, I can foresee a possible upset here under just the right conditions. The perpetrator would have to be Buster Vcelka, a two-time state qualifier and fourth in Division II last year. Vcelka is amazing with the legs, and if he could get the opening takedown and put in the legs, he just might be able to create the down-tempo, low-scoring bout where he excels. It’s not likely, but it could happen. Vcelka, incidentally, is a three-sport star in the Ohio Valley and an outstanding wrestler. He just won the giant OVAC, and his only defeat was at Barnesville to Division II Kirk Henry.

Nobody is close to Nye at Fostoria. State qualifier Weber won the big Rogers Tourney, while Pittman was champ at the Gorman and Tiffin. Weber is probably a more solid performer, but Pittman can really go. He’ll be a crowd pleaser at every venue where he wrestles. That locks up three spots, but the last two are really wide open. I’ve listed Patrick, Mericle, Colwell, and Villareal, but they are just marginally better than about a half dozen others. While the headlines cruise to the top three spots, there will be a tremendous struggle for those last two berths. A possible qualifier to emerge from these entanglements is Good (Collins Western Reserve).

Vcelka, too, faces a crowded field, but he does not dominate it like Nye does Fostoria. Bo Ramsey was second at the MIT and Licking Hts., losing only to very strong champions. He should get a place. DeGenova has placed in three strong tournaments this year, including a final round 2-1 loss to Vcelka at Shadyside. Dimel just missed qualification by that ever-elusive one bout last year and will be “in the hunt” in 1991. Goettke placed fifth at the OCC and was third at the Ready Classic. He may be peaking at just about the right time. Carpenter is rated first at this weight in Columbus, but in my mind, will struggle to qualify. Patrick is very good but will need good fortune to get through at this weight.

Connelly is the last of maybe nine wrestling brothers at Rocky River. A state qualifier as a sophomore in Division II, he fell victim to a first-round district upset last year and was eliminated. Now a senior, he should place at this weight and could easily be a finalist. It would be a great finale for an exceptional wrestling family. Derek Baird has done well all year, finishing runner-up at both Wadsworth and Coventry. I’ve also listed the undefeated Surmay (although he has not wrestled a strenuous schedule), Sedlick, Link and Hopperton. The field is so well balanced that any of this group could qualify. An intriguing competition is Esposito — a district qualifier last year at 171# who has moved down to this weight. He has placed in two tournaments at 160#.

In the past, the Southwest District was what you hoped to draw into if you were in the small school category. Almost uniformly, the contestants from there were overmatched at the state level and quickly succumbed. Now, with teams like Brookville, West Liberty Salem, Bellbrook, and Versailles, that mindset is no longer relevant. There are tough kids at every weight class. Well, almost every weight class. Here at 152#, the cupboard is close to bare. State quarter-finalist Phelps may be an exception, but everybody else here is probably in trouble. I’ve chosen Wayne Invitation runner-up Eric Miller for the second spot and Fairfield runner-up Estridge for the third slot. Seim could move either of them out on a hot weekend.

160#

PROJECTED CHAMPION: Brian Williams (Sherwood Fairview)

TOP CONTENDERS

Belknap (Coventry)
Alex (Bellbrook)
Evans (Elmwood)
Rose (Hannibal River)
Gibeaut (Union Local)
Scott (Sandusky St. Mary)
Blubaugh (Clear Fork)
Merillat (Archbold)
Bene (Columbia Station)
Bergman (Versailles)
Cover (Mapleton)
Godwin (Otsego)
Hupp (Bridgeport)
Lambdin (Black River)
Fribourg (Batavia)
Difranco (Ledgemont)
Wilson (West Jefferson)
Misch (Perry)
Frank (Galion Northmor)
Miller (Milton Union)
Heiser (Newark Catholic)
Edwards (Berkshire)

My friends, this is the kind of weight class we all wish would happen more often. A weight class that can be mulled over, discussed, and argued about with the greatest of pleasure. One that features a multitude of fine performers from all over Ohio, showcasing many different styles. A competition that contains ten returning state qualifiers, none of whom even slightly dominates the weight class. It should have something for everyone — except for forecasters — because almost anyone could win it.

