The Ultimate Fan Guide to the 2010 Division 3 High School Wrestling Forecast by Brian Brakeman
Dan Cosimi - The Ohio Wrestling Network

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NUW

2010 HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING FORECAST (39th ANNUAL EDITION)
Brian F. Brakeman
January 26, 2010

Division 3

135 pounds

All-Ohio
State Champion: KF-1 Johnny Carpenter - Junior - Madeira High School - Cincinnati, Ohio [2009:D3-130-4th, 2008:D3-119-3rd]
2nd place: MH-1 Jim Dankle - Junior - Cuyahoga Heights High School - Cuyahoga Heights, Ohio [2009:D3-130-5th, 2009:D3-125-A]
3rd place: HE-1 Marco Gualtieri - Senior - West Jefferson High School - West Jefferson, Ohio [2009:D3-130-8th, 2008:D3-125-Q]
4th place: MH-2 Zak Vargo - Senior - Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy - Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio [2009:D3-125-3rd]
5th place: OC-1 Cal Clark - Junior - Monroeville High School - Monroeville, Ohio [2009:D3-135-Q]
6th place: HE-2 Dom Barlow - Junior - Heath High School - Heath, Ohio [2009:D3-119-6th, 2008:D3-103-4th]
7th place: OC-2 Jordan Cowell - Sophomore - Archbold High School - Archbold, Ohio [2009:D3-130-Q]
8th place: MH-3 Dan Collier - Junior - St. Peter Chanel High School - Bedford, Ohio [2009:D3-135-Q, 2008:D3-130-Q]

Qualifiers
9. OC-3 Payton Oney - Senior - South Central High School - Greenwich, Ohio [2009:D3-135-A, 2008:D3-125-6th, 2007:D3-119-Q]
10. HE-3 Zach Hook - Senior - Nelsonville-York High School - Nelsonville, Ohio [2009:D3-130-Q]
11. MH-4 Zane Nelson - Freshman - Tuslaw High School - Massillon, Ohio
13. KF-2 Devin Cartwright - Junior - Mohawk High School - Sycamore, Ohio [2009:D3-135-Q]
14. HE-4 Jordan Ott - Senior - Paint Valley High School - Bainbridge, Ohio [2009:D3-130-A]
16. KF-3 David Guilford - Junior - Badin High School - Hamilton, Ohio
18. OC-4 Tyler Crapo - Senior - Seneca East High School - Attica, Ohio [2009:D3-130-A]
20. KF-4 Peter Johnson - Senior - Reading High School - Reading, Ohio

Challengers
12. MH-5 Alex Tomaino - Junior - Jackson-Milton High School - North Jackson, Ohio
15. HE-5 Jake Border - Senior - Caldwell High School - Caldwell, Ohio [2008:D3-119-Q, 2007:D3-103-A]
17. HE-6 Jimmy Gessler - Senior - Bridgeport High School - Bridgeport, Ohio
19. MH-6 Justin Petersheim - Senior - Waynedale High School - Apple Creek, Ohio [2008:D3-112-Q]
21. OC-5 Nic Hernandez - Senior - Elmwood High School - Bloomdale, Ohio
22. KF-5 Jordan Wilson - Junior - Dixie High School - New Lebanon, Ohio [2009:D3-130-A]
23. HE-7 Todd Packard - Sophomore - Belpre High School - Belpre, Ohio
24. MH-7 Josh Taylor - Junior - Elyria Catholic High School - Elyria, Ohio
25. OC-6 Ryan Widmer - Sophomore - Gibsonburg High School - Gibsonburg, Ohio
26. HE-8 Mitchell Friede - Junior - Union High School - Belmont, Ohio
27. KF-6 Zach Borton - Freshman - Clinton-Massie High School - Clarksville, Ohio

With Tessari at 140 pounds and one of the Stiebers potentially lurking at 130 pounds (though I have not rated them there) the 135 pounds weight class has become a popular destination. There are strong wrestlers from every portion of the state and it appears that there will not be two seedable wrestlers at the weight class. This is one of those weight classes where no individual has more than about a 30% chance of winning and where at least half dozen wrestlers have a measurable chance of making the top step of the podium.

