Up For Grabs: Ohio’s Best Seek High School Wrestling’s Most Coveted Prize

(above):The 130 Lb. weight class in Division I may be the most interesting as Brad Squire seeks to continue his march towards four titles, Ryan Fields looks to win his first after three runner-up finishes, and the outstanding Seth Horner looks for a title after twice defeating Squire.  Photo Credit: Bob Tuneberg, Villager News

It’s sometimes said that wrestling is “all guts, no glory.” That may be true- but for certain, the exception to the statement is the state wrestling tournament every winter. A wrestler asks no favors, he doesn’t ask to be “voted” All-Ohio, or make it through some sort of rankings. He doesn’t achieve his status as the best through the politicking of his coach. Every wrestler has the chance to step onto the mat and prove his mettle, it’s the most fair sport there is. Every wrestlers’ destiny will be decided by his own dedication, talent, and will to win- no coaches’ vote or pundits’ ranking will decide his fate. The 672 wrestlers who have qualified for Columbus are equal as of right now- throw the rankings and the records out the window. While this may be oversimplified, in truth, a realistic title shot is available to more wrestlers than in any year I can recall.

In prior years, preview articles have focused on the biggest state tournament match-ups. You still have those (White/Clark/Mitcheff, Moore/Kusar, the Boyd/Tank rematch, the fourth installments of Foster/Magrum and DiJulius/Mitch, and the final chapter in the Opfer/Sergent rivalry - but as I started to compile the preview this year, I realized that you didn’t have the titanic Sponseller/Rohler or Kilgore/Roddy showdown this year.

This year, the story is more about the weight classes where you have four, five, or six or more different competitors with a realistic title shot. What has happened is a process where elite competitors have cleared out the field rather than match-up with each other. In the process, weights where you do not have an elite competitor have become absolutely loaded with wrestlers who might be top three finishers in an average year- with minimal difference between them. In many of these weights, the draw will play a huge role, as some styles simply match-up well with others, and perhaps more importantly, some wrestlers find themselves with a much more difficult road to the title than others. In a weight like 140 in Division I, you have guys like Messerrall and Lijoi who will have to beat four state-finalist caliber opponents in a row to claim a title- a daunting task to say the least. Ohio Wrestling Site breaks down the most wide-open weight classes in the 2008 state tournament:

Division I: 125 LBS

125 Weight Class:
1. MP-1 Dan Genetin, Massillon Perry, (12), 40-4 (07:I-112-7th, 06:I-103-2nd)
2. HD-4 Travante Pitts, Hilliard Darby, (11), 31-13
3. MH-3 Anthony Salupo, Lakewood St. Edward, (10), 27-10
4. FA-2 Pierce Harger, Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller, (10), 35-8 (07:I-119-6th)
5. MH-2 Callen Vanderhoff, Marion Harding, (11), 45-5
6. FA-3 Lucas Williamson, Cincinnati Colerain, (11), 31-7
7. MP-4 Danny Foore, Wadsworth, (11), 33-12 (07:I-103-4th)
8. HD-1 Shawn Fayette, Miamisburg, (10), 36-4
9. FA-1 Tommy Pretty, Cincinnati Elder, (12), 42-3 (07:I-119-3rd)
10. MH-4 Nolan Grame, Berea, (10), 27-16
11. MP-3 Scott Mattingly, Uniontown Lake, (11), 34-5 (07:I-112-4th)
12. HD-2 Austin Sanders, Grove City Central Crossing, (11), 39-3
13. MP-2 Andrew Dinda, Garfield Heights, (12), 36-6 (07:I-125-5th, 06:I-112-5th)
14. HD-3 Charlie Hill, Mt. Vernon, (11), 35-11
15. FA-4 Jake Sage, Kettering Fairmont, (10), 24-11
16. MH-1 Mike Varga, Olmsted Falls, (12), 34-6

The Contenders:

Pierce Harger, Cincinnati Moeller: Harger has quietly emerged as one of the state’s best sophomores. After a so-so showing at Ironman, he has been superb- with wins over top title contenders in all three divisions, including Dan Genetin, Tommy Pretty, Ben Sergent, Tucker Armstrong, and David Carpenter. In that time he has suffered just two losses to Pretty (versus one win). Harger knows how to win the close bouts, but also tends to win by decisive margins against state placer-level competitors (including 9-0 over Anthony Salupo, 9-2 over Ricky King, and by fall against Ryan Marks). He finished 6th last year at a loaded weight as freshman- despite pinning the Division II state champion. Look for him to finish top three this year- and among Ohio sophomores only Stieber, Clark, Habat, Squire, and possibly Lamberg would be more highly-rated in my view.