My choice is the talented senior from Sherwood Fairview, Brian Williams. Last year, Williams wrestled up a weight (for team reasons) and still managed a third place finish at 171#. In fact, three of his four victories were cakewalks. This year he opened the season at 160# — winning at Wayne Trace — and has since competed at 171# in a flawless manner. I understand he weighs in at around 162#, so I feel confident he will be here at tournament time.

Williams will be tested in his own district. Shad Evans won the giant MIT and was very impressive in doing so. A former state qualifier, he had something of an up-and-down career. Two-time state qualifier Scott got a late start because of football and, consequently, began the season less than impressively. However, his recent win at the Panther Classic over Blubaugh suggests he is about in form now. He was sixth at 140# two years ago. Blubaugh has twice won the Gorman — this year as OW — but has yet to make a state appearance. Last year, an overtime loss was the crusher. Merillat is yet another interesting candidate. A state qualifier at 135#, he has returned — after football — up four weight classes. No problem. He won the “A” Classic final 10-0 and recently defeated Evans in a dual. I may have ranked him too low. That’s five outstanding candidates, but Godwin is also a strong possibility. He beat Division I Sweet at St. Johns. I also like Ryan (Huron) and Giles (Cardinal Stritch), but they may be overmatched here. All in all, this should be a splendidly competitive district.

Many in the Akron-Canton area see Belknap as a title favorite at this weight — strong praise for a wrestler who has never seen state action. However, his results indicate exactly that type of potential and his Wadsworth and Coventry wins came against good opposition. Once beaten this year, his strenghth, in particular, makes him a formidable opponent. Bene, just down from 171#, could be a finalist in this district based on his past performances. A district qualifier at 171# last year, he will have a size and strength advantage on many at this class. After this duo, there is a substantial drop-off in quality at Cuyahoga Hts. State qualifier Cover transferred from Crestview to Mapleton and now competes in this district. He was 29-11 last year, losing in the first round at States. Lambdin and Cover have had some titanic struggles the past couple of years, with Cover just a little ahead. That may not continue. Difranco, Misch, and Edwards are other possibilities here, but we cannot forget Pastva (Mogadore) either. A state qualifier last year (when Belknap slammed him), he was outscored 36-5 in two state bouts. It would be a surprise, but he could qualify again.

Allex is another of those fine Xenia wrestlers who fled to Bellbrook to avoid the budget cutters’ axe. A state qualifier at 145# in Division I last year, he lost a tough first round bout 13-12. It was a difficult cut to 145# last year, and 160# seems a much more comfortable location now. His results are improving, suggesting that he may have started practice late and is just now rounding into top form. If so, he is a district threat to win since he is a very talented wrestler. His recent OW at Bellbrook suggests that he will be a very difficult opponent. State qualifier Bergman should also qualify easily, but then that last spot is wide open. State alternate Fribourg is an early favorite, but Miller and Audas (Brookville) could contend.

At Olentangy, we will see yet another renewal of the Rose-Gibeaut matchup. Already this year, state qualifier Rose has met his Union Local counterpart three times — winning the first two narrowly and losing the OVAC final in the same manner. Gibeaut did not see tournament action last year, or he too would probably have qualified. Opponents drawing either of these two contestants can anticipate six grueling, physical minutes. Both have good placement potential. Hupp was fourth at the OVAC and lost to Rose 4-2 in the semi-finals. He seems to be gaining on the top two as the year progresses. Frank, Wilson, and Heiser are also possibilities for qualification here, but will need a good draw. The key to that may be a strong sectional performance. Whitehurst (Cadiz) and Seiter (Marion Pleasant) have also had some successes this year.

171#

PROJECTED CHAMPION: Troy Sintobin (Delta)

TOP CONTENDERS

Hartel (Apple Creek Waynedale)
Manteau (Union Local)
Voltz (Sandusky St. Mary)
Williams (Steubenville CC)
DeHoff (Tuslaw)
Monnett (Dayton Oakwood)
Babcock (Archbold)
Rocchi (Cadiz)
White (Licking Hts.)
Stewart (Perry)
Vance (Cincinnati Reading)
Jahna (Gibsonburg)
Baughman (Manchester)
Vanderhorst (Covington)
Bates (Evergreen)
Modra (Hannibal River)
Powell (Barnesville)
Carmichael (Independence)
Moore (Milton-Union)
Brown (Eastwood)

This is a weight class that has two interesting features — one is a very unbalanced geographical configuration where one district has eight contestants who probably deserve state qualification (only four will make it) and second, except for Sintobin, the overall level of competition is not very strong.

