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Discussion Topic: OhioWrestling.Net's Champion of Champions
Dan Cosimi added to this discussion on March 7, 2008
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OhioWrestling.Net's Champion of Champions
Weigh in on who you think is the best and be sure to tell us why!
Here are my picks and my reasoning for them. I couldn't decide at 125 and 215 because they are so close!
Team
Division 1: Lakewood St. Edward
Division 2: St. Paris Graham
Division 3: Troy Christian
Champion: St. Paris Graham
Reason: St. Paris Graham is undoubtedly the top team in Ohio based on their domination at the Ironman and in duals against both Lakewood St. Edward and Troy Christian.
103
Division 1: Gus Sako - 10 - Lakewood St. Edward
Division 2: Ty Mitch - 10 - Aurora
Division 3: Hunter Stieber - 9 - Monroeville
Champion: Hunter Stieber
Reason: Undefeated at 51-0 and ranked Champion in the nation, Hunter Stieber won the Ironman and defeated both fourth place Gus Sako (5-4) and seventh place Ty Mitch (6-0).
112
Division 1: Jamie Clark - 10 - Lakewood St. Edward
Division 2: David Taylor - 11 - St. Paris Graham
Division 3: Cam Tessari - 9 - Monroeville
Champion: David Taylor
Reason: Undefeated at 46-0 and ranked Champion in the nation, David Taylor defeated Cam Tessari 12-2 in the semifinal at the Ironman and then beat Jamie Clark 7-1 in the final. He also beat Clark 2-1 in the dual.
119
Division 1: Garrett Henry - 12 - Solon
Division 2: Zach Neibert - 11 - St. Paris Graham
Division 3: Logan Stieber - 10 - Monroeville
Champion: Logan Stieber
Reason: Undefeated at 51-0 and ranked Champion in the nation, Logan Stieber won the Ironman over Sam White 5-0, where Zach Neibert placed third losing to White 8-5. Neibert's only other loss this year was by pin to Marion Pleasant's Zack Pope in a dual. Pope placed seventh in Divison 3 at 125 pounds. Garrett Henry had only four losses on the year.
125
Division 1: Tom Pretty - 12 - Cincinnati Elder
Division 2: Tucker Armstrong - 10 - St. Paris Graham
Division 3: Ben Sergent - 12 - Troy Christian
Champion: Tom Pretty or Ben Sergent
Reason: This is a very close call. Tom Pretty and Ben Sergent both only had three losses in Ohio (Sergent had two out-of-state losses at the Ironman). Pretty's losses were to Pierce Harger (who Pretty beat twice), Dan Genetin (D1 placer), and Jake Vaughan (D2 qualifier). Sergent's losses were to Troy Opfer (state runner-up), Harger (D1 placer), and Zack Pope (D3 placer). At Brecksville, Pretty pinned his way through the tournament while Sergent was third at 119 behind Opfer and Logan Stieber and defeated Johnny Papesh. Both beat Tucker Armstrong, who had an awesome season in his own right.
130
Division 1: Seth Horner - 11 - Massillon Perry
Division 2: Harrison Hightower - 10 - Hunting Valley University
Division 3: Zac Hancock - 11 - Troy Christian
Champion: Seth Horner
Reason: Seth Horner's only loss in Ohio was to Wadsworth's Brad Squire in the Ironman final, but he went 3-0 in their following three meetings (if you don't count the default at Hayes) including the state championship bout. Hancock placed below Horner at the Ironman and had losses to Kolodzik (D3 runner-up), Vaughan (D2 qualifier), and Stephens (D2 qualifier). Hightower had an awesome state tournament but eight losses is too much for this comparison.
135
Division 1: Collin Palmer - 11 - Lakewood St. Edward
Division 2: Chase Skonieczny - 12 - Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit
Division 3: Ryan Gambill - 12 - Casstown Miami East
Champion: Collin Palmer
Reason: Undefeated at 30-0 and ranked Champion in the nation, Collin Palmer defeated Chase Skonieczny in the final at the Ironman via injury default but Skonieczny lost 11-6 to Daniel Kolodzik (who Palmer beat in the Ironman semis) in the final at the Top Gun Invitational. Ryan Gambill only had two losses this year - one to Kolodzik in the final at the GMVWA and the other in a dual to West Jefferson's Vince Gualtieri.
140
Division 1: Richie Spicel - 12 - Brunswick
Division 2: Dawson Riedy - 12 - Bellevue
Division 3: Robert Pajestka - 12 - Cuyahoga Heights
Champion: Richie Spicel
Reason: Undefeated at 43-0, Richie Spicel won a very tough weight class at the state tournament, culminating with a victory over three-time state placer Kyle Lang. Dawson Riedy and Robert Pajestka are excellent but they lost three and four matches - including both losing to D1 4th placer William Sheppard who Spicel beat at the Dies.
145
Division 1: Tony Jameson - 12 - Austintown Fitch
Division 2: Ben Jordan - 12 - St. Paris Graham
Division 3: Zach Toal - 11 - Troy Christian
Champion: Ben Jordan
Reason: Tony Jameson ends his incredible career as a four-time state champion. Still, both Jordan and Toal were 1-0 against him this year. Jordan was 2-1 against Toal so he gets the nod here.