(above): Both Coby Boyd and Jesse Dong look to be big favorites at the 152 lb. class, though Boyd has an outstanding opponet in 2007 state runner-up Tank in his class. Photo Credit: Bob Tuneberg, Villager News

Dan Genetin: Call it the “mat wrestler’s dilemma”. When Genetin can unleash his vaunted top-position offense, he is unstoppable and beats excellent wrestlers badly. He is clearly one of the top ten mat wrestlers in the state (along with Taylor, Palmer, Cubberly, Skonieczny, Kolodzik, Jameson, Stieber, and Pretty). However, if you can shut down his his top position onslaught (a big “if”) he is beatable on his feet- see the Harger loss this year, and the stunning loss to Robert Sheppard last season. He was awesome at Ironman this year, dominating national-caliber wrestlers left and right, and after hitting a (relative) slump mid-season, has been dominant down the stretch. In an awesome weight class at the Perry District (i.e. Ricky Garrett defeats the #4 and #5 ranked wrestlers and doesn’t qualify), Genetin crushed all comers, winning 11-0 over the underrated Danny Foore in the semis, and then notching his third fall of the tourney against two-time state placer Andrew Dinda in the finals. It’s also noteworthy that not only does he have a fall over Pretty in their only meeting, he beat Division II favorite Jacob Vaughan at Delaware Hayes shortly after Vaughan beat Pretty 8-2.

After Brecksville, I had Tommy Pretty pegged as the sure-fire favorite here. At that tournament, he dispatches all five foes via fall, including four state qualifiers and two placers. Since then, he has come back to earth, splitting two bouts with Harger (leads the “series” this year 2-1) and Vaughan, and he lost by fall to Genetin at the state duals. Like Genetin, Pretty is a mat-wrestling specialist who scores points in bunches but may be vulnerable if he cannot turn his opponent. However, unlike Genetin, he does not have a history of losing bouts in which he is heavily favored and is coming off a big “statement win” over Harger by a score of 7-3.

The fourth major title contender here may be Scott Mattingly. Like Genetin and Harger, Mattingly is dominant on top, with one of the most lethal cross-face cradles in the state. He owns two wins over Genetin lifetime, versus a handful of losses, but has not met Harger or Pretty to my knowledge. So far, he has not had the season I would have guessed, with disappointing losses to Chapman, Fayette, and Garrett, but it occurs to me that perhaps that just means he is “due” to have his season-best performance when he needs it most.

Dark Horse Contenders: Tough sophomore Shawn Fayette of Miamisburg and two-time state placer Andrew Dinda of Garfield Heights. Fayette has compiled some impressive win this year, including over state placers Mattingly and Foore, and a recent District Title with a 4-0 win over Austin Sanders.

Mayhem at Perry:

No discussion of this weight would be complete without mentioning the bloodbath at Perry. Eight of the top sixteen wrestlers exited that District, and any of the eight would have been a “no-brainer” to qualify out of the other three Districts- in fact, probably several others could have qualified out of those Districts as well. The three big heartbreak stories were Isaiah Chapman, Ricky Garrett, and Kevin Kretz. The determined Garrett threw the entire weight into disarray by knocking off Mattingly in the first round. However, his reward was to face two-time state placer Dinda in the quarters, and he fell into the consis following an 11-7 loss. After knocking off state-ranked Joe Spooner, Garrett had #5 Chapman in the consolation quarters. In a back and forth bout, Garrett built and 8-6 lead and appeared to be on his way to the match-clinching takedown. Instead, Chapman powered through a bad situation with an incredible second effort and got the takedown in a scramble to tie the score at 8-8. A quick overtime takedown gave the un-phased Garrett the victory. But his first trip to Columbus was not to be, as Danny Foore (who had two one-point victories over Garrett in their prior meetings) headlocked him to his back early and he never got back on track, falling 6-1. Kretz fell to Dinda in a somewhat controversial match and then fell victim to Mattingly’s cradle in a 3-0 loss. Chapman never seemed to get on track, with losses to Kretz and Garrett.

OWS Projection:

1. Dan Genetin
2. Tommy Pretty
3. Pierce Harger
4. Scott Mattingly
5. Shaun Fayette
6. Andrew Dinda
7. Austin Sanders
8. Danny Foore

The People Say:

In our OWS Poll of Who will be State Champion, Dan Genetin wins by a landslide with 45% of the vote to Tommy Pretty’s 30%. Harger is the choice of just 9% of the voters despite wins over both Genetin and Pretty. Mattingly has the support of 5%, while Chapman was the choice of 5%- presumably who voted before Districts.

Division I: 130 LBS

1. HD-1 Gavin Moore, Beavercreek, (11), 30-6
2. FA-4 Matt Scheve, Hamilton, (12), 33-11
3. MH-3 Alex Latham, Sylvania Southview, (12), 36-3
4. MP-2 Brad Squire, Wadsworth, (10), 39-2 (07:I-119-1st)
5. MH-2 Dalton McHenry, Elyria, (11), 37-9
6. MP-3 Frank Calarco, North Royalton, (10), 34-5
7. HD-4 Ben Port, Hilliard Darby, (12), 32-12
8. FA-1 Ryan Fields, West Chester Lakota West, (12), 40-2 (07:I-119-2nd, 06:I-112-2nd, 05:I-103-2nd)
9. MP-1 Seth Horner, Massillon Perry, (11), 36-4 (07:I-125-3rd, 06:I-112-3rd)
10. MH-4 Larry Countryman, Marion Harding, (12), 40-10
11. FA-3 Lee Cumberland, Cincinnati Princeton, (12), 35-10
12. HD-2 Brandon Burkett, Westerville North, (11), 30-11
13. FA-2 Andrew Robinson, Fairfield, (12), 29-8
14. HD-3 Randy Languis, Dublin Scioto, (10), 36-6
15. MP-4 Garland McCormick, Akron Kenmore, (10), 32-9
16. MH-1 Nick Sulzer, Lakewood St. Edward, (10), 30-5 (07:I-112-2nd)