I think Carpenter is probably best here, having placed third and fourth the last two years. I happened to be standing right next to the mat as he wrestled and his speed and physicality were impressive. He was upset by Sommers in the quarterfinals and it highlighted potential strategies for use by opponents. He seems to have trouble in down tempo, low scoring bouts that negate his speed and athleticism and he can be ridden as Sommers demonstrated. Carpenter was a finalist at the SWOWCA but had to default because of injury to Division 1 state runner-up Davis. It would have been interesting to see the eventual outcome of such a match-up.

Kettering Fairmont District
Carpenter comes from what now appears to be the weakest district. That could change in two ways - some of those in the overcrowded 130-pound class could move here or Joe Bruewer (who I've ranked at 140 pounds) could move to confront long-time rival Carpenter. As it is Cartwright is the only returning state qualifier as he was fourth at Owens last year - getting a marvelous break with Clark and Oney having to battle each other for the second consolation berth. Guilford was a semifinalist at the SWOWCA before losing to Davis and ended up 4th. After a great season last year he drew into a tough sectional and never got out. He'll do much better this year. Wilson and Johnson are probably next best with Hahn (Lima Central Catholic) a possibility. They'll be in jeopardy if there is much movement up from 130 pounds.

Owens Community College District
The top trio at Owens is excellent and they will all exit from different sectionals making for better pairings. Clark is looking to create a name change to the "Monroeville Five" and he just might do it. He was a semifinalist at Brecksville beating Collier along the way and wrestled Davis tough for two minutes before losing 8-2 and getting injured in the process. I was impressed and, if healthy, he'll win some bouts in Columbus. Cowell, only a freshman last year, was third at Owens last year, losing only to Tessari in the semifinals. He was 1-2 at States getting overpowered by the senior Cardiero in the first round. He started the year at 140 pounds but will wrestle at 135 pounds at the tournaments. Oney was sixth two years ago as a sophomore, which included a win over Gualtieri. Last year he was surprised by Kuzma in the semifinals losing 3-2. Thrust into the consolation semifinals against Clark, he again lost, 7-1 and didn't qualify. This year he has been on a tear - mostly at 140 pounds - losing only to Burns. The fourth spot leaves little room for error by the other candidates. State qualifier Cole could be here but I suspect he will compete, by district time, back at 140 pounds. That will leave state alternate Crapo, Widmer and, if he competes, Hernandez.

Maple Heights District
There is a high-powered quartet of wrestlers atop this weight class at Maple Heights. Vargo has the talent to win this weight class on a hot weekend. He is a defending district champ having won at 125 pounds and then finished third at Columbus. His only loss was a semifinal squeaker to Lopez. This year he was fourth at Medina and sixth at the Top Gun after losing to Dailey. Dankle won the District title at 130 pounds last year when it seemed for a while that Cuyahoga Heights was imploding. His last three victories were shutouts. He, too, was a state semifinalist but lost to Tessari and Carpenter and finished 5th. Very quick, he is excellent on his feet and in the top position. He was sensational at the State Duals beating both Barlow and Gualtieri. The latter win was the key element in their one point team victory. Collier, still just a junior, is a two-time state qualifier who has yet to place. He was second at the CIT and fourth at Solon but failed to place at Brecksville when he was upset by Tomaino. Nelson, the other twin, was also second at last year's junior high state tournament and was second to Hook at West Jefferson. As mentioned, Tomanino holds a win over Collier and placed at Brecksville, while Petersheim was fourth at Elgin and had two district wins last year. Taylor could be a long-shot threat but this will be a tough district from which to qualify.

Heath District
There is probably only one qualifying spot in play at Heath. Gualtieri was eighth last year and went 5-3 with Tessari in the quarterfinals, a score which in retrospect had huge meaning in the team competition. In his big tourney test he was fourth at the Top Gun with a win over Vargo. He has finalist potential but so do a half dozen other wrestlers at this weight. Barlow was fourth two years ago at 103 pounds but he is now much bigger. Last year he was sixth at 119 pounds after losing in the quarterfinals to Stieber by seven. He was third at Elgin and 1st at Licking County and should place again this year. Hook was fourth in this district last year, which included a loss by fall to Gualtieri. He has won a number of tournaments in his own area this year and is the linchpin of a strong series of wrestlers in the middleweights. That takes care of three state berths and I favor state alternate Ott to capture the fourth. However, Gessler, Border, Friede and Packard will also battle for that chance to wrestle one last weekend.