2004 High School Wrestling Forecast
33rd Annual Edition
Written by Brian F. Brakeman
January 27, 2004
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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. This report was written during a ten-day period ending January 20, 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. Certainly many of those listed at weight classes where they are currently certified will move up for competitive reasons or because they cannot make the 50 percent rule. In fact, some of those moves may well be precipitated by information contained within this document.
There are several ways you can help make this report more accurate. First by sending me bracket sheets for tournaments you enter either by fax or mail – I’m especially interested in sectional and district bracket sheets this year and any tournaments for next year. Also, phone calls, or better yet, e-mail messages dealing with results, weight class selection, or whatever, are gratefully received. I especially appreciate coaches who provide an honest overview of their squad and superior wrestlers they’ve seen in competition. Already I get messages and information from too many people to name individually, but I appreciate it all.
DIVISION I
This is yet another year in Division I where there are more than the normal number of weight classes that seem in disarray. Despite the fact that there are many more meets that draw teams from all corners of the state the sorting out process seems even more confusing than in the past. While this is hard on forecasters it makes for exciting and unexpected outcomes – – at least at the weight class level. In the team competition two squads stand out among the 200 or so Division I competitors and are the only ones with a realistic chance of winning the overall championship. One complicating factor this year is the uncertain composition of the districts at Darby and Fairfield. The two northern sectionals in the Southwest District will seed teams such that one group will head to Darby and the other to Fairfield.
103#
Projected Champion: KYLE HOLLIDAY (Waite)
Top Contenders
2 | Harris (St. Edward) | 17 | Wolf (Northmont) |
3 | Earley (Gahanna Lincoln) | 18 | Wills (Boardman) |
4 | Barnard (Geneva) | 19 | Hall (Lakota East) |
5 | Floyd (Solon) | 20 | Lem (Avon Lake) |
6 | Jordan (Hayes) | 21 | Lybarger (Mount Vernon) |
7 | Levine (Amherst) | 22 | DeVelvis (Sidney) |
8 | Rini (Massillon Perry) | 23 | Schilling (Mentor) |
9 | Weaver (Moeller) | 24 | Hirth (Elder) |
10 | Peskar (Garfield) | 25 | Fetchko (North Royalton) |
11 | Gasser (Wadsworth) | 26 | Strieter (Anthony Wayne) |
12 | Adams (Harrison) | 27 | Guthrie (Parma) |
13 | Doll (Fairmont) | 28 | Stoerkel (Madison) |
14 | Parker (Lorain Southview) | 29 | Erel (Clay) |
15 | Buckner (West Carrollton) | 30 | Calabro (Springboro) |
16 | Edwards (Lancaster) |
The first weight class out of the gate and already I’m stumped. In the past it often happened that candidates at the lowest weight class were in short supply. But, lately, we’ve been spoiled as each year there have been two or three possible winners with exceptional credentials. That is not true this year. All the 103-pounders competing in Division I have a combined two victories in state competition, so we have little “past-year” credentials to evaluate. At the same time no one has dominated during the course of this season with many of the biggest tournaments won by Division II and III competitors. With no real standouts look for somebody in the five to ten ranking to make a real run at it.
It’s likely that the Perrysburg District will be the crucible from which the eventual champ will emerge. It is by far the most difficult site making the four eventual qualifiers battle-hardened if nothing else. State qualifier Holliday owns one of those two state victories and has vacillated between 103# and 112#. It looks like it’s a tough cut so he may be vulnerable in the early rounds of a tournament. He won at Medina–ahead of Harris, but they did not meet–and was 2nd at Perrysburg at 112#. He won at Waite defeating Division III Evans 7-4 in the final. He might be the most explosive wrestler in the field. If it’s not him it could well be Ricky Floyd. He was the JV 103-pounder behind state runner-up Jordan Brown last year and won the WRC when Brown was hurt. He won at Solon, but has wrestled very little since then. For a first year varsity wrestler, (even with DeAngelo and Deonte Penn as brothers), that could be a large negative. The best of this group will eventually be the freshman Harris. The question is whether “eventually” means the end of February or next year. He has wrestled a brutal schedule including a 4th at the Ironman and the Beast and a 3rd at Medina. He has not lost to a Division I competitor. A state junior high champ he is experienced far beyond his years. The senior Levine has only lost once, but has not wrestled nearly the schedule of Harris or Holliday. Two other wrestlers are probably nearly equivalent to this top quartet. Peskar, in particular, is good, but has, like Floyd, been inactive recently. Parker got “stuck” in his first bout at Waite and then won everything else to finish 3rd–unfortunately missing a chance at Holliday. He won at Southview and was 2nd (to the tough Barnard) at Riverside. That leaves the productive Lem, the excellent freshman Guthrie, and Strieter with little hope for qualification–unless Floyd and Peskar are district no-shows.
The only district with two returning state qualifiers–Earley and Jordan–is at Darby. The one to watch is the rugged Earley who was a state quarter-finalist last year. His big win was at the Midwest Classic where he dominated the field and he did so again at Marion Harding. A Columbus area 103-pounder had not won a Division I state title since 1973 when Iovine won two years ago. This time Earley may make it a far shorter wait. The rest of the participants will struggle to place. Jordan is, probably, the safe choice as next best, but he too, hasn’t wrestled recently missing the Top Gun.
Barnard has not registered often on my radar screen, but he beat Parker handily at Riverside and won at Kenston over Roche. It will be interesting to see how he fares on a weekend where he’ll face all quality opponents. Rini, although very small, has suddenly blossomed at Massillon Perry. He was 4th at Brecksville and since then beat Gasser twice (in overtime both times) and Weaver. He seems on a relatively steep upward trajectory. Gasser is always steady while Wills will challenge for the fourth state berth out of the Massillon District. He’ll have plenty of company – – Stoerkel, Schilling, Fetchko and a cast of dozens in that quest. Incidentally, I like old-style nicknames like Butch and Spike so Boomer Fetchko gets a check mark from this author.
I’m not seeing any standouts at Fairfield. Most of the tournaments in that area seem to have Division II or III wrestlers winning at 103#. The two finalists at the SWOCA– Adams and Weaver in a 12-10 barnburner–look to be a shade above everyone else, but they’ll struggle against the best from the North. Wolf and Doll should lead a Dayton contingent, but to where–south to Fairfield or north to Darby. I also like Hall in this district with, maybe, a DeVelvis as a possible challenger.
More than most weight classes the resolution of this weight class will hinge on the random fluctuations inherent in the pairings process. If Holliday gets a very tough foe early, when he has just made weight, or Harris draws one of the big 103’s or any of a dozen other possibilities, the impact could be substantial. In quantum mechanics one formulates a wave function that can assume many different values and which then collapses (at least in this universe) into the actual outcome. So, too, at this weight class, there are many more possibilities than usual, but in this case, the most probable champion is likely to be Kyle Holliday.
112#
Projected Champion: LANCE PALMER (St. Edward)
Top Contenders
2 | Brown (Solon) | 15 | Tilocco (St. Ignatius) |
3 | Hartley (Massillon Perry) | 16 | Riestenberg (Elder) |
4 | Johnson (Massillon Jackson) | 17 | Hansen (Pickerington Central) |
5 | Clausing (Miamisburg) | 18 | Goldacker (Toledo St. John) |
6 | Price (Beavercreek) | 19 | Mikicic (Darby) |
7 | Mitchell (Cleveland Hts.) | 20 | Yasenko (North Ridgeville) |
8 | Dunlap (Riverside) | 21 | Curtain (St. Charles) |
9 | Schuller (Toledo Central Catholic) | 22 | Ali (Westlake) |
10 | Shilt (Greenville) | 23 | Brewer (Lebanon) |
11 | Thomas/Catalona (Mayfield) | 24 | Mayles (Lakota East) |
12 | Shaft (Strongsville) | 25 | Chappell (Davidson) |
13 | Lambert (Mason) | 26 | Distler (Mentor) |
14 | Brown (Lorain Southview) |
One of the staples of Hollywood movie making is the sequel. Most of them are far worse than the original (just think of Speed 2), but occasionally the sequel turns out to be as good or better than the original. I liked “Aliens” at least as well as “Alien” and “Terminator 2” was every bit as entertaining as “Terminator”. This weight class could easily be call “The Return of the 103’s” and I think it could well be even more exciting than last year’s box office hit.
Last years state finalists at 103# will both exit the Perrysburg District. State champion Palmer, now a sophomore, was the dominant figure at 103# last year. He was 41-1 and won just about everything except the Ironman where he lost in the finals to an out-of-state wrestler–a defeat he quickly avenged at the Beast. At the state meet he was never really challenged defeating Brown 9-4. This year it hasn’t been quite as easy. He was 2nd at the Ironman and the Beast getting shut out in both finals, and then lost to Donahoe from Davison (Michigan) when he returned from an injury. Moving up to 112# is never easy, but, remember Palmer’s three losses have all been to out-of-state competitors. Palmer is a little small at 112#, but he knows his chief competition well, and should capture his second state title.
Brown is an experienced senior who can control the tempo of the bout. At Columbus last year nobody (until he got to Palmer) could score on him. This year he won at Solon and the Midwest Classic and was 2nd at the Powerade. Now nursing a leg injury he’ll be refreshed and ready at tournament time. However, I still think Palmer is three to five points better. The plus for Brown is that he should be on the other side of the draw from Palmer and possibly from Hartley as well.
That Perrysburg District is very good. You have to figure a healthy Palmer and Brown are going to snag two places leaving only two up for grabs. There are a lot of possibilities here. State qualifier Mitchell has been getting low to middle places at 119#, but will do better at 112#. He was a state quarter-finalist last year, but he has no guarantees at this district. Toledo Waite champ Brown is very good and CIT champ Shuller and Perryburg champ Tilocco (over Holliday) are both very experienced. Any of this trio has the credentials to make Columbus, but there are likely to be no more than two spots open. Goldacker and Yasenko are also good and Ali, at 112#, could be a force as well. It will be a great district.
The other two possible finalists are at Massillon. Hartley, still just a sophomore, is a tough kid. He lost to Palmer in the state semi-finals, and ended up 4th. This year he was 4th at the Ironman, 7th at the Beast, 3rd at Medina and 1st at Mayfield. He only loses to the best–Palmer nipped him (it keeps getting closer), 4-2, and Donahoe beat him at Medina, 16-11. One of these times he’s going to beat Palmer in what might become a four-year drama. Also at Massillon is Brecksville champ, Ben Johnson. He’s tough to figure. After a great season last year he goes to the district and loses to two guys I think he should have beaten. This year he won at Brecksville and has had the look of a state placer. A brilliant student he, maybe, over-analyzes on occasion. The rest of this district is also strong. State qualifier Shaft can grind out the wins and state alternate Dunlap may even be better. I’m not sure whom Mayfield will put out at this class, but both Catalona and Thomas are good.
Neither of the southern districts will be as daunting. There are four returning state qualifiers in the Southwest District, but I’m guessing Clausing will be at Darby. If so, he should be favored to win that district. He was the district title-holder at 103# last year and finished 6th losing to Brown, 6-1, in the quarterfinals. His results this year have been generally good with a 3rd at the GMVWA and 2nd at North Canton where he lost to Kriwinsky by the surprising score of 12-l. Since then he won at Fairfield and looks back on track for a second state placement. If, indeed, he is at Darby I have not seen much there to challenge him.
Assuming Clausing goes to Darby that leaves three returning state qualifiers–Price, Lambert, and Riestenberg–at Fairfield. Between them they went 0-6 in Columbus and struggled against some of the better boys. Of this trio I like Price the best as he has had the best performance this year. Lambert, down from 119#, could be a factor at this class once he settles in at the weight. However, the best 112-pounder (other than the aforementioned Clausing) might be Shilt who beat Price handily early in the year.
119#
Projected Champion: Andrew Perez (ELYRIA)
Top Contenders
2 | Smith (Olmsted Falls) | 17 | Willcocks (Fairfield) |
3 | Wanner (Olentangy) | 18 | Gottke (Franklin Hts.) |
4 | Lerer (Mentor) | 19 | Kemp (Mansfield Madison) |
5 | Bugara (Garfield Hts) | 20 | Tebbe (Troy) |
6 | Szekeresh (Lebanon) | 21 | Ashbrook (Fairmont) |
7 | Hunt (Collinwood) | 22 | Carraher (St. Xavier) |
8 | Manoogian (Green) | 23 | Kaake (LaSalle) |
9 | McDiarmid/Sulzer (St. Edward) | 24 | Ray (Chillicothe) |
10 | Kostoff (Butler) | 25 | Ciccarello (Brush) |
11 | Jang (Westerville North) | 26 | Bryson (Wadsworth) |
12 | Kleinman (Solon) | 27 | Christenson (Cuyahoga Falls) |
13 | Catalona /Thomas (Mayfield) | 28 | Abitua (Start) |
14 | DePoy (Greenville) | 29 | Hopkins (Marysville) |
15 | Ko. Pierson (Lakota East) | 30 | Touris (Lakota West) |
16 | Zyduck (Perrysburg) |
This is one of the strongest and deepest weight classes in Division I (or, in fact, in all divisions). It starts right at the sectional level with some great match-ups, but the district brackets will really be brutal. This is true even though it now appears that senior, state runner-up Clayton Stark will not compete at this class. Even absent his presence the state bracket sheet will be loaded with wrestlers whose credentials might in a normal year cast them as a possible state finalist.
As was true at the two previous weights the locus of power is at Perrysburg. My choice is three-time state qualifier and the defending state runner-up at this weight class Andrew Perez. He won his first 38 bouts last year and then dropped the state final, 5-3, to the clever, two-time champ Brandon Luce. He is, again, undefeated this year with tourney titles at Avon Lake and Brecksville. His two demolitions of state champ Pat McLemore have probably unduly inflated his reputation since stylistically, McLemore is perfect for him. Still, he is blindingly fast and strong and moved up only one weight (and changed one school) since he was 5th as a freshman at Vermillion. Also at this district is defending state 112# champ Ryan Smith–who was 2nd as a sophomore and 3rd as a freshman. Smith is a consummate defensive wrestler with better than average attacking skills. His four-year record is 129-8 with the upset loss to Eric Wanner in the Medina finals a real surprise–he had beaten him in Columbus on his way to the state title last year. I keep thinking that the more chances Smith has to look at Perez the more the odds start to shift toward him. The first takedown in their bouts will be critical and I think Perez will get them.
It now looks like state runner-up Stark will wrestle (if at all) some place other than 119#. His substitute will either be state qualifier McDiarmid–not bad depth–or the excellent Sulzer, both of whom would be a factor at this district. Also back is state placer Bugara who was 5th at 103# last year. He won at Edison, was 3rd at Mentor (losing to Scaletta) and 2nd at the Dies getting majored by Ryan Smith. You can’t forget Kleinman, who won the Powerade and was 3rd at Solon since he has been very close to state qualification the last two years. This is a tough quintet for the Toledo area boys, but Zyduck won at Perrysburg and Abitua won at Toledo Waite, so you know they can compete. Also in the mix is Marion Harding and Gorman champ Brett Kemp who in different circumstances would almost surely be favored to qualify. This is some district–one of the toughest I can remember.
The district at Massillon is also strong, but certainly not to the same extent as Perrysburg. In my mind there are four principal players with good qualification chances and another foursome who need to be in peak form if they are to get to Columbus. Former state placer Hunt wrestles for Collinwood and has done a great job despite a schedule that often fails to test him. He won at Wadsworth defeating Manoogian and Christenson back-to-back. He’ll be a huge 119#. Manoogian is a returning state qualifier who continues to get better. He won one bout at Columbus and was lst at Canal Fulton and 3rd at Wadworth and the Dies. Lerer was 3rd last year at l03# in a most fortunate manner. He was 5th in his sectional, but when the sectional champ, Hunt, could not compete Lerer made his way into the bracket and (rather dubiously) on the top seeded line. Good fortune is nothing without good performance and Lerer won three bouts to become a district finalist and state qualifier. Tack on four additional state wins and he was a third-place medal winner. He has been at 125# most of the year but 119# looks just about right. He beat Kleinman, 2-1, and held Perez to his closest score of the year. He is tough to score against. Catalona (or Thomas) should have the best shot at the last state spot.
The two top Central District 119’s will face-off with whatever Southwestern wrestlers get shuttled up to Darby. Wanner was 6th last year at 112# losing only to two state champs Smith and Federico. This year his championship at Medina included wins over three-time placer Jackson and state champion Smith. With that victory he vaulted into the upper echelon at this class. Two years ago I overlooked Jang at 119# and got “chewed out” by a supporter for missing someone who ended up 5th in the state. It certainly is not my intent to miss any strong performer (but it happens) so last year–determined not to get “chewed out” again I thoroughly, each week, checked out the scores from Columbus. No Jang. I got panicky thinking I was going to err again when I discovered that he was on some kind of overseas mission. This year he’s returned but the lay-off has clearly set him back. Still, by tourney time, I anticipate the high level of performance that I had earlier missed. Factor in Gottke, Ray, Hopkins, and Lepley plus some Dayton boys and it should be a very competitive district.