The Contenders

This weight is kind of between a “showdown” weight, and “up-for-grabs”. While it is tough from top to bottom, what you really have is a “three-headed monster” with Horner, Squire, and Fields all battling for that one elusive title. At the start of the year, this looked to be one of the most loaded weight classes ever. Then, Kyle Lang elected not to make the cut to this weight (and eventually landed at 140), Joe Parra fell out of the picture for disciplinary reasons before Districts, Pat Duffy went to 135, Dinda went to 125, and Tom D’Allessandro inexplicably made an early exit from Perry. Perhaps most shocking was returning state 6th place finisher Kyle Weaver failing to qualify, losing to the relatively unheralded Gavin Moore and Randy Languis. This weight class has been whittled down in terms of depth to one of below-average quality for Division I. However, a fierce battle remains for the title between three or four of Ohio’s best.

Horner’s overtime takedown over Squire (at Districts) has proven to be huge in that Squire will now have to go through both Fields and Horner to repeat as state champion. However, I look for him to get it done. We saw at Ironman that Squire was able to avenge prior two prior losses to defeat one of Pennsylvania’s best in Andrew Grabfelder, He then defeated Horner in the finals. When the bright lights are on in a jam-packed Schottenstein Arena, I look for the mistake-free Squire to turn it up to another level, just as he did at Ironman. It helps that you know that no matter what, he won’t beat himself- it will take a superb performance to unseat him. Just as history will be on the line for Fields (see below), it will be for Squire as well- if he can master this test, I think he attains the coveted four-time state champion status- as I suspect that he and Horner will find a way to separate next year, Fields graduates, and Collin Palmer likely moves up in weight significantly.

A repeat won’t be easy, however. If you count the default win for Squire, Horner stands at 2-2 with him right now. Two years ago Horner was defeated at state by Fields, but in my view, this two-time third place finisher has gone around him at this point, as has Squire. A three-time state runner-up, a title by Fields would be the feel-good story of the tournament for sure, but I see both Squire and Fields having an edge on him. Horner’s results for the year are certainly more impressive- two wins over Squire, a win over Anthony Valles of Blair, 12-6 over Joey Parra of Barberton (3rd at this weight last year) and a win by fall over Anthony Mellilo, among others. Meanwhile, Fields seems to have stagnated a bit, losing decisively to Jacob Vaughan, and also losing to Division III #2 Zac Hancock while squeaking out closer than expected wins over several good-but-not-great wrestlers. Like Mattingly, it could be that he is saving his best for last. However, if pressed, I would rate the duo of Squire and Horner as a bit better than Vaughan and Hancock, so Squire/Horner would seem to have the edge on Fields.

Dark Horse Contender: Nick Sulzer cannot be counted out here. A state runner-up at 112 last year, Sulzer has beaten the excellent Weaver and also won big over Dalton McHenry at both Sectionals and Districts. He wrestled both Squire and Horner very close and doesn’t have a bad loss all season. However, my instincts tell me that the rangy Sulzer- an excellent mat wrestler- simply doesn’t have the “go-to” takedown yet to unseat the top trio and is unlikely to turn them. I think he is a year away from a title.

OWS Projection:
1. Brad Squire
2. Seth Horner
3. Ryan Fields
4. Nick Sulzer
5. Frank Colarco
6. Garland McCormick
7. Dalton McHenry
8. Alex Latham

(above): Richie Spicel is looks to bookend state titles this weekend. Williams Sheppard will look to get past either Habat or Lang and avenge two defeats to Spicel. Photo Credit: Bob Tuneberg, Villager News

The People Say:

In our OWS Poll, 36% look for Squire to get half-way to four titles, 28% think Horner is the guy, 17% think Fields claims his first title to go with three runner-up finishes, and 12% like Nick Sulzer’s chances.