152
Division 1: Jesse Dong - 12 - Westerville North
Division 2: Kirk Tank - 12 - Oak Harbor
Division 3: Jedd Moore - 12 - Marion Pleasant
Champion: Jedd Moore
Reason: Undefeated at 46-0, Jedd Moore gets the nod over Jesse Dong because Dong's only loss was to Jared Kusar in the Medina final, while Moore beat Kusar in the state semifinal. Kirk Tank is excellent and had four losses to excellent wrestlers - D1 runner-up Nick Heflin (2x), D2 runner-up Coby Boyd, and Texas champ Johnny Koepp.
160
Division 1: Chris Kline - 12 - Westerville North
Division 2: Eric Cubberly - 12 - Pemberville Eastwood
Division 3: Colin Heasley - 12 - Worthington Christian
Champion: Eric Cubberly
Reason: While Chris Kline did go undefeated, Eric Cubberly's only loss this year was in the Ironman semifinals to Josh Condon and Cubberly should have defaulted that bout because he was very visibly injured. Cubberly's utter domination of nearly everyone he wrestles is enough to give him the top spot. Colin Heasley had a great run at state after placing fourth in his district.
171
Division 1: Brian Roddy - 12 - Lakewood St. Edward
Division 2: Keith Witt - 12 - Oak Harbor
Division 3: Chris Phillips - 9 - Monroeville
Champion: Chris Phillips
Reason: Undefeated at 51-0 and arguably #1 in the nation, Chris Phillips defeated Brian Roddy in the Ironman final in a weight class where Witt placed fifth.
189
Division 1: Matt Alexander - 12 - Findlay
Division 2: Cody Magrum - 12 - Oak Harbor
Division 3: Nathan Jones - 12 - Troy Christian
Champion: Cody Magrum
Reason: Magrum was undefeated in Ohio and his only loss was in the Ironman final to national #2 Joe Budi from Wisconsin. Nathan Jones got eighth in that weight class. Matt Alexander had only one loss in Ohio and that was to D2 runner-up Jeremy Foster, who Magrum beat to win his third state title.
215
Division 1: Orlando Scales - 12 - Cincinnati Elder
Division 2: Matt Fisher - 12 - Sandusky Perkins
Division 3: Travis Porter - 12 - Burton Berkshire
Champion: Orlando Scales or Travis Porter
Reason: Both Orlando Scales and Travis Porter were undefeated. Scales' biggest win was over Cogar in the state final, while Porter's biggest win was in a dual early in the season when he defeated D3 champ (at 285) Stocum 7-6. Porter did not have another close bout all year. Scales had some close bouts, but he won everything and defeated quality opponents. Fisher was excellent from start to finish, winning at the Ironman and at state, but his district loss to Houska (who Cogar dominated at the Dies) puts him slightly behind the top two in terms of rankability.
285
Division 1: Josh Kline - 12 - Mason
Division 2: Tyler Hawkins - 12 - Millersburg West Holmes
Division 3: Don Stocum - 12 - Kirtland
Champion: Don Stocum
Reason: We have a real challenge here because all three have very little to differentiate between them. Stocum's only loss was 7-6 to an undefeated state champion that had no other close bouts all year (Travis Porter). Stocum himself dominated at state, giving up no points and defeating Jacob Southwick 6-0 in the semifinals and Southwick beat D1 runner-up Delonne Baker 5-0 during the season (and Baker defeated James Meder and Jordan Beverly at state). Josh Kline was stellar this year, and his only loss was when he got pinned by Central Crossing's Matt Schramm at his home tournament. He was 2-0 against state placer Matt Prichard, who defeated Adam Walls during the season. Tyler Hawkins had only two losses, one to D2 third placer John Hiles in the district final and one to D2 runner-up Adam Walls in the Top Gun final.
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Discussion Topic: OhioWrestling.Net's Champion of Champions
Mark Niemann added to this discussion on March 7, 2008
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Great work!!! I'd LOVE to see a 152 round-robin OR a 2x4 with Coby Boyd thrown in the mix.
While I do realize that every weight class would be a sweet round robin, I think this one would take the cake to to the fact that no one wrestler is a step ahead of the others like 103, 112, 119, 160, 171 and others I'm sure.
Again, great work .
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Discussion Topic: OhioWrestling.Net's Champion of Champions
Josh Lowe added to this discussion on March 7, 2008
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I picked Pretty on kind of a whim. That 125 weight while very balanced statewide is mediocre in a national context - namely there will probably be no top 20 kid in the end of year InterMat lists, unless someone steps it up at NHSCA's.
I think the pick is Scales at 215. Undefeated season with the super quality win over Cogar at state. I can't put Porter up there for this conversation. I think Scales and Cogar are the best two at 215 in Ohio this year and that Fisher and Porter follow in some order.
I would go with Kline at 285 because I heard that the loss to Schramm was on a catch type thing. The best 285 of an uninspiring lot in Ohio this year would be Hiles imo, though he lost at state (he's the only one you can make a case of top 20 national inclusion).
I'm going Jordan over Toal because of the whole year. Jordan was 2-1 vs Toal this year, 1-0 vs Jameson, and beat JN FS AA Vince Ramos (the same kid who beat Mason later that day) at the Ironman. Toal doesn't have that "other" win to bring into play that Jordan does (also Jordan is 3-1 vs Jameson/Toal, Toal only 2-2).
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Discussion Topic: OhioWrestling.Net's Champion of Champions
Hank Kornblut added to this discussion on March 8, 2008
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DC: Good work although Josh makes excellent points about 145 lb.
While there's no arguing against the selection of Graham as D2 team of the year, I'm really impressed with the job done by Oak Harbor. Three state champs and all had to beat some very tough guys to win it.
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