Sintobin is first and foremost a weightlifter who happens to wrestle. Still, you can’t argue with his results — third at 152# as a sophomore and champion last year at this weight. In 1990, he won both his semi-final and title bout by a single point, but it shouldn’t be nearly that close this year. Not fancy, he just executes the basics time and again, wearing down the opponent’s resistance.

At Fostoria, Sintobin meets mild opposition — especially now that Williams is at 160#. State qualifier Voltz would seem to stand second best here with “A” Classic winner Babcock perhaps next. Voltz has lots of experience and performs in a reasonably predictable manner. Babcock is basically wrestling his first varsity year at Archbold and may be more subject to the vagaries of chance and nerves. Babcock’s big rival, Jahna, should also contest strongly for a qualification spot. Last year he had to default in his last go-to-state bout. Both Bates and Brown are rated with some trepidation, since they both have had a season of some real highs and real lows. I would have rated Thompson (Clear Fork), but he has not competed in some time and may be out for the season. Other possibilities are Linder (Collins Western Reserve), Theis (Sycamore Mohawk), Baumgartner (Carey), and Medaugh (Stryker).

The really crowded district is the one at Olentangy. I’ve rated six of this field in my top group, but there are two others that probably deserve equal consideration. The quintet of Manteau, Williams, Rocchi, Perkins, and Modra have been battling with each other all year without coming to a real conclusion. Manteau has probably been the most consistent with a second at Bellaire St. John (to Modra), first at Barnesville (over Powell), first at Shadyside (over Perkins), and a third at the OVAC (losing to Modra, who didn’t place). Each of this group has the same kind of track record, with pluses and minuses against each of the others. Clearly, the pairings will make an enormous difference in the final outcome. The other complication is three Central District wrestlers, the best of whom is probably White. However, both Sloboda (Marion Pleasant) and Sanzo (Grandview Hts.) could beat various of these OVAC wrestlers, too. In point of fact, some of the non-qualifiers here would make it easily from the other districts.

Former state qualifier Hartel is a potential finalist here. A strong fourth at the MIT where he lost to Hepp twice, he has otherwise been perfect. DeHoff, possibly his closest rival, was scheduled to meet him in the finals at Smithville and was forced to forfeit after a semi-final injury. He has not lost any bout wrestled. With Bene now down at 160#, Stewart (Perry), Baughman (Akron Manchester), and Carmichael (Independence) may be next best. Stewart was walloped down at the Ready Invitational, but has done well in this area. Baughman was third at Smithville, losing 8-7 to DeHoff, and won handily at Copley and Mogadore. He may be rated too low. Carmichael also gave DeHoff a tough battle in the Cat Classic and won solidly at Hawken. He’s a long shot. Haslom (Sandy Valley) and Riddle (Black River) also could be factors here.

The Dayton District has some veteran performers who, for the most part, haven’t established themselves yet as people who can win at the state level. Monnett did qualify for States last year but was buried in the first round 18-3. This year he was first at Springfield Catholic and second at Edgewood and Oakwood. Vance was the state alternate, losing to Monnett in the consolation finals. Vanderhorst and Moore are other possibilities, but nobody here will challenge the top boys.

189#

PROJECTED CHAMPION: Matt Hamburg (Cardinal)

TOP CONTENDERS

Partee/Lewis (Ayersville)
Schumacher (Woodsfield)
Gresser (Wauseon)
Hickman (Jamestown Greenview)
Kigar (Genoa)
Metzger (Olentangy)
Schaffer (Black River)
Monnin (Versailles)
Steffen (Mapleton)
Rippey (Sandy Valley)
Tomblin (Tusky Valley)
Hicks (Amanda-Clearcreek)
R. Sintobin (Delta)
Jackson (Brookville)
Klima (Huron)
Haegele (Licking Hts.)
Amato (Aurora)
Nemeth (Cadiz)
Grime (Archbold)
Veith (Marion Pleasant)
Hoke (Milton Union)
Arbogast (Hopewell-Loudon)

I don’t have a clue here. For a variety of reasons which we’ll discuss, many of the best performers have been essentially “invisible,” so there is no way of really evaluating their progress. At the same time, some of the results received seem almost contradictory in nature with big swings in results. My choice is Matt Hamburg — certainly not a name descriptive of performance — who at 171# last year reached the quarter-final round at States before losing an epic 15-14 OT bout that left everyone watching breathless. Since Cardinal wrestles a schedule that has few tournaments and less reportable results, I’m not totally sure how well Hamburg has progressed. Only at West Geauga were results forthcoming which showed Hamburg winning on a technical fall over a rated (at 171#) Stewart. Sometimes, on such tenuous evidence are selections made (but not often).