Division I: 140 LBS

140 Weight Class:
1. HD-1 Caleb Messerall, Worthington Thomas Worthington, (12), 40-1 (06:I-135-8th)
2. MP-4 Jared Lijoi, Uniontown Lake, (12), 36-5 (07:I-145-5th)
3. MH-3 Alex Herrick, Toledo Waite, (12), 42-4 (07:I-140-6th)
4. FA-2 Trevor Nickolai, Piqua, (11), 36-9
5. MH-2 Neil Birt, Lakewood St. Edward, (12), 24-7 (07:I-130-4th, 05:I-103-6th)
6. FA-3 Tim Pope, Cincinnati Elder, (12), 36-8
7. HD-4 Andrew Evans, Gahanna Lincoln, (12), 33-7
8. MP-1 Richie Spicel, Brunswick, (12), 39-0 (07:I-135-2nd, 05:I-130-1st)
9. FA-1 Matt Melink, Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller, (12), 27-15
10. MH-4 Justin Yetzer, Mansfield Madison Comprehensive, (11), 41-5
11. HD-3 Dustin Few, Reynoldsburg, (12), 31-8
12. MP-2 William Sheppard, Akron Kenmore, (12), 35-5 (07:II-130-5th)
13. HD-2 Casey Gordon, Dublin Scioto, (12), 40-6
14. MP-3 Kyle Lang, Brecksville-Broadview Heights, (11), 34-8 (07:I-112-3rd, 06:I-103-4th)
15. FA-4 Tyler Green, West Chester Lakota West, (12), 8-5
16. MH-1 David Habat, Cleveland St. Ignatius, (10), 32-3 (07:I-135-3rd)

The Contenders

If 130 in Division I is a three-headed monster, then 140 is an eight-headed monster. To put it in perspective, two-time state placer and former Junior National All-American Neil Birt went to Columbus last year with the #1 ranking, but comes in with the #8 ranking one year later. With Palmer looking unstoppable at 135, those who might have gone there (Spicel, Lang, and teammate Birt) have opted for 140, and with the dynamic Tony Jameson seeking his fourth straight title at 145, some who might have gone there have pulled to 140 (Habat, Lijoi, Messerall). The results is a weight with an incredible eight returning state placers, six of them top five finishers already.

With the top eight being head and shoulders above the rest of the field, the importance of the draw cannot be overstated. Despite losing his District final to Spicel, nobody received a better draw that William Sheppard of Kenmore. Sheppard will have to go through just one of the “big eight” to go to the finals (the winner of Lang and Habat). Meanwhile, nobody received a worse draw that Caleb Messerall and Jared Lijoi. After these two meet in the first round, the winner faces returning placer Alex Herrick in the quarters. Should they win that bout, the road gets that much tougher, as #1 ranked and unbeaten former state champion Richie Spicel awaits them in the semis.

(above): There are no guarantees, but look for 16 state titles to be won by the four young men in this photo. Photo Credit: Bob Tuneberg, Villager News

At the end of the day, I can’t see anyone unseating Richie Spicel. Lang and Messerall are funk-artists- Tony J. had enough difficulty unleashing his funk against Spicel last year, so I can’t see Lang or Messerall being able to do it. Of the two, I think the underrated Messerall might have the better chance. Lang excels ant creating big points off in flurries- something that is very difficult to do against the powerful Spicel, who wrestles a controlled match with excellent positioning at all times. Lang is a small 140 (coming up from 112 last year) so that also works against him versus Spicel- one of the most physically powerful wrestlers in the state. Messerall is very tough to score on and frustrates opponents with his takedown defense. Many don’t realize that in his only loss of the season, to Division II #1 Isaac Dukes, Messerall was leading in the third period (at Top Gun) before suffering getting knocked unconscious. Dukes may very well have come back to win the match anyway, but there is no denying the impact this had on the match. Dukes won big over Division II contenders Matt Stephens and Sam Delpra before that, and recently won his District Crown with a 5-0 win over Casey Gordon. Unlike Lang, Messerall is a huge 140. He is somebody that Spicel cannot overlook.

All in all, however, I think that David Habat stands the best chance of defeating Spicel. Like Spicel, Habat has great strength and positioning which makes him difficult to score on, but he presents more of an offensive threat from the neutral position than Lang or Messerall do. Their prior meeting resulted in a 3-2 Spicel win (District Finals last year). Of course, this all presumes that Habat makes the finals- and as only a slight favorite in both his likely quarterfinal (Lang) and semi-final (Sheppard) bouts, this is far from guaranteed.

OWS Projection

1. Richie Spicel
2. David Habat
3. Kyle Lang
4. Caleb Messerall
5. William Sheppard
6. Alex Herrick
7. Jared Lijoi
8. Neil Birt

The People Say:

In our OWS Poll, 44% concur with me that Spicel is the guy, 24% say Lang, and 21% think the David Habat wins his first title. A mere 6% look for William Sheppard to win state despite his good draw.