There are two significant 119’s in the Cincinnati-Dayton area. Kostoff was a district champ at 112# and won two state bouts. He was the champ at GMVWA and was 3rd at the Top Gun losing only to an out-of-state wrestler. The other strong candidate to place is the junior Sean Szekeresh, a 6th place district finisher last year. He was 2nd at the SWOCA losing to the Indiana state champ 13-9 in the finals. He also won at Sycamore and seems to be on a roll. Also there are state qualifier Willcocks, Carraher, and Kaake. Two people to watch for are DePoy who won again at Mason and was 3rd at GMVWA. Also back is state qualifier Kody Pierson who has not competed this year up to now. How he’ll perform is a question mark. District semi-finalist Tebbe has a broken hand, but will be a factor if healthy. Depending on who goes to Darby Willcocks could be on the bubble here.
125#
Projected Champion: Albert Madsen (St. Edward)
Top Contenders
2 | Anthony (Glen Oak) | 15 | McCulloch (Anthony Wayne) |
3 | Mossor (Groveport) | 16 | Rutledge (Carroll) |
4 | Armstrong (Collinwood) | 17 | Carver (Olmsted Falls) |
5 | Hucle (Marysville) | 18 | McNutt (Grove City) |
6 | Mitcheff (Elyria) | 19 | Braun (Colerain) |
7 | Santiago (Lorain Southview) | 20 | Victor (Mentor) |
8 | Goode (Moeller) | 21 | Oelbracht (Madison) |
9 | Ke. Pierson (Lakota East) | 22 | Elliott (Mayfield) |
10 | Dreschel (Sandusky) | 23 | Flake (Lakota West) |
11 | Sasfy (Reynoldsburg) | 24 | Miller (Upper Arlington) |
12 | Evangelista (Strongville) | 25 | Carpenter (Rogers) |
13 | Woolf (LaSalle) | 26 | Clark (Solon) |
14 | Rogers (Uniontown Lake) | 27 | Guy (Miamisburg) |
This is a weight class that has been dominated for decades by wrestlers from the Northeast District. The last five champions have competed in that area, eight of the last nine (only Travis Key broke that monopoly), and 24 of the past 28 champions. At the moment no one dominates, but there are a number of wrestlers that one could make a case for in terms of the top ranking. In addition, this field could be augmented by some of the 119’s choosing to avoid the crush at that weight class and compete here.
Two years ago this month I thought Madsen would win two or three state titles. He was at 112# then and he was crushing everybody. He ripped through the Mentor District and won two state bouts before eventual two-time champ Luce beat him by a takedown in the semi-finals. He fell to 6th and then, in his junior year, was plagued by the same sort of injury that hampered Mike Kulczycki for almost a year. He came back at the end of last year and repeated as district champ, but twice lost to Roberts and finished 4th. He wrestled only 15 bouts last year–six of them at States. This year he was 5th at the Ironman, 4th at the Beast, and 1st at Medina. His only loss to an in-state wrestler was to state champion Cameron Doggett who he later defeated. At the Ohio Duals he beat Mossor and crushed state placer Goode. This is his last chance, and it’s a good one, but he’ll have to be in top form to win it all.
Madsen will wrestle in the very tough Perrysburg District again brimming with talent at this weight class. State qualifier Mitcheff has moved to Elyria in a less than amicable parting, and convincingly won at Avon Lake. Since then he has been inactive due to injury, but he is a real talent. State qualifier Santiago is now at 125# for Lorain Southview (what a wrestle-off that would have been with Mitcheff) and he is very good. Last year two-time state runner-up Horne defeated him 3-1 in the first round at Columbus. Santiago has won at Riverside and then got caught early at Southview and pinned in the finals by Ysaguirre. I also like Dreschel here–the best wrestler on the Sandusky squad. Other possible qualifiers are Carver and Carpenter.
State place-winner Ty Anthony looks to be the dominant figure at Massillon and has strong finalist possibilities. He has already won at North Canton, Canal Fulton, and Brecksville and this experienced wrestler knows how to win. Armstrong, Hunt’s workout partner at Collinwood, was a state semi-finalist last year before losing to Perez and finishing 5th. He beat Anthony 7-6, in that run, but I’m not convinced he can do it this year. He was 2nd to Rogers at Wadsworth losing a 1-0 yawner. State qualifier Rogers is also here along with Evangelista, who has shown strong improvement.
There are three very good wrestlers at this weight class at Darby. I rate two-time state qualifier Mossor at the top with big wins at Tiffin and Ryle and a 3rd at the Top Gun — losing to Cubberly. Madsen also beat him at the Ohio Duals. Hucle was 4th last year at 119# beating Goode, Riggs, and McDiarmid in the process. He has not seemed quite as sharp at this weight class, but, perhaps, as he did last year he’ll come on strong at the end. I’ve always had Sasfy out on the periphery, but I took notice when both Santiago and Dreschel fell to him at Toledo Waite. Looks like he is ready to make a run at placement.
The district at Fairfield does not appear to have anyone you could label a sure placer. Goode had a 6th three years ago, but that was at 103#. You never know with him. Madsen beat him 14-1, but next time it could be completely different. He has already won the CIT and SWOCA so don’t under-rate him. Pierson is a state qualifier who should earn a return trip, while Rutledge, Braun, Woolf and Ashbrook are all possibilities.
130#
Projected Champion: Sean Nemec/ Clayton Stark (St. Edward)
Top Contenders
2 | Center (Mason) | 15 | Barrette (Madison) |
3 | J. Spencer (Mayfield) | 16 | Marsh (Colerain) |
4 | Rieman (Hayes) | 17 | Lewis (Lakewood) |
5 | Bodnar (Fitch) | 18 | Herzfeld (Anthony Wayne) |
6 | Ramirez (Waite) | 19 | Volkerding (Carroll) |
7 | Nicholson (Solon) | 20 | Baraga (Nordonia) |
8 | Mathews (Garfield Hts) | 21 | Dickey (Green) |
9 | Straughn (Massillon Perry) | 22 | Eskew (Butler) |
10 | Oberdove (North Royalton) | 23 | Hijoka (Sylvania Southview) |
11 | Williams (Columbus East) | 24 | Green (Boardman) |
12 | Noble (Wadsworth) | 25 | Felton (Elyria) |
13 | Dowell (Pickerington North) | 26 | Reams (Toledo Central Catholic) |
14 | Cook (St. Xavier) | 27 | Billet (Coffman) |
I think there is a good chance that this is the weakest weight class in Division I. There does not appear to be substantial depth and, rather unusually for a middleweight, no one here placed last year. It is interesting how weight classes seem to cycle up and down as do schools, districts, and divisional classifications. For example shown below is a chart that examines the winning percentages of the 12 districts that fed into last year’s state competition.
2003 District Performance
(Ranked in order of championship rounds percentage)
District | Championship* | Consolation* | Total* |
1. Elyria Catholic (III) | .684 | .541 | .628 |
2. Galion (II) | .585 | .550 | .570 |
3. Marion (III) | .561 | .512 | .540 |
4. Mentor (I) | .559 | .616 | .582 |
5. Perry (I) | .524 | .486 | .509 |
6. Firestone (II) | .480 | .476 | .478 |
7. Wilmington (I) | .479 | .370 | .429 |
8. Coschocton (II) | .475 | .494 | .484 |
9. Goshen (II) | .442 | .481 | .460 |
10. Darby (I) | .427 | .531 | .479 |
11. Waite (III) | .341 | .488 | .415 |
12. Xenia (III) | .321 | .468 | .400 |
Clearly it was a good idea to split the Elyria Catholic District, which was extremely tough last year. Note that Darby was the worst performing Division I district, but an influx of talent from Dayton should boost that winning percentage.
This report was written over a seven-day period beginning on January 17th and ending on January 23rd. I began with Division III, which has the least current material in its analyses and then moved to Division II and finally Division I. They are not written in order by weight class, because some of them are more perplexing, more confusing than others. The worst type of weight class is where no one has the look or feel of a state champ. That is why this weight class, 130#, is the very last to be written. Frankly, I’m no closer to a conclusion than I was a month ago. I had hoped for some breakout performance, some unexpected piece of data, or even divine inspiration so as to come to a conclusion. Didn’t happen.
The obvious choice is Dustin Center who has been the most successful wrestler in the Southwest Area this year. Undefeated so far he won at the SWOCA and Mason and has had things pretty much his own way. Yet, I’m dubious. He was 0-2 at the state meet and Santiago beat him 13-0 in the first consolation round. It would be quite a turnaround to come back and win it all at 130#. He is undefeated but he has not wrestled, as it turns out a tough schedule. So I’ve look around. Rieman placed two years ago and he lost to Madsen last year 1-0. However, at the Top Gun he lost twice failing to score in either bout.
Spencer came to mind after winning at Brecksville, but Straughn beat him in the Mayfield 8 and he has never done real well in Columbus. Nemec has wrestled a tough schedule and done well (5th at the Ironman, 2nd at Medina, undefeated at the Ohio Duals), but he is only a freshman and I’m thinking we might even find state runner-up Stark in that slot come tourney time. If so, maybe, he should be the favorite.
What to do? I thought about the situation and said who would I pick if I didn’t know what grade they were all in. Clearly, the choice would be Nemec. He’s wrestled the toughest schedule and shown the greatest improvement of any of the contestants here. He lost to the Michigan superstar Reader 9-1 at Medina, but then beat him three weeks later 9-4 in the dual. I think three-time state placer Tyler Reichman is one of the best wrestlers Claymont ever produced and Nemec beat him 15-4 when Reichman moved up one weight class. And if Nemec doesn’t wrestle it will be state runner-up Stark who put on a great late season show last year.
The deepest district is at Massillon. Spencer is certainly, a top placement possibility, with that Brecksville win and a 2nd (at 135#) at the Midwest Classic. A state alternate last year he knows how to win. I thought Oberdove would qualify last year, but a first-round upset sped him off-track, and he failed to get out. He was 2nd at Perrysburg (losing to Worley) and should be a factor. State qualifier Bodnar and state alternate Noble are not only state caliber wrestlers, but could place at this class. I especially, like the first-named, only a sophomore, who I think should be moving up to the next level. Results like the 3rd at Brecksville or the 6th at the Top Gun should leave him very dissatisfied. Obviously, the freshman Straughn has proven upset potential while Barrette and Dickey can win as well.
Center has not had much competition in his area. I’ve got Cook, Cummins, Marsh, and Volkerding ranked, but more as qualifiers than as possible placers. The fact that this group has not challenged Center has been part of my struggle in properly evaluating him. Cook, for example, was 2nd at the SWOCA and CIT, but lost his first two bouts at Brecksville.
State qualifiers Rieman and Williams head a Darby District that does not look particularly daunting. Rieman, as I mentioned, seems very good at times, but needs consistency. Williams qualified in Division II last year and went 2-2 at States. Strength of schedule is a negative factor for him (sounds like the B.C.S. group), but he could be a player here. Dowell is in that excellent Pickerington program and that should pay off in state qualification.
There are some intriguing combatants at Perrysburg. The freshman, Nemec, was a junior high state champion last year and has clearly gotten even better this year. However, he’ll have to hold off state runner-up Stark in the wrestling room and that may be far tougher than any bout he’s likely to have till the last couple rounds of States. Mathews, a state alternate, won at Edison and was 3rd at Brecksville at 135# (losing only to state placer Roberts). He swept through the Ohio Duals and won at the Dies. Still he has four losses including a 4-2 decision to Nicholson who will also be at Perrysburg. He won at Solon, but got hammered by Spencer at the WRC. Add in state qualifier Herzfeld, Lewis, Felton, and Reams and this is a solid district. However, the key figure here will be Ramirez. He was a state qualifier at 135# last year and went 1-2. This year he dominated at Waite, but fell to 6th at Medina after reaching the semi-finals. He can beat anyone in this field, but I’m not sure he can sustain that level over an entire weekend.
135#
Projected Champion: JASON Johnstone (MASSILLON PERRY)
Top Contenders
2 | Horne (Pickerington Central) | 15 | Herzfeld (Anthony Wayne) |
3 | N. Spencer (Mayfield) | 16 | Mizener (Mason) |
4 | Roberts (Brunswick) | 17 | Hayden (Moeller) |
5 | Sizemore (Lakota East) | 18 | Austin (Strongsville) |
6 | Phelan (St. Edwards) | 19 | Stevens (Thomas Worthington) |
7 | Canoles (Glen Oak) | 20 | Roddy (Sidney) |
8 | Linz (St. Xavier) | 21 | Norris (North Royalton) |
9 | Duffy (Lakota West) | 22 | Weisenstein (Ashland) |
10 | Campbell (Uniontown Lake) | 23 | B. Crenshaw (Sycamore) |
11 | Salem (Westlake) | 24 | Melin (Pickerington North) |
12 | Stevenson (Reynoldsburg) | 25 | Good (Miamisburg) |
13 | Davis (Westland) | 26 | Castillo (Perrysburg) |
14 | Lewis (Lakewood) |
Ohio has two of the best 135-pounders in the country both of whom have the initials J.J. Who would win a match-up of these superstars was a heavily debated topic, it was, it seemed, a question that would have closure since they were both entered in the Ironman. Then, and this is no disparagement of Pat Phelan, unbelievably Johnstone (the conqueror of Dustin Schlatter) was upset in the quarterfinals. Jaggers went on to trounce Phelan and Johnstone crushed everyone else to finish 3rd. The next week Johnstone dominated at the Beast including a third period fall over Phelan. Of course, just last week Jaggers struck quickly in the second period and went on to post a 6-3 win over Johnstone. Johnstone was 2nd to Mark Moos as a sophomore and then won at 125# last year defeating Horne in the finals. He will be a strong favorite this year, but it is a formidable field that he will have to overcome–and, as we have seen, upsets are an integral part of this sport.
The Massillon District is strong. Johnstone, of course, is at the top of the list, but four other wrestlers have good credentials. Spencer was 2nd two years ago in Division III, and then was 4th last year–losing a semi-final bout to eventual champ Enright, 5-4. This year he has wrestled an aggressive schedule triumphing at Brecksville with wins over Canoles and Roberts. At the Mayfield Big 8 he bumped up to 140# finishing 2nd to the incomparable Schlatter. Roberts is amazing. He was 6th two years ago and 3rd last year (beating Madsen and losing to Horne 3-2). He is a master of the down-tempo bout and it takes a magician to register a takedown. This year he was 2nd at Brecksville, but he is the kind of wrestler who can beat anyone–especially if he gets the first takedown. State qualifier Canoles and Campbell complete the top quintet.
Horne should dominate at Darby. He now has twice been a state runner-up losing to Luce at 112# and Johnstone last year. He started this season at 145#, but has gradually settled in at this weight class. He was 3rd at Medina losing to Johnstone 10-5 in the semi-finals in what could not have been one of the finer moments in seeding. At the Ohio Duals he was apparently injured, but the assumption is that he will return shortly. He and Johnstone should be in separate halves of the state meet, perhaps, setting up a rematch of last year’s final at 125#. Most of the rest of this district is well below Horne. I’m wondering whether Davis, Stephens, or Stevenson have (low) placement possibilities.
This is one time when the Perrysburg District may not play a significant role in the final outcome of this weight class. Of course, I could have made a similar statement about Phelan at the Ironman and look how wrong I would have been. Clearly Phelan’s years at St. Edward have not been wasted. He’ll forever be remembered for upsetting Johnstone in the quarterfinals at the Ironman, but he may wish to create a few more memories at Columbus. Remember, after defeating Johnstone he reached the finals before losing to Jaggers. He was 5th at the Beast, but did not wrestle at Medina. He looks to be the best of a weak field at this district. Salem came from a 4th place sectional finish to upset Herzfeld the in the first round and nearly qualified last year. Lewis is good but the Northwest quartet of Herzfeld, Bork, Castillo, and Weisenstein must be accounted for. Add in the recently dropping Fowler (Sylvania Northview) and one might expect at least of the two qualifying berths to end up in the northwest.
Two-time state qualifier Sizemore heads the Southwestern contingent after a 5th place finish last year. A semi-finalist he lost to Cunningham 3-2 in a bout that almost cost us the dream match-up of Lang versus Cunningham. He beat Linz (second best here) 3-1 to win the SWOCA, but was 5th at Medina – – losing 15-0 to Blunk (easy to do if you’ve never met him) and Stevenson. Duffy, just down from 140#, should be a factor here and, perhaps, Hayden and Mizener as well.
140#
Projected Champion: Dustin Schlatter (MASSILLON PERRY)
Top Contenders
2 | Spence (Elder) | 15 | Haxton (Strongsville) |
3 | Kallai (Wadsworth) | 16 | Salyers (Fairfield) |
4 | Wright (Hoover) | 17 | Patnode (Anthony Wayne) |
5 | Hoyt (St. Ignatius) | 18 | Dowdy (Princeton) |
6 | Dutton (Pickerington North) | 19 | Becka (North Royalton) |
7 | V. Crenshaw (Sycamore) | 20 | Kessler (Toledo St. John) |
8 | Jonhenry (Berea) | 21 | Hawk (New Philadelphia) |
9 | Lyons (Troy) | 22 | Reece (Glen Este) |
10 | Ciraky (Westerville South) | 23 | Anderson (Lorain Southview) |
11 | Cummins (Waite) | 24 | Harris (Greenville) |
12 | Hatzegai (St. Edward) | 25 | Castillo (Perrysburg) |
13 | Aber (Wilmington) | 26 | Weidner (Groveport) |
14 | Berger (Glen Oak) | 27 | Cummins (Waite) |
The Schlatter odyssey continued this year with junior two-time state champion Dustin now competing for Massillon Perry. What more can you say about this brother combination? Last year I presented arguments that suggested that C.P. might be the most accomplished high school performer in Ohio wrestling history. Dustin may be even better. Coming off an injury that kept him out of the Ironman he, like Johnstone, torched the field at the Beast majoring Troy Tirapelle in the final round. It appears that the Schlatters are destined to lose only in their sophomore year on their way to four state titles. His uncanny ability to anticipate and counter his opponent’s offensive actions is unbelievable, and he has a sixth sense when it comes to ferreting out possible weaknesses. He is a college wrestler–and a good one–right now. Barring injury or divine intervention Schlatter should romp home with his 3rd state title.