At Cuyahoga Hts., the field is likely to be rather inexperienced. Steffen won two district bouts last year and has been very good in 1991. He blitzed the fields at Hillsdale and Bucyrus, including big wins in the finals. At Black River, heavyweight state qualifier Schaffer dropped to 189# and beat Steffen 6-5. Recovery from a football injury and a 30-pound weight loss may have hurt Schaffer’s stamina, but it appears that these two warriors are about even. Rippey was a district semi-finalist last year before losing twice and being eliminated. This is a strong quartet (I think) and should do well at Nutter. Amato is the competitor with the best chance of pulling an upset.

While Hamburg’s results haven’t been very illuminating, at least he’s wrestled — with Partee, who may or may not be the best at Fostoria, that hasn’t even happened. Last year, Partee was runner-up to state champ Wasiniak in district competition, but then was eliminated at States in a first-round upset. Those were his only two losses of the year. This year, Partee, who is a fantastic running back in football, was injured in the playoffs and has not yet wrestled. No problem for Ayersville. His substitute won the “A” Classic and the Stryker handily and is undefeated currently. Now it’s my understanding Partee is about to return at 189#, and if he rounds into good shape, will be exceptional. Again, I’m sure. Where that would leave Lewis is unclear. State placer Mangas is at heavyweight, so that is not a good option and he may be too big to reach 171#. Gresser is also excellent in this district, winning the Rogers with ease. Several times he was at the top of my countless ratings list, but right now he’s #4. State qualifier Kigar should be a factor again this year after his narrow 14-11 first round loss at States. He has been second at Clay and Oak Harbor and third at Northwood this year. Yet another Sintobin, the fourth I believe from two related families, is a possible qualifier here, while Klima should challenge again. I’ve also listed Grime and Arbogast since the last two slots, in particular, are reasonably wide open. Collum (Woodmore) and Smith (Edgerton) have also been steady placers.

Schumacher wrestles in an out-of-the-way location (at least for me), and so most of what I know comes from the OVAC. Last year, he looked outstanding, if a little rough-edged, and then missed state qualification by a single bout. An unexpected upset by Veith was a crusher. This year, he was runner-up at the OVAC, including a big victory over Division II stalwart Nate Burress. He has the raw power to excel. State qualifier Metzger has missed some time with injuries, but he has to be highly considered based on last year’s strong effort — which included wins over Tomblin, Hicks, and Veith. Hicks pinned Haegele at last year’s district before succumbing to Schumacher. Again, Amanda-Clearcreek wrestles a schedule that makes state evaluation difficult. Haegele, Nemeth, and Veith are all other contenders here in what is again a crowded field. Tomblin, arch-rival of the Cuyahoga Hts. District’s Rippey, also has a potential shot at qualification. All in all, this, like 171#, will be a donnybrook.

At Dayton, a pair of state qualifiers should play the lead in district action. The one I like the best is Hickman, who qualified at 189# and won a first-round bout. Again, we have a contender from a very small school with a limited-exposure schedule. Hickman has won at both Bellbrook and Springfield Catholic this year. Monnin qualified at 171# and lost a close bout to Hamburg in the first round. This year he has missed some time and may be considering 171# again. Jackson and Hoke are two other possibilities here, although if Monnin does drop, they could become more critical factors. Stanley (Dayton Oakwood), who was a runner-up at Edgewood and Oakwood, but did not place at Springfield Catholic, might also have a chance should Monnin drop.