Division II: 119 LBS

1. ST-1 Cody Garbrandt, Uhrichsville Claymont, (10), 28-5 (07:II-112-1st)
2. FO-4 Collan DaFonseca, Parma Padua Franciscan, (9), 31-15
3. GO-3 Tyler Alsip, Norwood, (11), 48-2
4. AF-2 Tony Kocheff, Chagrin Falls Kenston, (12), 29-10
5. GO-2 Jacob Garringer, Washington C.H. Miami Trace, (11), 34-8 (07:II-112-5th, 06:II-103-6th)
6. AF-3 Kyle Gilchrist, Jefferson Area, (12), 45-1 (07:II-112-4th, 06:II-103-2nd)
7. ST-4 Tommy Martin, Columbus Bishop Watterson, (12), 32-6
8. FO-1 Josh Lynch, Napoleon, (11), 31-8
9. GO-1 Zach Neibert, St. Paris Graham Local, (11), 42-2 (07:II-112-2nd, 06:I-103-6th)
10. AF-4 Brent Ford, Ravenna Southeast, (12), 35-6
11. ST-3 Chandler Jones, Pataskala Licking Heights, (11), 41-3 (07:III-112-5th, 06:III-103-8th)
12. FO-2 Michael Perez, Wauseon, (11), 39-6
13. ST-2 Mitch Thompson, Lisbon Beaver, (12), 28-10 (07:II-119-8th)
14. FO-3 Jake Rininger, Medina Highland, (10), 32-15
15. GO-4 Nate Hupp, Marietta, (10), 34-7
16. AF-1 Johnny Papesh, Aurora, (12), 34-6 (07:II-112-3rd, 06:II-103-3rd, 05:II-103-4th)

The Contenders

It’s “Déjà vu all over again” at this weight. The top five finishers all return from last year’s 119 lb. weight class. Papesh and Gilchrist have been banging heads since they were freshman, with Papesh having four unanswered wins against Gilchrist by my count, and Garringer has been defeated thrice at “the Schott” by Gilchrist. Neibert and Papesh have met three times with Neibert winning all three, while Garbrandt has won his only two meetings with Neibert and his only meeting with Gilchrist. In short, this will be the final chapter of some bitter rivalries.

(above): Tony Jameson scoring a fall over outstanding frosh Jamarr Sheppard of Kenmore. Jameson is a huge favorite to become Ohio's fourth four-time Division I state champion this year.

Last year, my pick at 112 was Kyle Gilchrist. Clearly, however, he cannot solve the riddle of how to score a takedown on Johnny Papesh- a mystery that few not named Stieber have been able to unravel. The Aurora senior may not match Sponseller or Jameson for style points, but he knows how to win. Papesh is very difficult to score on and is effective at using his long arms to get in on a single from seemingly at will. He wrestles mistake-free and eventually tends to convert on one of those singles against virtually anyone.

However,this year, Zach Neibert seems to have moved ahead of the rest of the field. Papesh lost to Neibert by a point at Top Gun, but somehow, the outcome never really felt like it was in doubt- I never felt like Papesh was going to score a takedown. At Ironman, Neibert defeated a number of nationally noteworthy wrestlers, and finished 3rd to Papesh’s 6th. Other than at Iroman, his only loss on Graham’s tough schedule was against leading Division III contender (up a weight) Zach Pope, in a match in which he was approaching a technical fall win before getting caught for a fall in the final :20.

Clearly, having David Taylor and Tucker Armstrong as workout partners cannot hurt, and Neibert’s results speak for themselves. While state champ Garbrandt- the wrestler who beat Neibert last year- lost to newcomer Ian Miller (a freshman from Oak Harbor who failed to make weight at Districts) at the State Duals, Neibert defeated him via first period fall. In addition, Neibert won big this year over two highly-ranked Divison I wrestlers, Cody Shivener (20-8) and Robert Sheppard (14-2). He seems to be the class of the group now.

Outside of the Miller loss, state champion Garbrandt has performed well at 119 lbs.- I just think that Neibert has gone around him a bit. A fiery competitor- don’t look for the physical Garbrandt to go quietly into the night. Moreover, I look for 2006 state runner-up Kyle Gilchrist to avenge last year’s loss to Garbrandt in the state semifinals. Last year, Gilchrist- an outstanding technician and scrambler who excels on his feet- chose neutral rather than go underneath Garbrandt. That proved costly, as Garbrandt’s escape was the difference in a 1-0 loss. I look for the skilled Gilchrist to add the toughness necessary prevail over the hard-nosed Garbrandt in his final campaign- but for him to come up short against the outstanding Neibert.

OWS Projected Order of Finish
1. Zach Neibert
2. Kyle Gilchrist
3. Cody Garbrandt
4. Johnny Papesh
5. Jacob Garringer
6. Chandler Jones
7. Josh Lynch
8. Mitch Thompson

The People’s Champion: Zach Neibert is the choice of a plurality of voters, with 38% of the vote compared to Papesh with 29%. Defending state champ Garbrandt managed just 15% of the vote while, Gilchrist chipped in 11%.

Division II: 125 LBS

1. GO-1 Tucker Armstrong, St. Paris Graham Local, (10), 35-6
2. FO-4 Josh Beemer, Lima Bath, (10), 39-4
3. ST-3 Ryan Nakama, Sunbury Big Walnut, (11), 36-5
4. AF-2 Ricky King, Cleveland Benedictine, (12), 34-6 (07:II-119-7th, 06:II-119-8th)
5. ST-2 Paul Rose, Cambridge, (12), 35-4 (07:II-119-5th, 06:II-112-8th)
6. AF-3 Rich Knotek, Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit, (11), 35-14
7. GO-4 Garrett Lay, Springfield Greenon, (12), 36-10
8. FO-1 Michael Baxter, Sandusky Perkins, (12), 38-4 (07:II-125-7th)
9. AF-1 Scott Meyer, Ravenna, (12), 36-5 (07:II-125-4th, 05:II-103-7th)
10. ST-4 Nick Risdon, Cadiz Harrison Central, (11), 40-7
11. FO-3 Konner Witt, Oak Harbor, (9), 32-10
12. GO-2 Robert James, Norwood, (12), 44-4
13. FO-2 Justin Flores, Pemberville Eastwood, (12), 37-5
14. GO-3 Tim Silvers, Eaton, (12), 39-3
15. AF-4 Kyle Leek, Warren Howland, (11), 32-8
16. ST-1 Jacob Vaughan, Columbus St. Francis DeSales, (11), 36-6 (07:II-125-8th, 06:II-125-5th)