Schlatter’s ominous shadow has pretty much cleared out this weight class. Some have opted for 135# –no treat with Johnstone and Horne there–while others have elected to stay at 145#. Of course, for underclassmen or those just looking to place this provides an excellent opportunity to do so. There is no clear-cut choice(s) for the runner-up position and even for placement. Positions are up for grabs.
One of the positives about being at Massillon with Schlatter is that the 2nd and 3rd place winners are sure to be opposite him in the draw. Both Kallai and Wright were state alternates last year and Berger can be very good. All three of them placed at North Canton with Wright finishing 2nd to Division II Rendinell. He was 3rd at Medina losing to Hatzegai and beating Hoyt. Berger placed at Brecksville while Kallai won at Wadsworth. Becka, 2nd at Perrysburg at 145#, looks like he’ll compete here. If so he would certainly have state qualification chances, while Haxton and Hawk might equally be considered.
There are also some potential placers at Perrysburg. Hatzegai is one of those St. Edward wrestlers who’s waited his turn and now has a chance to cash in on it. He was runner-up to Schlatter at Medina beating Wright in the process. However Kallai pinned him in the Ohio Duals. He has to beat state placer Tomasone just to make the team. Hoyt was 4th at Medina losing twice to Wright by a total of three points, but won at Perrysburg snapping Shiff’s unbeaten season. He then beat Spence (in overtime) to finish 3rd at the CIT. Add in Lewis and state qualifier Jonhenry – – if he is healthy – – and that a pretty solid quartet. I also like Anderson with Kessler, Castillo, and Cummins long-shot possibilities, Patnode, down from 145#, might have slightly better chances than this group.
State qualifiers Dutton and Ciraky lead a nondescript Central District contingent. Dutton is really a 135-pounder, but when Horne moved down he went up. He was 1-2 at the states last year. Ciraky, now a sophomore, has remained at 140# and should be more of a factor this year. Moore (Mount Vernon) certainly has state chances, but the last two spots might go to boys coming up from Dayton.
State qualifiers Spence and Lyons are the only two in the Southwest who have qualified for Columbus at this class. Spence pulled a first round upset taking out district champ Mike Walters in a 12-10 overtime thriller, and ended up going 2-2 in the tournament. This year he beat Crenshaw, 2-0, to win the SWOCA, but was 4th at the CIT and Brecksville. Crenshaw is very good pinning Aber, for example, to win at St. Xavier. I also like Salyers (runner-up at Kenston), Aber, Dowdy (unless he is at 135#) and Nickolai.
145#
Projected Champion: TOMMY CUNNINGHAM (Groveport)
Top Contenders
2 | Lutz (Marysville) | 14 | Ranallo (Twinsburg) |
3 | Effner (Garfield Hts) | 15 | Schwind (Maumee) |
4 | Ward (St. Edward) | 16 | Gray (Celina) |
5 | Marzec (Toledo St. Francis) | 17 | Hall (Oakhills) |
6 | Brulport (Sidney) | 18 | Estadt (Mentor) |
7 | Brewer (Colerain) | 19 | DeLande (Davidson) |
8 | Ramsey (Hoover) | 20 | Blieden (Sycamore) |
9 | White (Strongsville) | 21 | Noble (Pickerington Central) |
10 | Newbury (Darby) | 22 | Beall (Springboro) |
11 | Butler (Uniontown Lake) | 23 | Tortorici (Euclid) |
12 | Neumann (Moeller) | 24 | Castle (Northmount) |
13 | Kappus (St. Ignatius) | 25 | Jianetti (Mayfield) |
While I anticipated that this weight class would attract a strong field I was confident that Tommy Cunningham would come out on top. His situation reminded me very much of what faced T. J. Enright last year. What we have is someone who has clearly paid his dues (Cunningham has been 5th, 3rd, and 2nd the last three years), and it kind of seems like it’s his turn to win. To push the parallel a little further both had lost in the state finals to Ryan Lang in their junior year, and both have been superior performers throughout their career. However, Cunningham has not had the senior year that everyone anticipated. Marzec took him to the limit at Tiffin before succumbing 7-6, and then Ward pinned him at the State Duals followed by a 4-2 loss to Effner. At the Top Gun he cruised into the semi-finals but had to default to Brulport and did not wrestle after that. What is going on? How bad is he injured? Suddenly it looks like Cunningham will be in a real dogfight with at least four or five top competitors.
Three of the top contenders and the two wrestlers who defeated him will compete at Perrysburg. All three of them captured a low place last year and each is an experienced senior. Ward was 5th last year beating Marzec in overtime. He had 15 losses during his junior season, but wrestled very well at tourney time. This year injury and illness plagued his early season efforts, but he pinned Cunningham, Neumann, and Rager at the Ohio Duals, and went the distance with the top 145-pounder in the nation Brett Metcalfe. Marzec lost 7-6 in the Tiffin finals and beat the excellent Davis to win the CIT; his one stumble was a loss to Slauterbeck at Oak Harbor. Effner has had a great season. He won at Edison and beat a tough field at Brecksville including wins over Baum, Davis, and White. He, too, beat Cunningham at the Ohio Duals, but lost at the Dies to the unheralded Quallich. Like Ward he was a district champ and ended up 6th after losing to Agozzino in the semi-finals. The champion at this district will be away from the other two (in all likelihood) at Columbus and from two of the other three district champs. That would be a prize worth winning.
Cunningham won’t have it easy at his own district. Lutz was a state semi-finalist last year at 135# and ended up 3rd losing only to four-time champ Ryan Lang. None of his four wins were terribly close. He has wrestled a much weaker schedule than many of the other contenders, but as a senior it may also have kept him fresher. State qualifier Newberry also returns so this will be quite a battle and a small preview of what will happen the following weekend.
One of the unknowns (at least to me) is the final status of Tyler Brewer. He was 5th last year at 140#–losing to Effner on criteria in an 8-8 quarterfinal struggle and then defeating him by a point for 5th. Not allowed to compete by the Colerain administration there have been court hearings to determine his status. Should he wrestle he will be a factor at this weight class. Brulport, also a state qualifier, could be at either Darby or Fairfield. He won at the GMVWA over two-time state placer Jake Knoop, and also won at Beavercreek. At the Top Gun he met Cunningham in the semi-finals and won when Cunningham was forced to default, then beat Ramsey by a point to take the title. After him the district is somewhat weaker. The SWOCA champ Neumann was 3rd at the CIT, but struggled against Ward and Effner. Folks like Hall, Beall, and Castle might face the same outcome.
I see a quartet of potential qualifiers at Massillon. State qualifiers Ramsey, Ranallo and Butler are all experienced, rugged competitors with low placement possibilities. Ranallo won at Solon and Hudson and has moved up from Division II. Ramsey was 2nd at North Canton and 4th at Medina losing to Metcalfe in the semis. He was also 2nd at the Top Gun losing to Brulport 5-4. Butler qualified at 130# two years ago, but missed out last year. Lutz beat him 8-0 in the Wadsworth final. The fourth candidate is White who was 2nd at Brecksville including a win over my Division III choice Jamison Moss. A district semi-finalist last year he lost three straight bouts and failed to qualify. That shouldn’t happen again. There are two unknowns here. One is Tortorici–the only three-time junior high state champ in history–who has had trouble sustaining his wrestling career at Euclid. Very talented he could explode onto the scene at anytime. Estadt was an unknown until he upset Effner in a dual meet and has since built on that with other victories. Obviously he has upset potential.
152#
Projected Champion: Mike Miller (Uniontown Lake)
Top Contenders
2 | T. Miller (Wadsworth) | 14 | Popham (Mt. Vernon) |
3 | Monk (Lakota West) | 15 | Myers (Butler) |
4 | Clemens (Beavercreek) | 16 | Earle (Ashland) |
5 | Maier (Marysville) | 17 | Holztrager (Normandy) |
6 | Smith (Loveland) | 18 | Pankiewicz (Canfield) |
7 | O’Bryan (Mentor) | 19 | Howell (Ellet) |
8 | Nichols (Pickerington Central) | 20 | Strater (Davidson) |
9 | Goebel (Springboro) | 21 | Kettinger (Toledo St. John) |
10 | Spooner (St. Edward) | 22 | Paplacyzk (Thomas Worthington) |
11 | Mauro (Centerville) | 23 | Franklin (New Philadelphia) |
12 | Russo (Nordonia) | 24 | Denman (St. Xavier) |
13 | Zednik (Cleveland Hts.) | 25 | Berdysz (Garfield Hts) |
It seems highly probable that a Miller will win the state title. The more appropriate question is which one. It looks to me like it will be strictly a two-man contest between Mike Miller and Tim Miller who will know each other well by year’s end.
Mike Miller rather suddenly exploded onto the 145# scene about the middle of last year with a flurry of impressive victories. Only a sophomore he was battling the very best– and winning. At the sectional and the district he defeated senior three-time placer (and my choice) Travis Kovach with some clutch wrestling. He waltzed through the state bracket winning the title over Adam Melton, from Wadsworth, 9-5. This year it’s been more of the same. He’s won at North Canton and Wadsworth and is now rated as one of the top juniors in the country. He has to be the favorite at this class.
His big rival will again be from nearby Wadsworth. Tim Miller, also a junior, was 3rd at 152# last year after finishing 6th as a freshman. His only state loss was a 5-4 semi-final defeat by Mike Ward. This year he has lost twice to Mike Miller–in the finals at North Canton and Wadsworth–by about five points each time. That is not an insurmountable obstacle especially since he will see him (very likely) at both the district and state level. Beating someone of comparable quality four times in the same year is not an easy task, but Mike Miller should do it. The issue might be looking ahead to such a confrontation and getting upset by a third party.
The two Millers should dominate the Massillon District. A wild card here is O’Bryan who set a record with six first period falls while winning at Brecksville. He also won at Solon; other possibilities are listed in the table with the tenacious Russo a possibility for qualification. The big unknown is Howell, who won at Canal Fulton, ahead of Butzer, but who wrestles a very low-key schedule.
The Perrysburg District is not nearly as difficult as at most of the lower weight classes. What we have is parity, but at the low placement level. State qualifier Zednik has already lost a half dozen times at this class and will struggle to qualify. Holztrager, a coming star, Berdysz, and Spooner are possibilities, but no one here is assured of a state ticket. With Kettinger certified at 152# there is some depth at the Toledo sectionals with Earle still probably the top guy in that area. I’m guessing that a couple of wrestlers that are very low profile make it to the state tourney.
There will be some surprises at the Darby District. Corey Maier, who I thought would do very well at 160#, has dropped to this class. A state alternate last year he won at the higher weight at Wadsworth and should be the top man at this district. He certainly has an opportunity for a high place. Nichols is probably next best and the boys from Pickerington (North/South/East or Central whatever) always do well at the end of the year. Nichols was 4th at Medina and lost only to Tim Miller at the Ohio Duals. State qualifier Popham has not seemed to get much better. He got hammered at the Gorman and I think his qualification chances may be in jeopardy. Strater and Paplacyzk are clearly other possibilities and there is a bevy of good 152’s in the Southwest.
The deepest field is in the Southwest. Heading that group is the dangerous Monk who just missed placement last year at this class. He was 3rd at the SWOCA losing to Clemens and 3rd at Brecksville. I think he has been fighting the battle of the scale, but the extra pounds may alleviate that issue. There is a quartet of impressive wrestlers nipping at his heels. State qualifier Clemens has moved to Beavercreek and responded with wins at the GMVWA (including a win over Mauro) and Beavercreek with a 2nd at the SWOCA–defeating Monk but losing to an Indiana champion. State qualifier Goebel moves up from Division II and should not miss a beat. He beat the tough Smith to win at Sycamore. He was 2-2 at the state meet last year. Smith has been just a shade below this trio, but has the ability to qualify. He needs a breakout tournament to build his confidence. State qualifier Mauro and Myers are also very good and the only way they can all qualify is if a couple have a chance to compete at Darby.
160#
Projected Champion: Steve Luke (MASSILLON PERRY)
Top Contenders
2 | C. Koz (St. Edward) | 14 | Pacetti (North Royalton) |
3 | Mathias (Kilbourne) | 15 | Gibbs (Oak Hills) |
4 | Berling (Glen Este) | 16 | Haas (Massillon Jackson) |
5 | Love (Gahanna Lincoln) | 17 | Evans (Thomas Worthington) |
6 | Wiley (Beavercreek) | 18 | Glavan (Mentor) |
7 | Plowman (Maumee) | 19 | Warner (New Philadelphia) |
8 | Reitmeier (Holland Springfield) | 20 | IBradberry (Fairfield) |
9 | Lobes (Milford) | 21 | Steele (Chillicothe) |
10 | Richardson (Cuyahoga Falls) | 22 | Weidenthal (Fitch) |
11 | Griffin (Colerain) | 23 | Wilson (Sylvania Southview) |
12 | Crowley (Lakota East) | 24 | Immarino (Brush) |
13 | Soltis (Solon) | 25 | Hess (Ashland) |
I have always taken particular interest in wrestlers who start out as relatively little guys with great success, and are able to sustain that success as they rapidly grow into big guys. Wrestlers like Tommy Rowlands, Eddie Potokar and Tom Cousinequ come immediately to mind and I’m sure my faithful readers will think of others. A wrestler that fits into that category is Steve Luke who was a state runner-up to Mark Moos at 112# as a freshman and two years later won his second state title at 160#. Not many wrestlers are four time finalists–certainly all of the four-time state champs and, maybe, half again that number who’ve lost at least once while making the finals four times. Luke rated by just about everybody, as the best 160 pounder in the country should reach that target in February. This year he won the Ironman, the Beast, and the MIT, including a win over Division II state champ Chris Tripp. Luke will be an excellent college wrestler. He is skilled in every aspect of the sport and is as comfortable on the mat as on his feet. Last year his closest state bout was a 9-1 major decision in the finals, but he has consistently shown that he can win the close bouts when he needs to. There are some wrestlers at this weight class who in a normal year would have legitimate title aspirations, but who can only hope for a miracle this year.
The battle at this class is for 2nd place and there are a number of possibilities–though none of them are at Massillon. State qualifier Haas has moved back down to 160# as has Richardson and that should help both of their qualification chances. However, I think Pacetti might turn out to be second best here. He was a state alternate last year losing a one-point bout to qualify. This year he was 2nd at Perrysburg losing a close bout to Plowman. People like Immarino, Warner, Glavan, and Wiedenthal are all possibilities, but after the top trio it doesn’t make a lot of difference.
There is more depth at Perrysburg. Chuck Koz was a district champ last year and went 2-2 at Columbus losing to eventual champ Foster and Kuhner. His highest profile match was in the dual meet with Graham where he wrestled last and had to hold off Schlatter for Ed’s to win the meet. That he did–losing, of course, but only a regular decision–and twice taking Schlatter down. This year he was 4th at the Beast (after not placing at the Ironman) and 3rd at the MIT losing to Luke in the semis, 7-4. He has been hot recently and has finalist potential. I think Plowman has supplanted state qualifier Reitmeier as second best at this district beating him 3-2 at both Waite and Perrysburg. Soltis and Walling (North Ridgeville) are other possibilities here, but this is not an overly crowded district.
State placer Mathias is back at this weight class where he finished 4th last year. After first-round loss he won four consolation bouts against a quartet of good wrestlers. Love defeated him at the Midwest Classic, but I still think Mathias will prove to be superior at the district level. Love, also a state qualifier, is second best here. He went 1-2 at 152# last year and, certainly, has low placement chances. The remainder of this district is in disarray with the district clearly to be the sorting out process.
There are some strong performers at Fairfield. The best of the group is Berling who had great back-to-back weeks over the holidays. He won the SWOCA from the #3 seed beating Conley in the process and then was 2nd at Brecksville including a fall over McMullen losing only to Division III choice Whelan. He qualified at 152# last year, but got beat by Tim Miller in the first round and couldn’t come back. Griffin is also a returning state qualifier but he was only 5th at the SWOCA and 3rd at the GMVWA, losing early to Wiley. He did, however, win at Fairfield. Wiley has moved up several notches and will battle with Conley as a possible finalist at this district. Conley looked good at the Ohio Duals except for 34-second fall by Luke. Lobes, Unzicker, and Bradberry are also in the hunt here. The first named took a 6-5 decision from Conley early in the year and also won at Mason.