HVY

PROJECTED CHAMPION: Andy Mangas (Ayersville)

TOP CONTENDERS

Pardon (Lincolnview)
Browning (Cincinnati Reading)
Stark (Sycamore Mohawk)
DelGarbino (Liberty)
Hart/McGee (Ledgemont)
Conkel (Amanda-Clearcreek)
Tharpe (Bellbrook)
Hill (Perry)
Wagers (Wyoming)
Green (Columbus Academy)
Pullins (West Jefferson)
Brock (Streetsboro)
Burre (Huron)
Filinger (North Union)
Carr (Elmwood)
Bochik (Chagrin Falls)
Robinson (Highland Spartal)
Whetsel (Gibsonburg)
Chill (Monroeville)
Baker (Woodridge)

There is no particularly obvious choice at heavyweight this year, in sharp contrast to 1990 when Jack Lowther was a clear-cut (and correct) selection. Instead, it really came down to choosing Mangas or Pardon, and this is one time where there was comparative information — maybe too much so. Last year, Pardon was district runner-up to Medon and then went to state, where he lost a frantic first-round battle to the excellent Froehlich 20-12 — and was, as it turned out, eliminated. Mangas, on the other hand, snared the fifth and last qualifying spot and drew Lowther immediately. After being pinned, he got “carried” into the consolation round and won enough to finish fifth. He, too, lost to Froehlich 11-9. An unusual combination — fifth in both district and state. Interestingly, Mangas had defeated Pardon twice during the year — 5-3 and 13-10. This year they have also met twice, splitting the two bouts — Mangas winning 9-7 and Pardon triumphing 16-12. Now if you have been paying attention to the scores, you know these fellows aren’t your usual “push and pull” heavyweights that end up with an escape apiece. No, they score a lot and, perhaps negatively, roll around a bit, too. Basically, I chose Mangas for one reason — he has two great workout partners in Partee and Lewis. In my mind, that kind of competition is worth quite a bit and, in the long run, it might give Mangas that last little edge that gains victory.

The Fostoria District has some other placement possibilities as well. Stark, also a state qualifier, missed placement there by a single point and has done well this year, too. He beat Mangas at Districts last year and won big at the Fostoria Invitational. Unfortunately, he wasn’t in the lineup at Van Buren and thus missed a confrontation with Pardon — who beat him 8-7 last year. Burre was the state alternate in 1990 — losing to both Stark and Mangas on falls. This year he won at Stritch and was second at Bellevue. Carr won two matches at Districts last year, losing only to Pardon and Mangas, and won at Northwood this year. Whetsel, Chill, and Gockstetter (Collins Western Reserve) are also possibilities in this high-powered competition.

At Dayton, all three qualifiers return to renew their heavyweight competition. The champion last year was Devin Browning, the 240# all-state football player. He went to States undefeated and, after a first-round win, was pinned by the excellent Froehlich — and eliminated. He should win here again and this time place at States. Both Wagers and Tharpe should retain their qualification positions, although the latter, I believe, has surpassed Wagers and may win a bout at Nutter. Samworth (Valley View) is a dark horse here.

At Cuyahoga Hts., I’m looking for a real dark horse to take top honors. DelGarbino, who did not even wrestle last year, has been undefeated the entire season — most of his wins on rapid-fire pins. I have been assured by reliable sources that DelGarbino is for real, and his statistics certainly suggest that. At Ledgemont, both Hart and McGee have wrestled. Again, McGee started the year at heavyweight, placing second at the Tournament of Champions there. A 189# state qualifier last year — he finished sixth — he had apparently grown into the heavyweight division. Then at the Ready Invitation, Hart appeared — did he ever — winning the individual championship in great style. Either McGee is injured, lost the wrestle-off, or is moving eventually to 189#. In the latter case, he would be a real factor at that weight. Nevertheless, Hart, too, seems to be for real and should do very well during tournament time. Hill has stepped into the Perry lineup and performed well all season. He lost to Hart 14-12 at Ready but was second at West Geauga, and his losses have been to Division I or II wrestlers. None of this top trio (excluding McGee) wrestled even in district competition last year. The next trio of Brock, Bochik, and Baker all did so, but collectively failed to win even one bout. What we apparently have here is a situation where inexperience could play a major role when whoever qualifies reaches the States, especially considering the high level of experience from other areas. I keep worrying that I’ve missed somebody good here, but I haven’t been able to identify who that might be.