The Contenders

I have no doubt whom the three most talented wrestlers in this weight class are; however, I have no idea who is going to win. This weight features several very talented, but very inconsistent performers at the top who could easily falter in my view and give rise to a surprise state champion.

In my view, the most talented wrestler here is Jacob Vaughan. However, over the past three years Vaughan has been a maddeningly inconsistent performer. A fifth-place finisher at 112 as a freshman, I had him pegged as a state title contender last year, only to watch him fall to 8th place- though he was slowed by injury reportedly. Along the way, he posted a 22-10 win over one of this year’s contenders, Michael Baxter of Sandusky Perkins (after teching him earlier in the year), only to lose to Baxter 6-5 in the consolations. Go figure. Conditioning, or perhaps weight management issues have seemingly played a role in the up-and-down nature of Vaughan’s past performances- but this year, he seems to have it pretty much under control- with impressive wins over Ryan Fields, Tommy Pretty (they split), #2 ranked Tucker Armstrong, and Ricky King (12-0) among others. The biggest question mark for me with Vaughan is his draw. He opens with #7 Kyle Leek, the will most likely face #5 Tim Silvers, before facing #4 Scott Meyer. That is a tough road for a wrestler not noted for consistency, and the fact that Meyer posted a 2-0 record against Vaughan last year does not bode well.

Like Vaughan, #2 Tucker Armstrong seems to have overcome consistencies issues this year for the most part, though they re-surfaced at state duals where he was beaten by Kyle Roddy. Roddy had a great year for a freshman prior to Districts, but the fact that Armstrong lost to a wrestler who will not be in Columbus this year is not encouraging for his state title hopes. Still, the explosive Armstrong has a number of very impressive wins, including over state champ Cody Garbrandt (7-1), an 11-2 trouncing of Scott Meyer, a 7-0 win over Fayette of Miamisburg, and a 12-4 win over Anthony Salupo of St. Edward.

I think that Michael Baxter may be a wrestler that many are overlooking- but who is a title contender nonetheless. For some reason, Baxter starts off slow every year and gets stronger as the year goes on. This year was no different, as he finished 2-2 at Ironman and lost badly to Chapman at North Canton. However, at Brecksville he won 7-2 over 2x state placer King, by fall over #5 Kostandaros, and 3-2 in his rematch with Chapman. He even looked pretty good in the early-going against Pretty, getting the first takedown, before getting reversed, turned and pinned. I know it’s tough to put a positive spin on losing by fall- but if you were there, somehow Pretty looked good more than Baxter looked bad. The fact that he is getting better as the season progresses was most recently shown by his big win over Division III favorite Troy Opfer at SBC. The fact that Baxter beat Opfer, who beat Sergent, who beat Armstrong at least shows me that Baxter has a good shot against Armstrong. Highly athletic and quick, Baxter seems to be a raw talent who just keeps getting better. Not sure if he has signed anywhere but I think he’d make an excellent recruit for a Division II or NAIA school.

While I think the above group is the “big three” here, there are a number of other competitors who can upset them. Meyer is a highly-skilled and opportunistic wrestler who capitalizes on his opponents mistakes while making few of his own. Despite the fact that he is the highest returning placer in this group, and is 2-0 against Vaughan, my feeling is that he is simply not athletically gifted enough to generate the offense he will need to win a state title. However, should any of the above falter, he will be ready to move up. Two-time state placer King has never really lived up to the level I thought he would reach his sophomore year and started very slowly this year, but seemed to rebound in a big way at District this year, trouncing #5 Kostandaros 14-4 after beating #7 Leek by a score of 4-1. He lost by fall at Firestone to Meyer, but that is deceptive. The two appeared to be very evenly matched before Meyer caught him in a Peterson Roll and very suddenly pinned him. Perfectly legitimate win, but I have a feeling their next match will be much closer should it occur. Rose is a two-time state placer who was underwhelming at Brecksville, but the fact that he took Vaughan to overtime at Districts is encouraging for his prospects. Tim Silvers of Eaton is another overlooked competitor here who could be a surprise finalist. Outside of an inexplicable loss to Zach Martin at Top Gun (where he rebounded for 3rd), Silvers has only a two losses to Armstrong (one point and overtime), and a pantheon of dominating wins on his record this year. Of course, Silvers is in the quarterbracket from hell- the lowest rated wrestler in his weight (Justin Flores of Eastwood) is making his third state appearance.