171#
Projected Champion: ADAM MELTON (WADSWORTH)
Top Contenders
2 | Legg (Freemont Ross) | 16 | Moore (Middletown) |
3 | Ward (Mayfield) | 17 | Place (Central Crossing) |
4 | Murray (Fitch) | 18 | Whitner (Perrysburg) |
5 | Jonhenry (Berea) | 19 | Elam (West Carrollton) |
6 | Sen (Elyria) | 20 | Broering (LaSalle) |
7 | DiDona (St. Edward) | 21 | Benner (Anthony Wayne) |
8 | Rose (Uniontown Lake) | 22 | Freudeman (New Philadelphia) |
9 | Klaserner (Elder) | 23 | Honnerlaw (Wilmington) |
10 | Anthony (Strongsville) | 24 | Simmons (Scioto) |
11 | Rice (West Jefferson) | 25 | Burton (Harrison) |
12 | Brubaker (Start) | 26 | Hawkins (Medina) |
13 | Peterson (Coffman) | 27 | Metcalf (Bowsher) |
14 | Butler (Mt. Healthy) | 28 | Moody (Colerain) |
15 | Trujillo (Groveport) | 29 | Guzman (Rhodes) |
There are a lot of question marks at 171#. A number of them have to do with size, as some of the top contenders are probably a better fit at 160#, but have rejected that possibility because of the dominance of Steve Luke. Nonetheless, there are some outstanding contenders at this weight class who have had sparkling careers to this point. In my mind there are four top contenders three of whom, at a minimum, finished in the top four at Columbus, and three of whom exit the Massillon Perry District. Interestingly, they were all at different weight classes last year (135#, 145#, 152#, and 189#)–none of them where they’ll be competing at this year.
Let’s look at Massillon first. Melton was the state runner-up at 145# last year, losing to Mike Miller in the finals on his second trip to Columbus. This year he won at North Canton (pinning Hackett) and Wadsworth (over Jonhenry). He was undefeated at the Ohio Duals and beat Ward, 3-2, to win at Mayfield. An excellent technician with a load of experience, he may be the best of this trio. Ward was also a state runner-up (I told you this was a dynamite group) at 152#, losing in overtime to Foster. He has looked a little sluggish to me, but he was 2nd at Brecksville (barely beating Sen and then losing to Caponi) and 2nd at Mayfield. He did win the Midwest Classic. He got stronger as the year progressed in 2003, and may well do so again this year. The big question mark is Murray. He was 4th two years ago at 125#, and 6th last year at 135#–losing by two to Cunningham and three to Lutz. I thought he would be primed for a state title run in 2004, but I never expected to see him at 171#. He’s missed time because of injury, and then lost to both Jonhenry and Hackett by two points to finish 4th at the Top Gun. He’ll have to do better to qualify with state qualifiers Rose and Anthony at this district. That’s five state caliber wrestlers and only four state openings.
Legg is the other top contender, but again, as with Murray I’m not sure what to expect. He was 5th at this class two years ago and then was my pick at 189# last year. Probably a little small for that weight, he won at his district, but lost in the quarterfinals to eventual champ Lukens, 3-1, and then to Adkins, in overtime, and failed to place. He has been at 189# all year and I was very surprised when he certified here. A hard worker, he should look a whole lot bigger than the lighter weights who have moved up. This is another strong district. State qualifier Jonhenry, state alternate DiDona, and the rapidly improving Sen are all here. Jonhenry was 3rd at the Top Gun, losing a 6-5 squeaker to state champion Tripp. He was a sectional champ last year, but was unable to compete at the district level. Sen came very close to qualification last year, losing his go-to-state bout by a point. This year he won at Avon Lake and, after losing that 3-2 bout to Ward, finished 3rd at Brecksville. The Toledo trio of Brubaker, Whitner, and Benner could also make inroads at this class. Still, I think they are four or five points behind the top quartet at this district.
Those are two very demanding districts, but it is the opposite situation at Darby–at least in terms of the Columbus area contenders. The quartet of Peterson, Place, Trujillo, and Rice look to be the best, and they will not match up well with any of the other districts. I’m guessing the Dayton area 189’s are hoping to use the Darby conduit as their best hope to reach the States.
There are a lot of unknowns at Fairfield. That is somewhat the case because I have not collected as much information as I would have liked from several schools that appear to have contenders at this class. Almost no one here has much district experience, as there was an almost complete turnover in participants from last year. In terms of consistency Klaserner may be the top choice. He was 2nd at the SWOCA, 6th at Brecksville, and 3rd at the CIT. Still he failed to win a single district bout at this weight last year, and Sen crushed him 11-3 at Brecksville. Former state qualifier Butler was 3rd at the SWOCA (losing to Klaserner) and has great upside potential. I worry about his consistency. The Dayton area boys–Moore, Broering, and Tecmire–are all about equivalent while Shaw, who won at Sycamore and Honnerlaw have not faced the tough weekend one can expect at district time. The unknown is Elam, who is listed at 22-0 with almost all his victories by fall. If he is for real he could vault to the top of this district.
Let me walk you through the final analysis of my top foursome of Melton, Legg, Ward, and Murray. First to go is Murray. He’s had injury problems, up five weight classes, and was unimpressive at the Top Gun. Second to be dismissed is Ward (sounds like one of those reality shows) because of his loss to Melton and sluggishness at Brecksville. This leaves just two, but Legg is next out. He’s down a weight class from last year (tough cut) and lost for me last year. Thus Melton has to be the top choice.
189#
Projected Champion: JUSTIN DOBIES (GARFIELD HTS.)
Top Contenders
2 | Carpenter (Maumee) | 16 | Stacy (Fairmont) |
3 | Lukens (Moeller) | 17 | Morrison (Shaker Hts.) |
4 | Fyda (St. Charles) | 18 | Adams (Scioto) |
5 | Moore (Cleveland JFK) | 19 | Esarco (Canfield) |
6 | Reinhart (Coffman) | 20 | Anevski (Elder) |
7 | Chine (Fitch) | 21 | Bekier (Holland Springfield) |
8 | Roman (Glen Oak) | 22 | Murray (Pickerington North) |
9 | McConnell (Euclid) | 23 | Hellwarth (Celina) |
10 | R. Koz (St. Edward) | 24 | Rion (Brecksville) |
11 | Armbruster (North Royalton) | 25 | Salas (LaSalle) |
12 | Green (Toledo St. John) | 26 | Kuhlman (Sycamore) |
13 | Zalaiskains (Massillon) | 27 | Kaszar (Hudson) |
14 | Yelic (Kilbourne) | 28 | Myers (St. Xavier) |
15 | Palmieri (Mayfield) | 29 | Mahone (Cleveland Hts.) |
30 | Bradigain (Strongsville) |
Last year I drew parallels between the career paths of Ryan Lukens and his older brother Nick. I noted that Nick had exploded at the end of his junior year to surprise everyone with a state title and idly wondered whether Ryan would continue their parallel trajectories and also win as a junior. Much to my surprise that’s exactly what happened as Lukens swept to the title beating my choice Legg by a takedown, and then avenging a district loss to Clingner in the finals. Now comes the tough part. As a senior Nick faced a far more competitive field and did not place with Pliev winning and Camargo finishing 2nd. Ryan faces the same issues. While 189# is not overly strong it is certainly better than it was last year when it was the weakest class in Division I. Dobies has already beaten Lukens 12-5, but that, maybe, was just a fluke. However, two more losses at the CIT (to Fyda and Gavlak) makes it look a little more serious. However, this may not signal the abdication of a state champ. The Lukens are a surprising bunch –consider that the father, “Big Bill”, is in the St. X Hall of Fame, but his kids go to Moeller– and the scores will be much closer next time.
Dobies has had a great year with just a tiny blemish in the last week. He won at Edison and Brecksville and then beat Lukens at the Ohio Duals. His only loss was in the finals at the Dies to Saniuk (Division II) by a narrow 1-0 margin. A district champ and state semi-finalist last year, he finished 4th after a narrow loss to Clingner. He leads the Perrysburg District along with state qualifier Carpenter, who has really improved. Yes, Dobies beat him at Brecksville, but Carpenter has been exceptional all year. This duo stand above a boatload of other contenders, such as Greene, Russ Koz, and Morrison.
It’s an extremely crowded field at Masillon. I count ten rankable names among this unwieldy group and the winnowing process will be severe. It’s difficult to know where to start. There are five returning state qualifiers, but there are no guarantees here. Chine was a state semi-finalist at 171#, winning 13-5 and 16-3 in the first two rounds. Then he was pinned by Malinowski and Simmons before righting the ship and getting 5th. He has not yet been as good at 189#. He was 4th at Brecksville, losing to Dobies and Dye, and then was 5th at the Top Gun including a loss to Moore. Roman went two-and-out at 160# last year and is up two classes. He won at North Canton–whipping Zalaiskalns in the final–but then got crushed by Carpenter at Brecksville and did not place. He won over a weaker field at Canal Fulton, but that did not do much to clarify his status. McConnell qualified at 215# last year on a 30 second rideout and gave Busson a tough first round bout, but did not place. He’s down at 189# making room for Dominick at 215#. He does not wrestle a strong schedule, but he can be very good. He qualified after finishing 4th in his sectional. Moore is one to watch. He wrestles for a Senate school in Cleveland and he is very good. Last year he drew Lukens in the first round, and did not wrestle his best, but then won two consolation bouts before falling in his placement bout. He was 3rd at the Top Gun, losing only to a top Pennsylvania wrestler. Esarco qualified in Division II last year, but will need to be at peak levels to do so again. He was 5th at the Dies. Ambruster missed state qualification by one point last year and may well be better than some of the returning qualifiers. Palmieri and Rion are also possibilities, but Zalaiskalns may be the top choice in this non-qualifying group. With so many possibilities the Patroness of Pairings will play a large role in the outcome.
I thought Reinhart was probably the best at the rather uninspired Darby District, but recent losses to Koz and to Carpenter have left me wondering. Then Fyda comes along at the CIT and beats Lukens 9-2 and Hickey 15-11. Wow! Still he was a state alternate at 171# last year so this is not entirely weird. My question is, “What next?” Yelic is also good at Darby, the state alternate at 189# last year, and Murray might be in the group as well.
While Lukens might be mired in a little mini-slump there is no one in his district to take advantage of it. Guys like Stacy or Myers are on the periphery of a low place, but this group–other than Lukens–is not keeping the rest of the state’s 189’s up at night.
215#
Projected Champion: LUKE BUSSON (WADSWORTH)
Top Contenders
2 | Huddle (Scioto) | 15 | Quehl (Moeller) |
3 | Burger (Mentor) | 16 | Jabbie (Westerville South) |
4 | Adkins (St. Edward) | 17 | Osborne (Anderson) |
5 | Trusnik (Nordonia) | 18 | LeStrange (Toledo Central Catholic) |
6 | Noga (Eastlake North) | 19 | Porter (Mason) |
7 | Stegeman (Elder) | 20 | Shaffner (Mansfield Madison) |
8 | Dominick (Euclid) | 21 | Owsley (Stebbins) |
9 | Zink (Xenia) | 22 | Sexton (New Philadelphia) |
10 | McDuffie (Coffman) | 23 | McKenzie (Holland Springsfield) |
11 | Faught (Elyria) | 24 | Watson (Sandusky) |
12 | Klein (Westerville North) | 25 | Muldoon (St. Xavier) |
13 | Garafalo (Normandy) | 26 | Horst (Sylvania Northview) |
14 | Lovy (Lebanon) |
There is a very unbalanced distribution of power at this weight, which has the potential to make for a very asymmetrical state bracket sheet. There are seven state qualifiers (if Kent decides not to move up to the heavyweight class) competing at Massillon Perry, including four of the top six contenders. It’s a group that has taken turns defeating one another–often by the narrowest of margins–and one can only guess at the order of finish and qualifiers out of that district. Once we factor in Huddle and Adkins it is likely to be a real free-for-all in Columbus with the 30-second tiebreakers in use all too often. Part of the problem is that neither the Transitive Property, nor the Law of Consistency will hold here. By transitivity one would hope that if “A” defeats “B” and “B” beats “C” then “A” will defeat “C” (Gillmor’s Law). It doesn’t work that way at 215#. Also inoperative is consistency so that if “A” beats “B” he can replicate that result in the future. For example, Burger and Noga, from adjacent communities have wrestled a number of times with no one ever winning two in a row.
Noga is the highest returning placer, but that doesn’t mean much considering how close in ability these boys are. Last year he got blazingly hot at the end of the year, finishing 2nd to Koz at the district, and then taking advantage of a great draw winning his first three state bouts 15-6, 3:51, and 17-5. Koz pinned him in the state finals, but state runner-up had to sound good to him. Busson, also a district champ, drew Koz a round earlier than Noga and ended up 3rd, beating Burger and Trusnik back-to-back on Saturday morning. Trusnik lost to Burger in the first round, but then won four consolation bouts to get 4th. Burger beat McConnell early in the consolation rounds and ended up 5th. So we have the boys who finished runner-up through fifth place at this one district plus state qualifier Dominick and, maybe, state qualifier Kent, who looks like he might go at 275#. Who can blame him?
This year it’s been just as jumbled and I’m not going to go through it all. For example, Burger pinned Noga to win at Solon, but lost to him in the dual meet. At Brecksville, Burger beat Trusnik in overtime in the semis, then Noga defeated Trusnik, 7-6, for 3rd. Three of these boys exit the same sectional so the district draw could get ugly for someone like Trusnik.
Adkins is another possible champ. He was 5th last year at 189#, losing to the eventual finalist Clingner 10-9 in two overtimes. What worries me is his long absence from the St. Edward line-up. He is a big man with lots of movement and technique. He could well be rusty after missing more than a month. His district is far easier with Garafalo and Faught probably next best from the Cleveland sectionals and McKenzie and Horst from the Toledo ones. LeStrange is ranked first by some in that area, but failed to place at the CIT. Schaffner could be the surprise package–winning at Marion Harding and getting 4th at the Top Gun. Watson and Kowalka are other possibilities from that area.
The sixth candidate is the powerful Huddle, and he confuses me. He was 4th in the Darby District last year at this class, but was the only one of the four qualifiers to place. In fact he handily defeated his first two opponents (scoring 29 points), one of whom was Burger, and then lost three straight bouts by a combined score of 46-9. Was he hurt, discouraged, sick? I don’t know, but he beat Burger 16-8 and then lost to him 17-2 in the span of little more than 24 hours. This year he has been super–at least until the Top Gun, winning by huge scores. However, Dibell upset him 11-9 and he finished 3rd. Which Huddle will show up in Columbus? There are some other solid wrestlers at this district, like McDuffie, Klein, and Jabbie, but they are a step below Huddle.
The Southwest District has nice depth, but no upper-tier stars likely to reach the finals. Stegeman was a state qualifier at 275# last year, but missed the state meet due to injury (his sub took 4th). This year he is at 215# and has had solid success. He beat the Mater Dei (Indiana) star to win at the SWOCA, 5th at Brecksville (losing to Division II, Thomas, and Trusnik). He handed Bachna his first loss while winning the CIT. Quehl has been his top rival in the Cincinnati area finishing 3rd at the SWOCA. I was impressed with his 5-0 win over Konyesni (Adkins’ backup), the Medina runner-up, although he did fail to place at the CIT. Two other candidates are Lovy –a consistent placer–and Muldoon who was 3rd at the CIT. A little further north, state qualifier Zink is pre-eminent, at least in Division I. Huelsman is also good with Owsley kind of a wild card possibility.
HVY.
Projected Champion: KIRK NAIL (DAVIDSON)
Top Contenders
2 | T. Johnson (Lakota East) | 15 | Cybulski (Mentor) |
3 | Wyper (Perrysburg) | 16 | Brubeck (Findlay) |
4 | Wiley (Hoover) | 17 | Schalmo (Strongsville) |
5 | Smith (Springfield North) | 18 | Litchfield (Pickerington North) |
6 | Marshall (Mason) | 19 | Benton (Princeton) |
7 | F. Johnson (Glenville) | 20 | McKendry (Fairfield) |
8 | Tull (Moeller) | 21 | Burke (Grove City) |
9 | Kent (Green) | 22 | Dumas (Brush) |
10 | Porter (Firestone) | 23 | N. Johnson (Holland Springfield) |
11 | Safran (Brecksville) | 24 | McKenzie (Parma) |
12 | Fitzpatrick (Elyria) | 25 | Keferi (Thomas Worthington) |
13 | McInturff (Wadsworth) | 26 | Coyne (St. Edward) |
14 | Hopkins (Westerville North) | 27 | Platzar (Willoughby South) |
28 | J. Johnson (Shaker Hts.) |
While there is better than average depth in the heavyweight classification I view this as a titanic struggle of two excellent heavyweights. In one corner is the very talented and athletic Tony Johnson, who has finished 3rd and 5th the past two years. A great free-styler he was favored by many last year and went through the year undefeated, including a dramatic district win over Pat Barrentine. However, in Columbus the best 4-minute heavyweight in the state, Derrick Bendau, caught him early and often, and then held on for a 14-7 win–gaining revenge for his upset loss a year earlier. Nail, on the other hand, has been a work in progress. A very light heavyweight, he did not qualify as a tenth-grader, but last year, greatly improved, he captured the Darby District. At Columbus he lost to Barrentine, defeated the dispirited Johnson in overtime, and took a strong 3rd. This year both were entered at Medina, but did not meet. The very talented Adam Hoppel (Division II) defeated Johnson, 5-2, and then Nail dominated him 6-1.