At Olentangy, all the good heavyweights come from the Columbus area rather than from along the river. Best of this group is the unheralded Conkel, who was a district semi-finalist last year and then lost to Meade and Froehlich and was eliminated — they ended up #2 and #3 in state competition. Green also has kept a low profile — he’s not even rated in the local paper — but he’s beaten Filinger (9-2) and Pullins (12-10). He, however, has no previous district experience. Pullins, brother of the state champion, is making excellent progress and should qualify with Filinger also in line for a state appearance. Robinson, Davis (Wellsville), and Mascolino (Steubenville Central Catholic) are other possibilities.

TEAMS

West Liberty Salem — This is only a three-man team, but what a trio of performers. Both Dernlans should win with relative ease, but will need to pick up some bonus points for falls. Abbott is the big question mark. No one doubts he has the ability to win, but it could be very close. He’ll have to be in peak form mentally and physically — since there isn’t much margin for error.
Bishop Ready — They have a good opportunity to defend their State title, but they’ll need to tap some hidden resources. DiSabato is a cinch winner, and Smiles is close to that category. The question is where they can find some more points. Amicon can help at 125#, but then it’s up to people like Collins, Kelly, and Goettke — and that’s a long shot. Of course, should West Liberty Salem falter, what they have here may be enough.
Wellington — A team that could have won it last year has a second chance this year. Both Wrights could be finalists, and that’s a lot of points. Hartman, too, could really contribute if he can regain that fierceness he showed last year. After that, they need people like Broud and Sedlick to qualify and score. That won’t be easy.
Union Local — A beautifully balanced team that may not have quite enough firepower at the State level. Vcelka is their main man, but Buckley, Goodson, Gibeaut, and Manteau are not far behind. They need State qualifier Baker to regain top form and maybe help from the younger Buckley, Kline, and Dubinsky. If they can get eight or nine to State, they will be the Division III school with the best opportunity to utilize the new consolation rules.
Delta — Troy Sintobin has been awesome of late, and he’s worth a lot of points. Other possible scorers are Ford, Circle, Barnes, and Green. Sintobin continues to improve; he could have a major impact at 189#. Not quite the team we saw in 1989, but there are some real positives.
Bellbrook — The exodus of Xenia wrestlers has helped several schools, Bellbrook being one of the prime beneficiaries. A key element will be how well Allex performs, but there are a lot of other possible resources as well. Real standouts are Lawless, Mike Kosins, and Tharpe, but Bobby Kosins, Henry, Wax, and Noble are also possibilities. If Kaleb Henry regains form, they will be in the top five.
Streetsboro — Jim Boardwine has to be a slight favorite at 112#, and Futo is a real threat — especially at 145#. That leaves Joe Boardwine, Brock, and Kasarda as helpers, and output from them is very problematical.
Ayersville — The two upper weight stars — Mangas and Partee — could both be finalists, although that’s asking a lot of the latter boy since he has yet to wrestle his first bout this year. Other possibilities are Walz (who is overdue) and Goetzenleuchter, but somehow more firepower has to be found. If Lewis can be somehow wedged into the lineup, they could move up.
Ledgemont — This is a team that generally does better than forecasted, and this year will probably be no exception. Both Feckanins are excellent, and Lamanna and Difranco look able to make unexpected contributions. A major factor will be at the upper weights where Hart and McGee have both wrestled effectively. If that continues and somehow McGee surfaces at 189#, this is a top five team.
Otsego — This is the mystery team as far as I’m concerned. They could make a run at the team title or fall totally flat. The one sure star is Soto, who has finalist potential at 125#. Barnes, Wheeler, Kepling, and Godwin could finish anywhere, while Jay Soto has yet to appear at 112#.
Sandusky St. Mary — A nice squad that has the sophomore Maiani as its main man. However, state qualifiers Scott and Voltz could help at the upper weights, while Roesch, the excellent freshman Rosin, and Schnell could contribute at the lower ones. Two unexpected aids could be the recently cut-down Coifford and Capizzi.
Licking Hts. — There is potentially a lot of firepower, and the question is whether it can all be brought into use by March. Blackburn is excellent, and Ramsey and Howard are not far behind. What they need is help from the big boys — White and Haegele.
Coventry — a team that is often overlooked, but one with good staying power. Belknap and Workman are the two starts, but both Bairds — especially Derek — and Davis can score.

–> 1992 Brakeman Report

<– 1990 Brakeman Report

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