(above): Collin Palmer, shown here cranking a power half on a determined but overmatched Pat Duffy of Lakewood, is a virtual shoe-in for his third state title.

To show the depth of this weight class- Justin Flores, Garrett Lay, and Ryan Nakama are all on their third state appearance- yet none of the above are projected as a placer this year. Nakama lost just 5-4 to Vaughan at Districts, however. To some extent, the fact that Vaughan needed overtime to beat Rose, and won by a point against Nakama makes me question my choice of him as the champ- I wonder if what has to be a hard cut is starting to impact him. Still, looking at his track record and the wrestlers he’s beaten, he is the most high-level competitor here without question.

Darkhorse Contender: Richie Knotek, Walsh Jesuit- It may be surprising for me to classify someone with fourteen losses as a darkhorse contender, and there is no doubt that Richie Knotek has underperformed this year- but at Districts he seemed to be peaking at the right time- with a decisive win over Kyle Leek and a one-point loss to Meyer. Rated #16 in the last Ohio Wrestling Site rankings and #19 in the Brakeman, do not be surprised if Knotek cracks the top four.

Ohio Wrestling Site Projected Finish:

1. Jacob Vaughan
2. Tucker Armstrong
3. Michael Baxter
4. Scott Meyer
5. Tim Silvers
6. Richie Knotek
7. Ricky King
8. Paul Rose

The People’s Choice: Jacob Vaughan had a commanding lead as of press time, with 37% to Tucker Armstrong’s 25%. Scott Meyer has a solid 20% while Michael Baxter has a surprisingly light 7% of the vote.

Division III: 140 LBS

1. OC-1 Tyler Gombash, Delta, (12), 42-6
2. HE-4 Zach Zolman, Galion Northmor, (12), 19-5 (07:III-135-4th, 06:III-125-7th)
3. MH-3 Cody Ash, Apple Creek Waynedale, (12), 38-8
4. KF-2 Kevin Cloran, Cincinnati Madeira, (12), 45-2 (07:III-145-2nd)
5. MH-2 Andrew Schafer, Bedford St. Peter Chanel, (12), 34-7 (06:III-112-8th)
6. KF-3 Branden Pike, Jamestown Greeneview, (12), 45-4
7. OC-4 Xavier Dye, Hamler Patrick Henry, (9), 41-10
8. HE-1 Robbie Chilson, Bellaire, (11), 33-5 (07:III-135-2nd)
9. MH-1 Robert Pajestka, Cleveland Cuyahoga Heights, (12), 41-3
10. KF-4 Cody McGillvary, Casstown Miami East, (12), 35-8
11. OC-3 Joshua Goebel, Edgerton, (10), 41-7
12. HE-2 Kurtis Jefferis, Barnesville, (10), 31-8
13. OC-2 Lee Schumaker, Arcadia, (12), 45-3 (07:III-130-3rd, 06:III-125-5th, 05:III-112-6th)
14. HE-3 Scott McDaniel, Marion Pleasant, (12), 40-6
15. MH-4 Lambert McElrath, Peninsula Woodridge, (11), 36-14
16. KF-1 Chris Burns, Troy Christian, (11), 32-9 (07:III-145-7th)

This is one of the most interesting weight classes in the tournament to me. Even with Josh Pfister’s season ending due to an unfortunate ACL tear, there are no less than eight, and possibly ten or even twelve different wrestlers I can see claiming a title here- all with an almost identical chance in my view. There isn’t a wrestler here who I would think of as being state champion caliber- but instead, about 8-10 that would finish 3rd or 4th in an average year in my view. Just as Palmer at 135 and Jameson at 145 created a “bottleneck” of outstanding competitors in the 140 class in Division I, two-time champion Ryan Gambill at 135 and brilliant state champ Zach Toal at 145 have had the same effect here. What has resulted is a very entertaining and unpredictable weight class.

I am completely at a loss when it comes to Chris Burns of Troy Christian. Last year, I had him projected as the state champ at 145, only to watch him collapse and finish 7th. Down at his more natural weight of 140, he seemed poised for great things when he won easily over Matt Stephens of Graham in the Graham Preview match. That has been the high point, however- and while he has posted several impressive wins, he enters the state tournament with nine losses (albeit on a very tough Troy Christian schedule) including a lopsided 12-5 loss to McDaniel. So, just when I am ready to write off his title chances, of course he wins the District over state runner-up Kevin Cloran. Welcome to the 140 lbs. weight class.

You want parity? Three-time state qualifier Jimmy Reisz (a 2005 state placewinner) defeated state runner-up Robert Chilson at OVAC- then promptly failed to advance to Columbus for a fourth time. Reisz was eliminated with a one point loss to Scott McDaniel and a 5-2 loss to Zolman- fourth at state a year ago. McDaniel has had moments of brilliance this year, notably his 12-5 win over Burns, but lost to unranked sophomore Kurtis Jefferis of Barnesville at Districts. One wrestler with possible #1 credentials this year based on his past track record- Lee Schumaker of Arcadia- was pinned at Districts by #10 Tyler Gombash of Delta, now a three-time state qualifier who has yet to place. Maple Heights District Champ Robert Pajestka will be looking to overcome an even more daunting record of futility- this is his fourth trip to Columbus, yet he is still looking to stand on the podium for the first time. Pajestka won easily against Gombash, who pinned Schumaker, but was himself pinned in :39 against Schumaker. If anyone can make sense of this, please do email me because I cannot: admin@ohiowrestlingsite.com.