There will be no seeding at this weight class so if both boys are district champs there will be a one in three chance that their meeting will come in the semi-finals. That would be a shame since they’ll deserve center stage for their second confrontation. I think Nail will win–very likely in overtime, and probably in that pathetic 30-second tiebreaker. Nail gives up twenty pounds and Johnson is more mobile, but Nail has a focus and determination difficult to defeat. He is just so mentally tough that he refuses to lose. I also think his ability to ride will be important and so I’m giving him the very tiniest of edges.
There is nobody at Darby that will be able to match Nail. Hopkins, Litchfield, and Burke are journeyman performers, capable of an upset, but unlikely to sustain a series of victories over top tier competitors.
Johnson will face a deeper, more talented group, but these are all wrestlers he has dominated for the past three years. The 6’7” Marshall is probably second best, but Johnson pinned him in the finals of the SWOCA. State qualifier Smith returns if he is not transported to Darby, but he does not have either the size or speed to neutralize Johnson. Both these boys have solid placement potential. I don’t want to overlook Tull who was 3rd at the SWOCA, 1st at the CIT, and undefeated at the Ohio Duals. Benton, McKendry and Wood are capable performers who would need only one mini-upset (unless it was Johnson they beat) to qualify. This will be a tough district to draw into for first round action,
Last year I completely undervalued Wyper who proceeded to become a district finalist and win two state bouts last year. In fact, he probably has the best tools and the most legitimate hope of defeating the top duo. His biggest problem has been heavyweights with the last name of Smith. He lost his state placement bout to Joey Smith (now graduated) last year, and his two defeats this year were to Dan Smith and Chris Smith. He should have little trouble at the district level since he is well above the best of the competitors here, and no one named Smith will be in the bracket. His best hope would be to win here and hope that both Johnson and Nail are on the side of the draw. One upset then, which he is certainly capable of, would then give him the title. Brubeck, Johnson, McKenzie, and especially state qualifier Fitzpatrick are top hopes for qualification.
Certainly the most crowded district is at Massillon, but the one least likely to have a finalist at the state level. It’s a district that is ten-deep at heavyweight with four of them previous state qualifiers. State qualifier Wiley might be the leader here. He won at both North Canton and the Top Gun and was 5th at Medina, losing 11-5 to Nail. State qualifier Fred Johnson (yes, a third such named) is a devastating pinner and does a great job despite a weak schedule and few workout partners. He won a state bout last year after drawing eventual champ Barrentine in the first round. State qualifier Kent won two bouts at states last year while at 215#. He started the year at that weight class (and is certified there), but has been at 275# since then. He may want to avoid that crowd at 215# in his district and use his strength and mobility to beat heavyweights. Cybulski qualified two years ago, but just hasn’t seemed to get much better. He is, again, in danger of staying home for the second consecutive year. Porter and Dumas are huge heavyweights who can, to use Geoff Sindelar’s technical term, “squish” anybody. They are very dangerous. That leaves a quartet of heavyweights who could probably qualify at Darby or Perrysburg, but most fight the numbers battle here. State qualifier MdInturff has been excellent in high-pressure situations, and will probably get out. Safran beat Fitzpatrick to win at Brecksville and Schalmo is at the same level. Platzer has great bloodlines, but he’ll need to be at 110% to qualify here.
TEAMS
1. St. Edward – They do not have the four or five sure finalists they had last year as they look for the seventh consecutive team title (and 20th overall). With Massillon Perry almost sure to put 100 points on the board, Ed’s has to find a way to top that. They have no assured finalists this year, but Palmer and Madsen are their best hopes. They are going to have to grind out place winners at seven or eight weight classes with folks like Koz, Ward, Phelan, and Adkins showing leadership. The winning points might come from the freshmen Nemec and Harris.
2. Massillon Perry – They do have three sure champs in Johnstone, Schlatter, and Luke. Hartley could also be a finalist, but who else can help? If Straughn and Rini can score at the state level Ed’s won’t be looking in the rear view mirror seeing Perry– they’ll be right alongside them. The last time a public school won the team title was 1977, so it’s been a long wait.
3. Wadsworth – Another excellent public school program with possible champs at three weight classes and potential placers at three more. However, there is no upside here, third is the best they can do.
4. Garfield Hts. – Putting them this high might be a stretch, especially after their performance at the Dies. Still, Dobies should be at least a finalist while Effner might make it to that level as well. If the lightweights can score then this placement is a strong possibility.
5. Mayfield – They were runners-up last year and another year in the Top Five would be awesome. They have to count very heavily on the Spencer twins and Ward. They’d like to get additional points from Palmieri, Thomas, Catalona or Jianetti. That will be difficult.
6. Lakota East – Johnson should be a finalist at 275#, while Sizemore and Conley could be scorers. If they can get help from the Piersons and Hall they might move up a place.
7. Groveport – There are only two state scorers here–Cunningham and Mossor–but between they should exceed 40 points. With a lot of scoring by the top trio of teams and diffuse level of talent elsewhere, this should be enough to make the Top Ten.
8. Elyria – Perez and Mitcheff (the assumption being he is healthy and able to go) should be good scorers, while Sen may surprise at 171#. If Faught or Fitzpatrick can help out, they might even better this placement.
9. Marysville – Lutz and Hucle should be solid scorers, though I’m a little worried about the latter, and Maier will be a surprise placer at 152#.
10. Mentor – They have lots of opportunities, but whether the firepower is there is still to be answered. Burger and Lerer are returning placers, while Cybulski has state experience. O’Bryan and, maybe, Glavan could help, and the sophomore Estadt could be a big surprise.
DIVISION II
(I am unable to find the division II brakeman report for 2004. If you have a copy you are willing to share please send to [email protected])
DIVISION III
During the late 1990’s, the quality of competition in Division III reached its apex. This golden age lasted for, perhaps, five years and featured superstars such as Tommy Rowlands, Clark Forward, Harry Lester, Jared Opfer and many others. That level has not been sustained and this year, it has cycled down to a much lower point. Some Division III schools like Beachwood, Brookville and Keystone with strong teams and/or a few outstanding wrestlers, have moved up to Division II partly because some very small schools have fielded fledgling teams. In addition, some wrestlers have opted to attend high schools with stronger programs and schedules than their Division III counterparts. Whatever the reasons, many of the weight classes lack the up-top strength and depth that we have seen in the past.
103#
Projected Champion: PAYNE LINT (CUYAHOGA HEIGHTS)
Top Contenders
2 | M Wilson (Pleasant) | 15 | F Wilson (Malvern) |
3 | Evans (Delta) | 16 | Wright (North Union) |
4 | Preece (Miami East) | 17 | Hall (Tuslaw) |
5 | Austin (Carlisle) | 18 | Avila (Margaretta) |
6 | Boing (Chanel) | 19 | Varner (Tinora) |
7 | Smith (Cory Rawson) | 20 | Boney (Nelsonville York) |
8 | Freeman (Berkshire) | 21 | Brown (Newark Catholic) |
9 | Blanca (Edison) | 22 | Taylor (Elyria Catholic) |
10 | Thome (Troy Christian) | 23 | Reed (Collins Western Reserve) |
11 | Thompson (Brookfield) | 24 | Coup (Martins Ferry) |
12 | Segovia (Triad) | 25 | Shepherd (South Central) |
13 | Guerra (Sandusky St. Mary) | 26 | Young (Norwayne) |
14 | Strickland (Bluffton) | 27 | Devers (Edgerton) |
28 | Armann (River) |
One of the popular (and effective) strategies in working toward a state title is to crush the top opposition during the regular season. Achieving physical and mental domination smoothes the path during the difficult weekends in late February. Opponents can’t have a positive outlook and a confident stride if they’ve been manhandled just a few short weeks in the past. That’s why I found Lint’s match with Mike Wilson over the holidays so interesting. These were two of the top contenders at this weight class meeting at a major tournament. Lint, who had defeated Wilson in overtime last year, quickly raced to a commanding 8-1 lead and looked overpowering. I foresaw a major decision and a leg up on weight class domination. Instead, Lint appeared to go on cruise control and let Wilson get back in the match, although he hung on to win 11-9. All it did was provide Wilson with evidence that, with a stronger first period, he can beat Lint. It was, perhaps, from Lint’s perspective, an opportunity wasted.
Nonetheless, Lint is still my favorite to take the title at their weight class. He was 3rd last year, losing only to Wyant (by two points) and has compiled an outstanding record this year, capped by his title at Brecksville, over Division II state runner-up Madison Davis. He has great workout partners, tourney experience, and an excellent coach, which should be a recipe for a state title.
The aforementioned Wilson and Evans are Lint’s two biggest threats. Wilson was district champ last year (with three tech falls) and won two state bouts–losing only to Gardella and Lint in overtime. This year, he was 3rd at Brecksville, beating Evans 9-3 for the third place. Evans has now lost twice to Wilson, but the 4th at Brecksville in his first outing of the year was impressive. He followed that up with the title at Perrysburg and could be a possible finalist if Wilson and Lint are in the same half.
Surprisingly, the strongest district may well be at Xenia. There are six well-credentialed wrestlers there who have upset potential when facing my top trio. State placer Austin is very tough and gave Lint a good bout before losing 9-6 last year. State qualifier Jarod Smith comes from a very small school, but he defeated Evans last year in overtime. Still, I believe Preece might be the best 103-pounder here. A transfer from Triad, he was a state alternate last year at 112# — moving up because of two-time champ Wyant. This year, he defeated Austin to win the GMVWA, and as a senior, may be one of the strongest 103’s. Also, in the mix is the freshman, Thome (Casey, not Jim), who also has a win over Austin, Strickland, and Segovia. The Xenia District was the poorest performing district of all 12 that feed into the state meet, but this group might help turn that around. Also, just back is district qualifier Amanda Breezley, coming off a fractured arm. She won the Reading Invitational her first week back.
Lint should pretty much have his own way at Mentor with only the exceptional freshman, Boing, as a possible challenger. He was 3rd at the Junior High States and has been a steady placer for Chanel–2nd at Solon and 3rd at Wadsworth. Evans should face little competition at the Owens District. I’ve struggled to find much there and so far, have failed to unearth anyone with even low state place potential. Much the same is true at Coshocton, though Wright or Fred Wilson are somewhat better than the rest of that field.
112#
Projected Champion: LEVI WYANT (TRIAD)
Top Contenders
2 | Gray (Norwayne) | 15 | Wetzel (River Valley) |
3 | Koballa (Chanel) | 16 | Freeman (Berkshire) |
4 | A. Tinnel (Edison) | 17 | Froelich (Ayersville) |
5 | Lemaster (Caldwell) | 18 | Scarberry (Liberty Center) |
6 | Long (Miami East) | 19 | Ware (Martins Ferry) |
7 | Starr (Archbold) | 20 | Lui (Independence) |
8 | Kleman (Blufton) | 21 | Davis (North Union) |
9 | Traugh (Nelsonville York) | 22 | Hambrick (Jackson Milton) |
10 | Weller (Lakota) | 23 | Buck (Elgin) |
11 | Hermes (Sandusky St. Mary) | 24 | Weiksner (CCC) |
12 | Combs (Aquinas) | 25 | Cloran (Madeira) |
13 | Fletcher (Reading) | 26 | Ellis (Grandview Heights) |
14 | D. Austin (Carlisle) | 27 | Notte (Ledgemont) |
It’s very unusual for opponents to meet in the state finals two years in a row. Non-congruent growth patterns, the natural inclination for superstars to seek different weight classes, and just the sheer difficulty of making it to the state finals, generally precludes such an outcome. The last time it happened in Division III was in 1985 (extra credit for knowing the wrestlers), but it certainly has a reasonable probability of occurring this year. On one side, we have two time state champ Levi Wyant, who has moved up a weight class in this, his senior year. He has displayed an uncanny skill in winning close bouts early in state competition. Twice, he has triumphed in overtime bouts in past years and two other times, by the margin of a takedown. However, he has had brilliant final rounds, winning handily both years. The victim last year was two-time state placer Oliver Gray, who has also moved up to this weight class.
Wyant has had a strong upgrade on his schedule, placing at the Ironman and beating the excellent Llanas at Wadsworth. He should be primed for his run at a third state title. He’ll face tough competition this year, but he is probably five points better than most of his challengers. Still, I think he’ll be pushed to the brink in at least one bout (Koballa), but that is where his experience should pay off.
Two-time state placer, Gray, doesn’t wrestle the same rigorous schedule as Wyant, but he is very good. Last year, he cruised through his tough district and was barely challenged at Columbus, until losing to Wyant 9-4. This year, he won at the Gorman and is undefeated at 112#, but I don’t think he has cut into that five-point margin. On the other hand, Koballa looks very good to me. Last year, he lost first-round bouts at district and state by identical 2-1 scores at 112#. Despite that, he placed at districts and won a bout at State (both times losing to Corey Opfer). This year, he was 2nd at Solon– losing by 2 to Division I state runner-up Jordan Brown–and 3rd at Wadsworth. He has wrestled a very tough schedule and knows how to win tense, low-scoring bouts. He and Gray are clearly the best out of Mentor.
I see three potential challengers to Wyant–Gray and Koballa–out of Mentor and Adam Tinnel from Owens. The exceptional freshman Tinnel has really been impressive. A state junior high champ last year, he is going to win some high school state titles. He has won at Bellevue, Plymouth, and Edison–defeating state placer Lee, 6-0–and was 4th at Brecksville, losing only to the champion, Ben Johnson and defaulting in the consolation finals. Fearless, he’ll not be intimidated by Wyant. The last three spots at Owens will be fiercely contested with state qualifier, Starr, battling Weller, Froehlich, Scarberry, Foos, and the freshman Hermes. District finalist, Starr, has struggled somewhat this year, but may be ready to have a strong second half. Both Weller and Scarberry just missed state qualification last year and should be primed for another run at it. I particularly like Weller, who has been at 125# to make it.
Now that state qualifier Cory Lemaster has dropped to 112#, there is a clear favorite at the Coshocton District. He was 3rd at the district last year, losing only in overtime to the excellent Wilson and went 1-2 at States. He’s been at 119# all year with good success, but should be even better at this class, which is weak in this area. The other three qualifiers are in for a tough time at Columbus, although state alternate, Wetzel, has upset potential.
However, Wyant will be backed up by some experienced personnel from the Xenia District at States. State qualifiers Long, Fletcher and Kleman all should be competitive this time. Between them, however, they were 0-6 at Columbus last year. Still, I think a low place is possible. Watch out for Traugh, who has put together a great seaon.
Danny Hanson (Richmond Hts.) and Alan Neikirk (Cardinal) met in consecutive state finals in 1984 and 1985. They also met in the district finals those two years with four-time state champ Hanson winning all four bouts.
119#
Projected Champion: BRAXDON SCALETTA (CUYAHOGA HEIGHTS)
Top Contenders
2 | Gardella (Chanel) | 14 | Hamilton (Rootstown) |
3 | R Tinnel (Edison) | 15 | Conklin (Tusky Valley) |
4 | Amburgey (New London) | 16 | Buehrer (Wayne Trace) |
5 | Marthey (Tuslaw) | 17 | Lopez (Patrick Henry) |
6 | Lee (Elmwood) | 18 | Kayatin (Lima CC) |
7 | Bernholt (Versailles) | 19 | Prickett (Monroe Central) |
8 | Steiner (Waynesville) | 20 | Gettman (Jackson Milton) |
9 | Skoff (Bellaire St. John) | 21 | Magers (Barnesville) |
10 | Gossett (Union Local) | 22 | Geesey (Montpelier) |
11 | Minner (Pleasant) | 23 | Lecklider (Archbold) |
12 | Pike (Greeneview) | 24 | Deal (Belpre) |
13 | Robbe (Batavia) | 25 | Jungschaffer (Oberlin) |
26 | D Hill (McComb) |
During the past three years, 79% of all state champions were also district champions. So that is clearly a strong correlate of success. That achievement may be even more important at this weight class, where winning the Mentor District will be vital. With three of the top contenders at Mentor, the winner should be away from the other two in the state bracket and will also be opposite two of the other three district champs. That translates into an enormous advantage in Columbus, one that should help vault that winner to the state title.
My choice is Braxdon Scaletta, the fine junior from Cuyahoga Heights. Scaletta has been 3rd and 2nd the past two years, but with a little luck, he might have even more impressive credentials. As a freshman at 103#, he met eventual state champion Levi Wyant in the semi-finals and from my perspective, appeared to have slightly the better of it. However, a late Wyant score put the bout into overtime with Scaletta losing on a scrambling takedown. Then, last year in the state finals, he met Kevin Lipp, who he had defeated the previous weekend at the district level. Ahead, he got pinned in the 2nd period, dashing his hope for a state crown. It was reminiscent of his final round in the state junior high tourney where Kevin’s brother, Jordan, eked out a narrow 3-2 decision. This year, Scaletta will put those disappointments behind him by winning his first state title.
Scaletta will face vigorous opposition at Mentor. Gardella was 4th last year at 103#, as he showed incredible improvement during the course of the season. He took Wyant into overtime before losing and then fell to Lint in the consolation finals. This year, he lost to state champion Kevin Lipp in overtime in the Solon final and placed at Wadsworth. Also at Mentor is state qualifier Shane Marthey, who looked devastating at Richmond Heights Division III tourney. Now a senior, he looks much more comfortable at this weight class and has excellent chances for a high place. The fourth state berth at Mentor could be wide open.
Some last minute certification maneuvers have toughened up the field at 119# in the Owens District. State placer Lee, after flirting with the 112# class, has certified at 119# and should do well. State qualifiers Ryan Tinnel and Amburgey are also here and this is the third year they have been at the same weight class. Tinnel won their most recent meeting at Plymouth, but Amburgey has also won in the past in this ongoing series. Amburgey is one of those enigmatic wrestlers whose results cannot be predicted. He can be brilliant as he was at the D-3 classic and, at other times, quite ordinary. Tinnel is much more consistent, but does not have the large upside like Amburgey. Other possibilities are Buehrer, the sophomore Lopez–just down from 125#–Geesey, Schreiner (Sandusky St. Mary), and Braden (Norwalk St. Paul).
There are four state qualifiers competing at this weight class at Cochocton. Skoff, Minner, Gossett and Magers could fill up the state bracket assuming the pairings work out well with Conklin ready to slip in if they don’t. Of that top quartet, Skoff and Gossett would appear to be the most dangerous threats, but Minner can be very good. Minner has been at 130# much of the year, so it has been difficult to judge exactly where he’ll fit in at this weight class. I like Skoff a lot and thought he might have worn down toward the end of last season. Still, he won two state bouts and missed placement when he lost to Lee.
Gossett also won a state bout and, again, how he’ll match up with others is problematical since he has been at 125#. He and Minner split two bouts at last year’s district with Gossett winning the second in a decisive manner. Magers might be the weak link here. Conklin missed state qualification by a point, and Murray (Grandview Hts.) and Prickett could also challenge.
State placer Bernholt is the best hope out of Xenia with state placers Steiner and Robbe a step behind. However, all three are capable of winning at the state level and potentially garnering a low place. Steiner, like Skoff, lost his state placement bout, while Bernholt won two squeakers to make the semi-finals before getting bombed three times. Robbe is a three time state qualifier who has yet to win a bout in the championship round (though he has a consolation win), but who should rectify that this year. Nobody else here is in their class, unless Long decides to compete at 119# rather than 112#.
125#
Projected Champion: CHRIS HAMED (WOODBRIDGE)
Top Contenders
2 | Mt. Bloniarz (Tinora) | 14 | Hopkins (Wellington) |
3 | Rufenacht (Archbold) | 15 | Young (Nelsonville York) |
4 | Nicola (Bellaire St. John) | 16 | Bell (Aquinas) |
5 | Kagey (Newark Catholic) | 17 | Sowers (Mohawk) |
6 | Terry (New Albany) | 18 | Seebach (Caldwell) |
7 | Brown (Carlisle) | 19 | Long (West Jefferson) |
8 | Kunisch (Norwalk St. Paul) | 20 | Barga (Versailles) |
9 | Kendig (Oakwood) | 21 | McNutt (Tuskey Valley) |
10 | Abair (Toledo Christian) | 22 | Schmitz (Delta) |
11 | Conklin (Collins Western Reserve) | 23 | Hoover (Richmond Heights) |
12 | Hall (Tuslaw) | 24 | Beach (Dixie) |
13 | Schalk (Hopewell-Loudon) | 25 | Ochwat (Garretsville) |
26 | Levy (West Libery Salem) |
I was very surprised that none of the top 130’s dropped to 125#. As you’ll shortly read, that’s a very crowded weight class with at least four potential state champs in the mix. From my vantage point, this weight class looks far more congenial. Still, even without them, there is solid talent here, though many are not as well known as they should be. My choice is the experienced Woodridge senior, Chris Hamed, who has oscillated between schools and classifications for four years. As a freshman, he was the best backup in the state at 103# for CVCA, but did not certify at that class. When Wade went out, he was not eligible to replace him, although he certainly had state placement potential even then. His sophomore year was at Woodridge, where he placed 4th at 119#. Last year, Woodridge was Division II and Hamed was a state quarterfinalist before losing to state champion LaFollette and three-time placer, Reichman 1-0. This year, he was 2nd at Richmond Heights, defaulting in the finals and 4th at Wadsworth, up a weight class at 130#. He’ll need to be at the top of his game to win, but this should finally be his year.
As things are currently configured, Hamed should have little trouble at the Mentor District. I don’t see anyone there who can challenge him so he should come into the state meet both well rested and a district champ.
The two best districts are at Coshocton and Owens. At the former, there are three returning state qualifiers and a sophomore who might be better than any of them. Kagey and Terry were both state quarter-finalists last year, although neither of them ended up placing. They have all done well this year becoming finalists in almost every event. However, I don’t see any of them defeating Hamed. But each of them has placement potential, much of which will depend on their district placement and sub-sequent state pairing. The wild card here is Nicola. He was the OVAC champ at 112#, defeating the excellent Lucas Huffman, but did compete at sectionals. His only loss this year was a lightning quick pin by three-time placer, Reichman. He has tremendous upward potential, and could be a major factor at this weight class if he can maintain consistency. He blew away the field at Marion Harding and he needs to maintain that level.
There are also challengers at Owens. Two-time state qualifier, Matt Bloniarz, won two state bouts last year, just failing to place. State qualifier, Rufenacht, also missed placement by one win and he exits the same sectional, so they should be apart at the district level. Rufenacht won the “A” Classic and beat Kunisch in their dual meet. State qualifier, Kunisch, and Abair are solid secondary candidates with Schalk another half step behind. Watch out for the freshman, Sowers (good wrestling genes) and Schmitz.
All of the Carlisle wrestlers have moved down a weight class mixing up my lovingly created lists. Jory Brown is probably the best, now that everything has been revised. He lost an 18-11 go-to-state bout at 130# last year, and should do even better at this lower weight. Kendig was 4th at Perrysburg and may be the finalist here, opposite Brown. After this duo are a whole host of potential challengers. Young has had a great year, while Beach had two district wins last season. Barga and Etzler (Lincolnview) are also possibilities with Levy and Lindsey (Landmark Christian) long shots.
130#
Projected Champion: DREW SCHAFER (Monroeville)
Top Contenders
2 | Opfer (Sandusky St. Mary) | 15 | Urling (Fisher Catholic) |
3 | Tucker (Martins Ferry) | 16 | Tomaino (Jackson Milton) |
4 | Franz (Waynesville) | 17 | Bond (Caldwell) |
5 | Navarra (Sandy Valley) | 18 | Reer (Collins Western Reserve) |
6 | J Hill (McComb) | 19 | J Hall (Tuslaw) |
7 | Gombash (Delta) | 20 | Melko (Bellaire St. John) |
8 | Shindledecker (Lima Central Catholic)) | 21 | Schmelzenbach (Senendoah) |
9 | Sendelbach (New London) | 22 | Crowley (Madeira) |
10 | Bill (Clearview) | 23 | Hogue (Brookfield) |
11 | Dulka (Cardinal) | 24 | Nutbrown (River Valley) |
12 | Schultz (Archbold) | 25 | Knisley (Elmwood) |
13 | Kief (Miami East) | 26 | Dobereiner (Waterford) |
14 | Ku. Stapleton (Carlisle) | 27 | Wyse (Grandview Heights) |
28 | Keuterman (Versailles) |
This is probably my favorite weight class in Division III, featuring a wide variety of styles and body types. It is a deep weight class with excellent contenders from each of the four districts. With such a diversity of style and form, the pairings will be critical, but should work out reasonably well. There are four wrestlers who have already finished either 2nd or 3rd and at least that number of others who have past state experience. It is a particularly crowded weight class because Jaggers and Shearer dominate the next two weight classes, leaving many little choice but 130#. Let’s look at some of the top contenders.
Schafer was 2nd last year at 119# after finishing 6th two years before. His only loss last year was in the state finals to Keyes, who he had defeated the previous week at districts. He looked absolutely devastating at Richmond Heights, decimating the best weight class there capped by a second period fall over the redoubtable Emery. Schafer and Opfer exit the same sectional and district, which should help Schafer acclimate to Opfer’s unusual style. The question is will that be enough for Schafer to win Monroeville’s first state title.
Corey Opfer is, without a doubt, the most unorthodox of this group. There isn’t a risk-laden hold he doesn’t love and his bouts are almost always the most entertaining of the night. Always looking to score (or better yet, pin), he takes the most chances, but his fundamentals and athleticism generally carry the day. He finished 3rd both as a freshman and a sophomore, losing both times to Lucas Huffman (who has since graduated). Up three weight classes, he won the Midwest Classic and was 2nd in overtime at Brecksville. The big question is can I pick him for a third time, after two previous failures.
Whenever I see the name Tucker linked to Martins Ferry, I know we’re talking about state placement. Two years ago, Tucker lost in the first round at 103# and came back to get 4th. Last year, he won his first three state bouts 15-0, 16-4 and 17-6, but then was pinned by Caruso and finished 2nd. He’s settled in nicely at 130# and could easily win it all this year. He beat Schafer, 5-1, two years ago. He’ll be the top seed should he win his district. So at least two of this top group will automatically be away from him.
I know the least about Franz. A solid senior, he was 3rd at 125#, losing to Caruso in the semi-finals. For their area, Waynesville wrestles a touch schedule and his nine losses last year are a testament to that rigor. This year, he won at Xenia and had a perfect record the last time I looked. He’ll be on the same side of the bracket as the Opfer/Schafer winner – assuming he wins his district.
The district breakouts are interesting. The deepest schedule of competitors is at Owens. We’ve already discussed Opfer and Schafer, but there is much, much more. The trio of state qualifiers, Gombash and Hill along with Sendelbach, are all very good. Gombash won his district last year, winning every bout in less than six minutes, but then went 1-2 at Columbus. He looked raggedy at Brecksville, but it was his first event of the year. Hill was a district runner-up and he placed 6th, losing to Tucker (badly) and Franz. Sendelbach has come on strong, finishing 4th at Richmond Heights–including a one-point loss to Hill–and winning at Hopewell-Loudon, Plymouth, and the “A” Classic– including a one-point win over Hill. At least one of this group will fail to qualify and with Schultz (who beat Kief, 7-3), Reer (a great freshman) and Knisely also here, nobody is safe. At the same time, state qualifier, Coleman, has also certified here, but I’ve ranked him at 135# since that is my guess as to where he might compete.
Tucker should dominate at Coshocton, but there is a strong under card. Navarra was a state qualifier two years ago, but lost out last year, losing to eventual state placer, Jarrod Anderson, 2-1, in his go-to-state bout after being pinned by Tucker in the semi-finals. He has looked good this year and should return to Columbus.
The unheralder, Urling, was a state alternate last year and should vie one of the last two spots with Bond, Dobereiner, Smith, Melko and Nutbrown. Wyse might be the kind of long shot you’d put some money on. Again, Cottrill certified at 130#, probably as a way of keeping his options open. I’ve rated him at 135# (where he could well be a district champ), but he would rate highly here, too, if he actually does move.
Franz will be joined by state qualifiers Kief and Schindledecker at Xenia. Kief, a move-in from Indiana, was a district champ last year and won a state bout. This year, he was 3rd at GMVWA. Shindledecker cannot be overlooked. He was a district runner-up at this weight class last year and won two state bouts, falling just short of placing. He was 3rd at the “A” Classic this year (behind Sendelbach and Hill), and his sectional movement to Xenia rather than to Owens (as it was last year), will make qualification much easier. After this trio, it is wide open with the young Stapleton, Crowley and Keuterman possibilities.
Mentor is uncharacteristically weak. I like former state qualifier Jacob Bill, who, rather shockingly, did not get out last year after getting pinned by Schafer and losing narrowly to eventual place winner, Tomasone. Cardinal has two excellent 130’s in Dulka and Morris. Either one would do well here, so I’ve rated Dulka at this class–where he has been all year–and Morris at 135#. They may switch at sectional time, however. Tomaino or Thomas are other thoughts.
135#
Projected Champion: J JAGGERS (CHANEL)
Top Contenders
2 | Huss (Fairless) | 14 | Rice (West Jefferson) |
3 | Gambill (Miami East) | 15 | Buckingham (Calvert) |
4 | Mk Blonairz (Tinora) | 16 | Workman (River) |
5 | Gliatta (Sandusky St. Mary) | 17 | Waldman (Summit Country Day) |
6 | Coleman (Fremont St. Joseph) | 18 | Rupp (Archbold) |
7 | Riley (Troy Christian) | 19 | Madden (Swanton) |
8 | Morris (Cardinal) | 20 | Chase (Independence) |
9 | Ison (Batavia) | 21 | Pelkey (Oakwood) |
10 | Cottrill (Madison Plains) | 22 | Bazerbashi (Columbus Academy) |
11 | Ky. Stapleton (Carlisle) | 23 | Ackley (Elmwood) |
12 | Martell (Dalton) | 24 | DeCapua (Richmond Heights) |
13 | Brown (Monroe Central) | 25 | Klaus (Mechanicsburg) |
26 | Peoples (Northmor) |
It took about 10 seconds to spot him. I’ve seen tens of thousands of wrestlers, but an absolute novice could not have helped but recognize it. The 7th grader on the center mat was clearly one of The Chosen. A precocious genius of the wrestling mat, who destroyed an excellent opponent to win a state title at the inaugural junior high state championships. There aren’t many like him–but just seeing them once is enough for recognition. I said three years ago that he had a chance to be Ohio’s first six-time champion and that was not really a bold or daring prediction. In his last two state tourneys, no one has lasted six minutes and that was true when he won the prestigious Ironman, as well. None of Ohio’s 12 previous wrestlers, trying to win four titles, have lost and while the number thirteen is considered unlucky, it won’t happen this time either. J. Jaggers has had an amazing high school career and one can expect that will continue at Ohio State.
The battle here will be a hard fought, spirited one, but it will be for second place. A key component in that struggle will be to draw away from Jaggers. Those who are sure to do so are the 2nd and 3rd place finishers at Mentor. Likely to be in one of those positions is the very tough Kyle Huss. He was a state qualifier last year at this weight class in Division II, but had an awful draw. He got eventual champ Aaron Martin in the first round and then state placer, Ryan Morgan, after a consolation win and lost 3-1. He has won titles at both North Canton and Canal Fulton, and will be a rugged challenge for everyone, but Jaggers. After him, state qualifier Martell, Morris, and, maybe, Chase are next best.
The deepest district is at Owens. While Mark Blonairz and Coleman are both state qualifiers, I think Gliatta might be the best here. He missed state qualification in 2003, but like his state champion brother of last year, he seems to be on a steep part of the learning curve. At Brecksville, he lost to Roberts (3rd in Division I), 4-3, and ended up 7th, the highest Division III placer at that weight. Certainly, Blonairz and Coleman should place at this district with Buckingham, Madden, Bodenbender and Rupp in the hunt. I think Coleman (or Smith, if they move down) will end up second best here, but there will be a lot of close bouts on this bracket.
There is also good depth at Xenia, and the quality may be just as good. District champ, Gambill, is now only a sophomore and he keeps getting better. At Columbus, he lost two heartbreakers–one in the 30-second overtime and the other, 8-7. This year, he won the GMVWA and will lock horns with Kyle Stapleton, the defending district champion at this weight class. Stapleton, at 140# most of the year, was 6th at that weight in the GMVWA, but he’ll be a major factor here. Riley was a 5-4 loser to Gambrill at the GMVWA and he was a state qualifier at 119# last year. Factor in state qualifier Waldman and Ison, and it’s clear somebody isn’t getting a return ticket to the Value Center Arena. Two other possibilities are Pelkey and the outstanding freshman, Klaus. One name I have not seen is state qualifier Wells (Bethel Tate) who was at this weight class earlier in the year. His inclusion would make it even tougher to get out.
I don’t see a whole lot at Coshocton. I rate state qualifier Cottrill and Brown as the areas top hopes. But this will not be a strong weight class at this district. It will even be weaker if Cottrill opts to wrestle at 130#, leaving the cupboard as bare as Old Mother Hubbard’s at this weight class. Besides, those listed, Cataldo (Wellsville) and Waite (Shenandoah) should be checked out.
140#
Projected Champion: TANNER Shearer (Sandusky St. Mary)
Top Contenders
2 | Fleming (West Jefferson) | 14 | Wisdom (New London) |
3 | Borders (River Valley) | 15 | Dillon (Brookfield) |
4 | Falk (Bluffton) | 16 | Coopman (Lake) |
5 | Smith (Fremont St. Joseph) | 17 | Bowers (Dayton Christian) |
6 | Dierkes (Jackson Milton) | 18 | Warren (Martins Ferry) |
7 | Ferguson (Monroe Central) | 19 | Eicher (Tuslaw) |
8 | Shaver (Waynesville) | 20 | Arreola (Woodmore) |
9 | Henry (Versailles) | 21 | McDaniel (Pleasant) |
10 | Besancon (Hillsdale) | 22 | Loreaux (Summit Country Day) |
11 | Kalina (Kirtland) | 23 | Moomey (Collins Western Reserve) |
12 | Spohn (Cincy Hills Christian) | 24 | Long (Miami East) |
13 | Miller (Garaway) | 25 | Rennicker (Indian Valley) |
26 | King (Barnesville) |
As was the case at the last weight class, one lone figure dominates this competition. Two-time state champion, Tanner Shearer, has lost but four times in the last three years (with 118 wins) and not once to a Division III competitor. It would be an enormous surprise if he were to be upset at the state meet, given his tough, mistake-free style. At Brecksville, he beat the excellent Rohler in the semi-finals (pounding on him the last two periods) and deserved to win against my Division II choice, Morgan in the finals. He had the only takedown and was, by far, the aggressor throughout the bout, but drew an official who apparently hadn’t heard there were rules against stalling. He lost in that horrible 30-second tiebreaker. Nonetheless, despite some reasonably good opposition, Shearer should take his third state title, becoming the third boy from St. Mary to win at least that many.