But I think that on Saturday night, Pajestka will have overcome this record of futility in a big way- with a state title. While he is ranked just #13 in the Brakeman Report, Pajestka enters his final state tournament as a District Champ who has beaten two of the other District Champs- Gombash and Burns- by decisive margins. Combine that with a win over outstanding state placer Andrew Schafer, and I think he’s the best choice at this weight by the narrowest of margins. I’m looking for either Cloran or Chilson to repeat their runner-up performance of 2008.

OWS Projected Order of Finish:
1. Robert Pajestka
2. Robert Chilson
3. Lee Schumaker
4. Kevin Cloran
5. Andrew Schafer
6. Chris Burns
7. Zach Zolman
8. Tyler Gombash

Others in the hunt: Scott McDaniel, Cody Ash, Branden Pike, Kurtis Jefferis

1. MH-1 Jared Neff, Apple Creek Waynedale, (12), 42-2 (07:III-189-3rd)
2. HE-4 Matt Shreve, Martins Ferry, (11), 27-10
3. KF-3 Corby Running, Clarksville Clinton-Massie, (10), 40-7
4. OC-2 Brock Kirian, Sycamore Mohawk, (12), 42-2 (07:III-189-6th, 06:III-189-4th)
5. KF-2 Stuart Miller, Delphos Jefferson, (11), 41-2 (07:III-189-4th)
6. OC-3 Adam Godsey, Delta, (12), 41-10
7. MH-4 Greg Hojnacki, Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, (11), 20-10
8. HE-1 Colton Bowers, Marion Pleasant, (11), 35-4
9. KF-1 Nathan Jones, Troy Christian, (12), 39-5 (06:I-171-8th)
10. OC-4 Nate Bayly, Toledo Christian, (12), 44-8
11. MH-3 Nick Chmura, Oberlin, (12), 37-6
12. HE-2 Ryan Crabtree, Wellsville, (11), 43-9
13. MH-2 Tim Straus, Kirtland, (12), 34-10
14. HE-3 Aaron Shook, Newark Catholic, (11), 40-4
15. KF-4 Ethan Oliver, Versailles, (12), 39-9
16. OC-1 Chad McClory, Liberty Center, (12), 32-3

The Contenders

Here we have one of the best weights in Division III. Neff, Miller, and Kirian are already top four state finishers. Transfer Jones of Troy Christian was a state placer in Division I in 2006.

Nathan Jones has to be the pick. On paper, I feel like Neff has the best track record- but the fact is that Jones has beaten him head to head both this season and over the summer, and neither were close. Not sure if it is a match-up thing or my perception is off and Jones is just that much better- but clearly has his number. Stuart Miller, just a junior, is excellent- having lost only a handful of matches over the past two seasons, he looks to improve on his fourth place finish from his sophomore year and is certainly a bona-fide title contender.

One wrestler who is a lot better than he looks “on paper” is Colton Bowers of Marion Pleasant. A state qualifier last year at 215, Bowers is now down at his more natural weight. A physical wrestler who is brutal on top, Bowers opened the year with a number of impressive wins and posted a 13-0 win at Brecksville over Division II state qualifier Julian Rosen of University School and was winning against tough Georgia competitor Jeff Olsen when Olsen decided he had had enough. The rest of his Brecksville results are deceptive. Bowers was pinned by unbeaten, #1 ranked (in Division I) Cody Lamberg of Kenmore in the semis. However, that was in the third period of a hard-fought match by both competitors which had looked dead-even until the time of the fall- and I understand that was Lamberg’s first career win over Bowers versus several losses. From there, Bowers seemed to have difficulty getting back on track mentally, and lost two matches where I believe he did not compete up to his potential.

A final competitor who certainly cannot be overlooked here is Brock Kirian of Mohawk. Fourth at this weight as a sophomore, Kirian was hampered by injuries much of last season and dropped to sixth in the state. Kirian has had few matches with top competitors in this weight so it’s difficult to know how he compares- but his recent 6-2 loss to McClory (a qualifier at 215 last year who Kirian has also beaten this year) puts him slightly below the top echelon in my view.

OWS Projected Order of Finish
1. Nathan Jones
2. Jared Neff
3. Colton Bowers
4. Stuart Miller
5. Brock Kirian
6. Chad McClory
7. Ethan Oliver
8. Adam Godsey

Ohio Wrestling Site would like to wish good luck to all competitors at the state meet this weekend. Live updates from the state tournament will begin with the quarterfinal round Friday morning. Ohio Wrestling Site will have another reporter at the Schott providing live updates as well, that way twice as many matches can be updated. Stay tuned!

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- OhioWrestlingSite.com