Rather surprisingly for a weight class right at the peak of the bell shaped curve of the weight division, there are (except for Shearer) no returning state place winners. Given that there is little power below Shearer, this is a weight class where exceptional freshman or under appreciated veterans could easily place. At Coshocton, state qualifiers, Borders and Ferguson, along with state alternate, Fleming, probably head the strongest district. The first two just missed placement last year and should overcome that barrier this year. Ferguson wasn’t at the D-3 Classic, but was a strong 2nd at Shadyside. It may turn out that Fleming is now the best of this trio. He missed state qualification by one point last year after qualifying the year before, and has been exceptional this year. This is his third year at 140#. Also in the mix is state alternate Miller, but Ferguson did beat him 14-2 last year in their go-to-state bout. A dark horse candidate is Warren, who gave state qualifier, Frollini, a real battle at 145# at Bellaire St. John and has now moved down to 140#.
It is not as deep a group at Owens. Coopman and state qualifier, Smith, might be next best after Shearer, but there is a large gap between them. Coopman won at Hopewell-Loudon, while Smith has bounced between 135# and 140#. Wisdom, winner at Plymouth and the “A” Classic, is also a factor, but, like Ferguson, did not compete at Richmond Heights. I’m not seeing as many names at this district that looks like state material.
The most crowded field is at Xenia. But this group has not competed well at the state level in the past. I’ve divided this group into three categories–former state qualifiers, solid performers, and exceptional freshman. In the first category, Spohn, Henry and Shafer all have state experience and I see them as relatively closely bunched. Shafer has been hot lately, but Spohn has been better in the past. Henry, perhaps, is a step behind them, though the Versailles boys do well in the late season. The second group contains Loreaux, Bowers and Taylor–all of whom have the potential to vault over that first trio. Finally, there is the freshman. Falk, son of a three-time champ, clearly got the right genes, sweeping to the junior high state title. Undefeated this year, he could be the surprise package at Xenia. He has state champion skills and it’s more a question of when, rather than one of if.
Dierkes may be the best of a pretty low-key group of qualifiers out of Mentor. The other possibility is Besancon, who just moved down from 145#. His most recent win was at Chippewa where he took the title at 145#. Both were state alternates last year with Besancon losing by one point in his go-to-state bout and Dierkes dropping his to eventual state runner-up Brandon Kertesz. Kalina and Dillon are other top-of-the-mind possibilities, but there will be some surprises here.
145#
Projected Champion: Jamison Moss (Delta)
Top Contenders
2 | Knoop (Miami East) | 14 | Hunkler (Bellaire St. John) |
3 | Hoff (Liberty Center) | 15 | Bogucki (Reading) |
4 | Windom (Waynesdale) | 16 | Adams (Chanel) |
5 | Connors (Madison Plains) | 17 | Redman (Westfall) |
6 | Rammel (Spencerville) | 18 | Keough (Brooklyn) |
7 | Baum (Sandusky St. Mary) | 19 | Nichols (West Jefferson) |
8 | Frollini (Shadyside) | 20 | Lowry (Lakota) |
9 | Lanham (Middletown Madison) | 21 | Sojka (Elyria Catholic) |
10 | Allerding (Loudonville) | 22 | Beisner (Versailles) |
11 | Bockmore (Wellington) | 23 | Shockey (Bluffton) |
12 | Nedolast (Fostoria St. Wendelin) | 24 | Nester (Seneca East) |
13 | Bumbico (Martins Ferry) | 25 | Anstaett (Grandview Heights) |
My youngest daughter is a sophomore at Furman University, which is one of five most beautiful campuses in the country. It is located in Greenville, South Carolina, which is also the final resting place of “Shoeless” Joe Jackson–probably the greatest natural hitter of all time. An article written in 1932 interviewed all the great players of that time — Ruth, Gehrig, Simmons, Foxx, Hornsby–and they all agreed that “Shoeless Joe” was the best they’d ever seen. He was initially the property of the Philadelphia Athletics, but in his time there (40 at bats), he was a failure. A pure country boy, Jackson was awed by the big city surroundings and needed time to adjust and he didn’t get it. Cut loose by the Athletics, he signed with Cleveland shortly thereafter, and proceeded to hit .387 and .407 the first two seasons with them–and this in the “Dead Ball” era.
That came to my mind as I watched Delta over the holidays. They looked slow, rusty, and out-of-synch, and poorly conditioned–a real surprise for one of the premier Division III programs in the state. Then I learned that Delta had gone far into the football play-offs, had every scheduled event to that point cancelled, for one reason or another, and this was their first action of the season. Suddenly, a whole different spin was put on their performance, and I, for one, think a shortened season for experienced wrestlers often keeps them fresher for the tournament weekends.
With that in mind, Jamison Moss is a relatively clear-cut choice. Last year, as a sophomore, he crushed all four-district foes and then won three well wrestled bouts to reach the state finals. Shearer then stopped him in his tracks, winning 7-0. At Brecks-ville, he shook off the rust to finish 5th and then got the OW while winning at Waite. He’s very quick, knows how to ride, and he’s physically stronger than he was last year. He’ll be tough to beat.
His biggest competition at the Owens District should come from the sophomore, Marc Hoff. Also a district champ last year (at 140#), he won two state bouts and nearly placed. He was 2nd at Hudson and should get a middle to high state place this year. Stuckey (Archbold) has certified at 145#, but will probably wrestle at 152#, which is where I rated him. He would also be a factor at this class. I think Baum may be third best here–he was 4th at Brecksville, but did not meet Moss–and, if St. Mary builds momentum, he could place. After him, there are a lot of options for the fourth state berth.
Knoop has placed 6th and 5th the last two years; so 4th place would seem the logical progression. I think he’ll do better than that. You know he’s real good because so many kids avoid him during the regular season. He was a strong 2nd at the GMVWA, losing only to Brulport, 11-9. His problem at Columbus is winning in the first round–he’s 0-2 in the championship bracket and 6-3 in the consolation rounds. State qualifier, Rammel, is the likely second choice at this district. His upset win over Dustin Wright last year showed some first rate talent. Then there is Redman, who lost an overtime decision in his go-to-state bout and now returns at the same weight. After that, it’s people like Bogucki, Beisner and Lanham as top choices for the last two berths.
I think state qualifier, Doug Windom, also has finalist potential (along with Hoff, Connors, and Knoop) and like the others, has some probability of winning it all. He was very impressive at the Richmond Heights D-3 tourney and should come into the state tourney as the district champ. Last year, Hoff beat him 11-9 in the first round and Knoop, 7-6, in the first consolation round, so he knows well the competition he’ll face. Allerding is also strong, finishing 2nd at the Gorman, losing to Hoff, 4-0, in the finals. Bockmore, Keough, and Sojka all should have state hopes, but it will be tough. Adams may be one of those Chanel wrestlers who sneak through the bracket with a mediocre record, but having wrestled a tough schedule.
State qualifier, Connors, should also have high expectations this year. A district champ last year, he won two state bouts and lost the other two both by a point–the latter against Knoop. He has been successful at 152# this year and should be a huge factor here. State qualifier, Frollini, is also good, with Hunkler and Bumbico providing back up. Not a bad weight.
152#
Projected Champion: Matt Feron (Kirtland)
Top Contenders
2 | Baldridge (Northmor) | 16 | Boster(Carlisle) |
3 | Hill (Liberty Center) | 17 | Hannahs (Shenandoah) |
4 | Bryant (Clinton Massie) | 18 | Foote (Cuyahoga Heights) |
5 | Irwin (Shadyside) | 19 | Stretar (Black River) |
6 | Stuckey (Archbold) | 20 | Leyda (Sandy Valley) |
7 | C Whelan (Sandusky St. Mary) | 21 | Hogue (Margaretta) |
8 | Benedict (Monroe Central) | 22 | Grant (Miami East) |
9 | Purdue (Genoa) | 23 | Gillham (Newark Catholic) |
10 | Bugner (Fostoria St. Wendelin) | 24 | Moten (Woodridge) |
11 | Owens (Oakwood) | 25 | Kisela (Richmond Heights) |
12 | Shannon (Bluffton) | 26 | Snyder (Fairless) |
13 | Roll (Plymouth) | 27 | Osterman (Grandview Heights) |
14 | Clum(Spencerville) | 28 | Banzel (Cardinal) |
15 | Dellaposta (Middletown Madison) | 29 | Stewart (New Albany) |
This competition inaugurates a series of five weight classes that lack substantial depth and experience. Of that quintet, this weight, at least as it is presently constituted, is the weakest of all. Paradoxically, this could also be one of the most interesting competitions to watch, as a form of parity has invaded Division III wrestling. We have exciting younger wrestlers, a few with state experience, some from smaller, lesser-known schools, and even a couple making comebacks from inactivity and injury. The question is which of this group will step up at Value City and make it to the finals. Still, I have this horrible, nagging feeling that I’ve missed somebody(s) who will play a significant role here. Let’s look at some of the possibilities–although we certainly can’t discuss all of them.
Two years ago, Matt Fearon lost a first-round heartbreaker at Columbus, 9-8. Then, he won four consolation bouts to finish 4th at 145#. Last year, he had a tough district, finishing 3rd, including two tiebreaker wins with escapes. After a narrow 6-5 first round State win, he lost close bouts to Bryant (who’s back) and Racheter (who’s not), and failed to place. This year, he’s won at Hawken and the D-3 Classic, pinning Benedict in the final round. He heads a pretty non-descript district that includes Stretar, who lost his go-to-state bout to Fearon last year, and a laundry list of other possibilities. That list includes Kisella, Keck, Moten, Foote and Snyder.
There are some perplexing competitors at Coshocton. Each has a resume that provides contradictory results. The best of this group is probably Baldridge, who was the district champ at this weight class last year, and a state quarter finalists. In that bout, he took the eventual champ, Matt Shilek, to the wire before losing 10-9–Smilek won every other bout by at least six points. Then Baldridge got thumped 18-2 in the next consolation round. This year, he won the Gorman (crushing a Division I state qualifier 12-2), but that was after losing three bouts in two weeks. Go figure. Irwin should be a strong challenger. He was district 3rd, losing only to two-time state champ Vogel, 4-1. He won his first state bout before losing 6-5 to eventual state runner-up Sammons, and then was eliminated in the 30-second tiebreaker. He has high placement potential in this, his senior year. Irwin beat Benedict 8-6 at Shadyside, but lost to Bryant by a point earlier in the year. Hannahs is solid with Leyda, Hepburn, Stewart and Gillham, also possibilities.
At one point in the year, Bryant moved to the top of my list at this class, and, perhaps, he still belongs there. He was 5th last year, making the state semi-finals and then losing two decisions before beating Racheter. This year, he won at Bellaire (over Irwin), and was 3rd at the GMVWA. State qualifiers, Owens and Clum, also return, but they will be threatened by Boster, Dellaposta and Grant. I can’t see Boster not going, so that leaves just two spots for everyone else–and we haven’t even brought the excellent Shannon into the picture yet. This might be one of those rare occasions when two returning state qualifiers, at the same weight, fail to make it back.
There is much of the same type of confusion at Owens. State qualifier, Hill, is back, but was 3rd at the Gorman and 5th at Hudson. I think he is much better than that. I see Stuckey wrestling at 152#, figuring it’s his best chance for high placement, along with the powerful Roll and Hogue, all contenders for a state berth. Hogue missed by one bout going last year. The critical unknown is Cameron Whelan–twin brother of Joe, my choice at 160#. He has not wrestled in about a year, but he was always talented. He stepped right back into contention with at 5th at Brecksville, losing only to Division I state qualifiers Zednik who he beat 10-1 for 5th) and Monk. He could be a real boost for St. Mary–as if they needed yet another one. I also like Bugner, Welly, and Purdue, so this is a very crowded district.
160#
Projected Champion: Joseph Whelan (Sandusky St Mary)
Top Contenders
2 | Studer (Mohawk) | 15 | Lopez (Genoa) |
3 | Brinkman (Chippewa) | 16 | Teeter (Northmor) |
4 | Case (Bellaire St. John) | 17 | McDonald (Newark Catholic) |
5 | Bahmer (Barnesville) | 18 | Estep (Collins Western Reserve) |
6 | McGaharan (Northwood) | 19 | Gery (Carey) |
7 | Roppel (Channel) | 20 | Fisher (Liberty Union) |
8 | Lehn (Batavia) | 21 | Gulich (Richmond Hts.) |
9 | Keller (Woodridge) | 22 | Meiring (Delta) |
10 | Weakley (CVCA) | 23 | Overton (Elmwood) |
11 | Schmitmeyer (Versailles | 24 | Handa (Nelsonville York) |
12 | Gruber (Sandy Valley) | 25 | Kibler (Elgin) |
13 | Duncan (Oakwood) | 26 | Sorrell (Spencerville) |
14 | Hale (Stryker) |
Like 152#, this is another weight class that lacks depth and state experience. The one major difference is that there is one dominating figure who deserves to be rated a solid favorite. Whelan is a two-time state placer (4th and 3rd), who has continued his winning ways this year, including a clear-cut triumph at Brecksville. A three-time state qualifier, he already has seven state tourney wins, whereas, every other current 160-pounder in the state has a combined total of three. However, Whelan is certainly not upset-proof. Two years ago, he was a district champ, but lost to Lohman (4th in that same district), and finished 4th. Then, last year, again as district champ, he outscored his first two opponents 34-8 before, once again, losing in the semi-finals, 3-2, to Curt Thompson, who he had handled in the past. He then watched Matt Smilek, a Whelan victim at the district level, defeat Thompson, 12-2, for the state crown.
Certainly, Whelan will need to maintain focus this year because, the next tier of wrestlers at this class, are good enough to spring an upset. Two of those wrestlers will be at the same district as Whelan. Joe Studer missed state placement by one bout, while going 2-2 at Columbus. He has been in peak form all year, winning, for example, at the Gorman most recently, and finishing 4th at one of the toughest weight classes at the GMVWA. Right behind him is state qualifier McGaharan, who won at Northwood and Sylvania Southview and is very experienced. He went 1-2 at Columbus last year. There are two wild cards here. One is Juan Lopez, a state qualifier two years ago, who has been out-of-sight most of the time since. He is a terrific talent with huge upset potential. The other is Estep, who has been very impressive this year, with finalist appearances at Sheridan and Columbia Station. More conventional picks include Gery, Hale, Overton and Mack. Meiring could also be a factor–if he doesn’t compete at 152#.
Coming on strong in the Mentor District is senior, Bruce Brinkman. He missed qualification by two points last year, but has been very sharp during the last month or so. He most recently won at Chippewa, beating state placer, Eric Belliottie, 8-4, in the final round–a wrestler for whom I have a high regard. The other possibility is Roppel, who qualified for Columbus two years ago. He missed out last year (eliminated coinci-dentally by one of Brinkman’s teammates) and has been at 171# this year. He was 5th at Solon and should qualify here. I see little else at this district. The freshman, Weakley, will eventually be very good (he was a state junior high runner-up), but he will probably not challenge the very top boys this year. I must admit, though, he was impressive, winning the D-3 Classic and finishing a strong 2nd at Solon. Keep an eye on him. The other good possibility is Wadsworth placer, Keller, who has also moved down to 160#.
The two top 160’s at Coshocton have a long history and I don’t think either has yet established dominance. I recall that Case beat Bahmer last year and went to States, but this year, Bahmer has won several times and finished ahead of Case at Barnesville. At any rate, I think they are the two best at this district. Case not only won the title at Marion Harding over the holidays, but copped the OW, too. Can they beat Whelan? Well, Joe beat Case 17-1 in the state quarterfinals and that’s a lot of ground to make up. However, stranger things have happened. There are some other possibilities here. State qualifier Gruber returns and he lost to last year’s runner-up, Curt Thompson by only 8-6 in the first round, and then to Bellottie by the same score in the consolations. He was 4th at North Canton. McDonald is 22-0, but will finally be tested at the CIT. He missed state qualification by one point last year. State qualifier Teeter has slipped off the radar screen, so maybe somebody like Fisher or Kibler will surface.
State qualifiers Duncan and Schmitmeyer head the Xenia sectional and should qualify once again. They failed to win a bout at Columbus, and maybe not be a huge factor again this year. State alternate Lehn may have surpassed both at this time. The rest of my choices are scattered toward the bottom of the ranking table. There remains the possibility that Boster will try to qualify here.
171#
Projected Champion: Spencer Dye (Sandusky St Mary)
Top Contenders
2 | Sowers (Mohawk) | 15 | Eicher (Tuslaw) |
3 | Yoder (Martins Ferry) | 16 | Wettengel (Belpre) |
4 | Douce (River Valley) | 17 | Tarver (Lake) |
5 | Burkhart (Shadyside) | 18 | Browning (Pleasant) |
6 | Goble (Wellington) | 19 | Woody (Chippewa) |
7 | Lichty (Ayersville) | 20 | Frank (Stryker) |
8 | Ball (Tinora) | 21 | Hess (Amanda Clearcreek) |
9 | Eichorn (Northmor) | 22 | Curtis (Mechanicsburg) |
10 | Strasbaugh (Versailles) | 23 | Coates (Greenview) |
11 | Fox (Margaretta) | 24 | Porter (Berkshire) |
12 | McCraith (Wickliffe) | 25 | McSurley (Clinton-Massie) |
13 | McMurphy (Grand Valley) | 26 | Thomason (Lima Central Catholic) |
14 | Garrlson (Oakwood) |
The record team total in Division III was set by Delta in 1998 when they scored 149.5 points eclipsing the previous mark held by Bishop Ready for 16 years. This year, the convergence of two factors–a strong senior-dominated squad from Sandusky St. Mary and what appears to be a somewhat diminished pool of talent state-wide–may set up a challenge to Delta’s record. No team has come within 20 points of that standard, but if everything were to go just right, St. Mary could challenge that total. An important part of that process will be at 171#, where state runner-up, Spencer Dye, was upset at the district level, but wrestled well and met the favored Picazo in the finals. In a slam-bang finale, Dye eventually lost 12-11 in the kind of bout I love to televise. Dye, whose father won the first of St. Mary’s state titles in 1976, is a go-for-broke competitor who wrestles a lot of high scoring bouts. With solid fundamentals, he looks for ways to score and is willing to take risks to do so. Wouldn’t it be great if the rules of this sport encouraged more wrestlers to do so?
Before he has a chance to win that coveted state title, Dye has to advance out of the best of the four districts at this weight class. Sowers was 4th at this class last year and has been great all year. He won the GMVWA in handsome fashion, and his only loss was in the Gorman finale to the excellent Hiram Smith. State qualifier Lichty also returns and could be a huge factor at both the state and district level. Both Fox and Ball were state alternates at this weight last year. Ball lost to Lichty by a narrow 6-4 margin earlier this year. That’s five excellent candidates for four spots, which means there’ll be some real heartbreak. All four of the qualifiers could place.
The other deep district is at Coshocton. However, in this case, there are only four good candidates for qualification and since the sectional pairings should line up, the bracketing should be good. State placer Yoder leads the way, but Burkhart is right behind him (a 3-2 loss at their last meeting). Last year, Yoder beat Sowers 14-4 in the quarterfinals, but then finished behind him. Douce, the Medina champ, and Eichorn are also strong and have compiled solid track records over the past two years. Eichorn was 3rd at the Gorman, losing by two in the semi-finals to Sowers.
Goble heads a shallow Mentor district. He was 6th last year, after making the semi-finals and losing to eventual champ Smilek. He was 2nd at Medina, losing 6-2 to Douce. McCraith won the D-3 Classic and has been very good. He was upset by McMurphy earlier in the year, but I don’t think that will happen again.
Maybe, I’m missing something, but the Xenia district does not look formidable. State qualifier Strasbaugh is back and he won at Plymouth and was 6th at GMVWA. After that, it’s folks like Garrison, Wettengel, and Curtis any of whom might upset Strasbaugh. The four qualifiers out of Xenia may not generate even a single state placement.
189#
Projected Champion: Larry Reichard (New Albany)
Top Contenders
2 | Hickey (Elyria Catholic) | 16 | Lambert (Clinton Massie) |
3 | Oxford (Tuslaw) | 17 | Horn (Shenandoah) |
4 | Samsa (Shadyside) | 18 | Trimble (Northridge) |
5 | Gracia (Archbold) | 19 | Lahna (Ridgewood) |
6 | Van Sickle (Liberty Center) | 20 | Nelson (Miami East) |
7 | Wright (Tri-County North) | 21 | Miller (Plymouth) |
8 | Schlack (Carey) | 22 | Tiell (Hopewell Loudon) |
9 | Deweese (Berkshire) | 23 | Cornett (Carlisle) |
10 | Kerchmar (Wellington) | 24 | Hershey (West Salem Northwestern) |
11 | Haubert (Mohawk) | 25 | McConnell (Seneca East) |
12 | Beeghley (Waynedale) | 26 | Brown (Lakota) |
13 | Jolliff (North Union) | 27 | Richards (Bluffton) |
14 | Underwood (Brookfield) | 28 | Rice (West Jefferson) |
15 | Schnittger (Lutheran West) | 29 | Bumgardner (Waynesville) |
When everyone anticipates a titanic two-man battle for the state title, it can be easy to overlook an unheralded newcomer. I think that might have happened at this weight class last year. Reichard was a state semi-finalist two years ago as a sophomore (finishing 5th), and was slightly more than a co-favorite last year. His principal adversary was seen as Scott Smith, who he had met many times previously. However, their ultimate match up for the state title was thwarted by the athletic Mike Blackwell (now in Division II), who upset Reichard in the semis, 7-5. Reichard wound up 3rd, winning his other four bouts decisively, the closest being 8-0. Early this year, I saw Reichard as a clear-cut favorite with no real peer at this class. Now, I’m not so sure. Hickey, a lower placer at 160# last year, has grown into a monster. Suddenly, the boy who lost 16-1 in last year’s first round is now manhandling everyone. I’m not sure I’m totally convinced yet, but one thing is for sure, Reichard needs to keep a wary eye on everyone this year.
Only Samsa should challenge Reichard at the Coshocton District. A state qualifier last year at 171#, he lost to Dye in the first round, won two consolation bouts, and then lost 1-0 to Sowers in his placement match. This year, he won big at Shadyside and Bellaire St. John and should meet Reichard in the district finals. The remaining two state berths will be “up for grabs” with the “hot hand” getting a ticket to Columbus (two awful clichés in one sentence).
It looks like the same two-man contest at Xenia. A pair of district champs head the field and should not receive more than minimal competition. Eric Wright won this district at 171# and then won two state bouts just missing placement. He apparently considered 171# again this year, but has certified at 189#. He was 3rd at the GMVWA, won by Haubert, but never met him. Jones took the district title at this weight class, but could win but one bout at Columbus. He won at Madeira and has been a finalist in every tournament he has wrestled. They are clearly ahead of other possibilities here and a loss to anyone else would be a substantial upset.
As I said earlier, Hickey has been dominating this year in compiling an undefeated record. He crushed Oxford and Beeghley at the D-3 Classic, where Schnittger finished 4th. The way I look at it, state qualifier Oxford and Kerchmar, a strong 4th at Brecksville, are the two best after Hickey, with state alternate, DeWeese, also in that mix. DeWeese missed the early part of the season, but was a district semi-finalist last year. That leaves state qualifier Schnittger, Beeghly and Hershey in need of an upset to qualify. Kerchmar has been excellent all year, but as a cautionary qualification note, Reichard defeated him 15-0.
215#
Projected Champion: Nate Thobaden (Clinton Massie)
Top Contenders
2 | Dibell (Fairless) | 15 | Nowlan (Bluffton) |
3 | Monroe (Waynesville) | 16 | Keiser (Versailles) |
4 | Spangler (Delta) | 17 | Huck (Waterford) |
5 | Bachna (Elyria Catholic) | 18 | Whitt (New Albany) |
6 | Leach (Shenandoah) | 19 | Zaczek (Madeira) |
7 | Reinhart (Calvert) | 20 | Kirchner (North Baltmore) |
8 | Ellwood (Indian Valley) | 21 | Carr (Northmor) |
9 | Taynor (Swanton) | 22 | Oswalt (Coldwater) |
10 | Slutz (Tusky Valley) | 23 | Neff (Waynedale) |
11 | Girlie (Ayersville) | 24 | Endicott (Plymouth) |
12 | Dick (Reading) | 25 | Davis (Grandview Hts.) |
13 | Wade (Chanel) | 26 | Gibson (Black River) |
14 | Hessick (Fremont St. Joseph) |
This is clearly one of the weaker weight classes in Division III with no dominant contenders anywhere in sight. Unlike the last two years, where Stookey, Sowers, Nagel and Zaranec battled, there are no titanic bouts to anticipate.
As such, it presents opportunities to a wide range of participants who might, otherwise, be a non-factor at most other weight classes. However, the one name that consistently appears in a positive light is Nate Thobaden. He was 3rd last year in Columbus after finishing in that same spot at the district level. One huge positive is that he is a prolific pinner, getting four at the district level and two more at States. He started this year at 275# (with great success) and now has moved down to 215#. He won the GMVWA, registering five successive pins and is obviously much stronger than last year. The big negative may be a schedule that fails to test on a consistent basis, and whether competition that results only in falls adequately prepares for the tough six-minute matches to come. In my mind, those negatives are far outweighed by his strength and experience.
It’s difficult to know from exactly what direction Thobaden’s prime opposition will originate. For example, there is very little depth at Mentor, but there are two potential high placers. Neither has state experience, but both have fashioned great senior years. Bachna, apparently inspired by his teammate, Hickey, at 189#, is also undefeated this year and has been almost as devastating. He had five first period falls at the D-3 and is currently 22-0. He probably should have made it last year, but had a bad first round at districts and got lost in the consolation bracket. Dibell was 1st at Canal Fulton Northwest (over Thoburn) and 3rd at North Canton–an impressive showing.
There is more depth at Coshocton, but I’m not sure any of them stands a good chance against the very top boys. Ellwood, Slutz, and Leach all qualified at this weight class last year, but none of them had wins in the championship bracket–though Elmwood and Leach had a consolation win. None of them have wrestled an overly demanding schedule, which could hurt them at tourney time. Carr and Whitt will come over from the Central District sectionals to compete for state spots with Whitt an alternate last year. Pretty good depth here, but no one that can challenge Thobaden.
There are two state qualifiers returning at Owens, but I’m wondering if state alternate Reinhart is now the best 215-pounder here. He defeated state qualifier Girlie at the “A” Classic, and has moved past state qualifier Taynor as well. His dominating win at Hopewell-Loudon over Xenia state qualifier, Mark Keiser, was impressive. Also in the mix here are Kirchner, Endicott and Hessick, who all have solid district experience. A dark horse contender is Spangler, who did not wrestle last year, but is slowly rounding into form for Delta. He was runner-up at Perrysburg, signaling, perhaps, his state intentions next month.
The real qualification battle will be at Xenia. I count at least seven candidates who could make it out. Thobaden could be in real trouble if he makes a miscue here. Included in this group is state placer Monroe, who has beaten a number of the best 215’s (in any class), including Tyler Zink twice. Thobaden did pin him last year. State qualifier Keiser is also back, and he was a district finalist last year. He finished ahead of both Thobaden and Monroe at the district level, but behind both of them at states– where he lost in overtime to Monroe. I think he could be in danger. Nowlan beat him earlier in the year and state alternate Huck and Oswalt are both back. Throw in Dick and Zaczek and it will be a great competition.
Hvy.
Projected Champion: Koel Davia (Union Local)
Top Contenders
2 | Ewing (West Salem Northwestern) | 15 | Jones (Belpre) |
3 | Bowers (Fairless) | 16 | Taylor (Swanton) |
4 | Scifers (St. Wendelin) | 17 | McEntire (Newcomerstown) |
5 | Dzigiel (Chanel) | 18 | Ruhlen (Hopewell Loudon) |
6 | Stuff (Northmor) | 19 | Treisch (Dalton) |
7 | Donavan (Licking Hts.) | 20 | Bruney (New Albany) |
8 | Shepard (Elyria Catholic) | 21 | Kaverman (Delphos Jefferson) |
9 | Borer (Calvert) | 22 | Montgomerly (Black River) |
10 | Baird (Westfall) | 23 | Carsey (North Union) |
11 | Howell (Sandusky St. Mary) | 24 | Binsack (Fremont St. Joseph) |
12 | Ruffer (Archbold) | 25 | Laughman (Miami East) |
13 | Ivins (Clinton Massie) | 26 | Griffiths (Wayne Trace) |
14 | Wysong (Dixie) |
The great crop of heavyweights we’ve seen the last two years in Division III have all graduated–that is all but one of them. Koel Davia, now a senior, is the kind of wrestler who drives prognosticators crazy. He has never won a district championship, never had an undefeated season, and never headed the list in this report, but has twice now won the state championship. As a sophomore, he lost to Carothers in district competition, and narrowly won his first two state bouts (one in a tiebreaker) and then pinned in both semi-finals and state finals. Last year, he was a district 4th, losing, again, to Carothers and to Bartholomew, 9-3, but, again, won his second title. A mammoth heavyweight, he’ll win his district and get the top ranking here on his way to a third state title. It would be a most significant title. He would become only the second heavyweight in Ohio high school wrestling history to win three state titles, and the first in exactly 50 years to accomplish that feat. In 1954, the powerful Jim Dregalla, from Cleveland John Marshall, took his third championship defeating Les Nader at a time when there was only one wrestling classification. Should Davia succeed this year, it would be a monumental achievement.
I believe there to be a significant gap between Davia and the rest of the field, but we all know that “significant gaps” can quickly be surmounted with one Davia mistake. Still, there is no one heavyweight that stands out as a particular threat. In fact, it is difficult to determine who might be on the awards stand with Davia as the tournament comes to an end. Only five other heavyweights have previous state experience and only one win in the championship bracket.
Two of those state qualifiers exit the Mentor District, but both could be in danger. Ewing defeated Dzigiel in overtime in the district semi-finals and, later won two consolation bouts at Columbus. A very small, mobile heavyweight, he is tough for the big boys to wrestle. He often seems to maneuver his way into overtime, where superior conditioning wins. Ewing was 4th at Wadsworth. Dzigiel was 3rd at Solon and is a good workmanlike heavyweight. Both Shepard and Bowers are big – both pushing against the upper limit of this weight class. They may have moved past that top duo. Shepard has only lost once and Bowers just won at Canal Fulton. Treisch is equally big and he beat Shepard last year–though that model has been replaced by a new, energetic Shepard. Add in a few heavyweights with one great move and it will be a excellent competition.
Davia should have few problems at Coshocton. Two of the best heavyweights there (Donavan and Bruney) are about half his size (or so it seems), and most of the others cannot match his strength. If Stuff remains focused, he could be a finalist against Davia at this district.
State qualifier Ivins made it down to 275 pounds, and with his size and experience, he’ll be dangerous. Davia pinned him last year and Ewing finessed him in overtime. I think the heavyweight to watch at Xenia is Baird. Kind of a mid-sized model, he pinned Dzigiel at states and has built on last year’s fine results to fashion a solid senior season. Jones and Wysong are other possibilities, but I don’t see a deep pool of talent here.
At Owens, many of the top contenders have met many times. Scifers is the only returning state qualifier, but that is no surety at this district. Actually, Borer might be the top performer in the Northwest with Scifers, Ruhlen, and Taylor close behind. However, the two that have the most upside are Ruffer and Howell. The former, only a sophomore, is moving up fast on the learning curve and if he can eliminate mistakes, qualify easily for the state meet. Howell will look great in one round and then fairly awful the next. Give him a consistent weekend and there’s no telling what he might accomplish.
TEAMS
1. Sandusky St. Mary – As I said in the essay at 171#, this team has the opportunity to post a new standard for team scoring in Division III. The big four of Shearer, Dye, Whelan, and Opfer should collect in the neighborhood of 90 to 100 points. That means Baum, Gliatta, Howell, Hermes, and Cam Whelan have to provide about 50. I’m not sure that’s possible. This will be their 5th title putting them into a tie for fifth place all-time.
2. Chanel – Another team looking for their 5th team title, but it looks like it will be their 6th runner-up trophy. The incomparable Jaggers leads the way and the lightweights are excellent. They’ll need a lot of help from folks like Dzigiel, Roppel and Wade to do much better.
3. Delta – Pretty much a four man squad with Moss and Evans the established stars and Gombash a state qualifier. The big surprise is Spangler who came back after a year of early retirement and has scintillated.
4. Cuyahoga Hts. – The first three weight classes are where they must score with Payne Lint and Scaletta as favorites. Clay Lint could help some, but only Foote has the remotest chance of putting points on the board from the rest of the lineup.
5. Fairless – A team that has moved down to Division III at precisely the right moment. I think that Huss and Dibell can score big-time at their respective weight classes and that Bowers will be a surprise contributor at heavyweight. That should be 50+ points and that can often get you in the top five.
6. Miami East – They have lots of possibilities and could go as high as 3rd if everyone was at maximum efficiency. The big guns are Knoop, Gambill, and Preece. They need more scoring from the Longs, Kief, and Grant.
7. Archbold – The question is whether this is a team of state qualifiers or state scorers. They have lots of opportunities with Starr, Rufenacht, Schultz, Stuckey and Gracia. If Lecklider or Rupp can help that would be big as is getting Stuckey at exactly the right weight class. The key element though, may be the big sophomore heavyweight Ruffer.
8. Liberty Center – I like their middleweights Hill and Huff and its time for Van Sickle to score big. State alternate Slurberry needs to contribute
9. Mohawk – Not much happens till 160#, but then Studer, Sowers, and Haubert could score big-time points. Reamer and the younger Studer are long shots to help, but the freshman Sowers might surprise everyone.
10. Martins Ferry – This might be a stretch especially since Roth has moved to Pennsylvania. Right now only Tucker and Yoder look like state scorers and they’re both at difficult weight classes. I’m not sure anyone else can step up so they could fall out of the picture early.
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