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Discussion Topic: Buckeyes whose careers were cut short
Nick Lecklider added to this discussion on June 28, 2023
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Ok here is an interesting topic. Which buckeyes did you wish would have gotten 4 years to wrestle at a peak level but didn’t get the opportunity because they quit, were injured, or kicked off the team?
Here is a list I came up with.
Collin Palmer-I thought he was going to be lance 2.0 and a 4 time all American. I believe he had a kid in high school and then got a serious injury to end his career.
Jaden Mattox- pretty sure he had disciplinary problems but remember him beating carr and demas his senior year.
Tony Jameson- another guy who was a four timer. Exciting big moves always. Wish we could have seen him at his best
Kirk nail- quit after being a freshman all American
Cam teasari- freshman all American who wasn’t make great life choices at the time. Went back to a small school after some time off and won a national championship.
Chris Phillips- he was trying to go to Ohio state but don’t think he ever could get eligible. I remember watching him win Ironman as a freshman and thought he would be the best of the monroeville 4.
Last one non Ohio state related but still Ohio
Felipe Martinez- one of the most talented young men this state has ever seen. That is from the mouth of his coach Jordan who has seen the best of the best. I believe he was beating high school state champs in the room as a 6th grader at graham. Stories of him and David Taylor having epic battles in the room. Him dominating an older Tony Ramos as a freshman at graham. It is sad to see where his career ended up and what it could have been. After he left graham he just almost completely quit wrestling and came out the next year fat and out of shape. Always wonder what could have been with him.
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Discussion Topic: Buckeyes whose careers were cut short
Jared Ball added to this discussion on June 28, 2023
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Hunter Stieber has to be #1. Didn’t Nail have some sort of neck injury or something? Not injury related, but I’ve wondered what Enchemendia could have become had he not derailed himself. Anyone remember the kid out of Washington that was all world. What was his name?
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Discussion Topic: Buckeyes whose careers were cut short
Jared Ball added to this discussion on June 28, 2023
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Did I miss something? I saw that Sammy is headed over seas to compete on the U23 world team. Two things, I didn’t know he was still 23 as he is headed into his sixth year of college, and secondly he didn’t compete at the U23 trials. I know he made the national team as he finished 3rd at senior nationals, but I didn’t think that launched him past the trials champ. That’s great news for Sammy and the Bucks. Three guys vying for world level medals. Curious if that will delay their ability to compete during the season.
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Discussion Topic: Buckeyes whose careers were cut short
Hank Kornblut added to this discussion on June 28, 2023
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How about?
Andrew Campolattano--striking talent but didn't seem prepared for the intense committment of the sport at this level.
Derek Garcia--Fargo champ who seemed close with Coach Ryan but suffered a bad knee injury
Ian Paddock--had ability in all three positions but was often hurt, making a big wt cut, suffered a family tragedy, not at the right wt, etc....He had multiple AA talent under the right circumstances.
Jason Johnstone--Like Paddock, he had big time talent and was competitive in D1. Clearly too small at 157 but all time Bucks great Lance Palmer was at 149. He doesn't quite fit this category but I'm shoe-horning him in.
Jimmy Johnson--3rd in Big Tens as a true frosh and Big Ten frosh of the year. One of my all time fave high school wrestlers to watch, I'm not positive what happened but I think grades and other distractions got in the way of a very promising career.
Kevin Randleman--Missed out on his last year of eligibility due to failure to earn enough credit hours (I think) after winning two titles and making three consecutive finals. My greatest Bucks of all time list would read, Snyder, Stieber, Randleman, Rowlands.
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Discussion Topic: Buckeyes whose careers were cut short
Ben Golden added to this discussion on June 28, 2023
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Cody Gardner would be another. Top recruit coming out of high school who seemed to lose interest. Passed away prematurely some years later.
Another non-OSU one from Ohio, to go along with Felipe Martinez... Jamie Clark.
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Last edited by Ben Golden on June 28, 2023; edited 1 time in total
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Discussion Topic: Buckeyes whose careers were cut short
Ben Golden added to this discussion on June 28, 2023
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Didn't Ian Paddock finish his career? I thought he did but just wound up losing his spot to Hunter later in his career. And by that I mean... beat Hunter in the wrestle off, but Hunter wound up getting the spot and having his spectacular undefeated sophomore regular season.
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Discussion Topic: Buckeyes whose careers were cut short
Rob Wagner added to this discussion on June 28, 2023
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Cody Gardner came to mind after reading the initial list. Former #1 overall recruit. I believe he passed away during or shortly after his college years.
Another one that we lost too soon was Nick Roberts of out of New York (I think) prized 125lb recruit that may have wrestled 1-2 years with the Bucks.
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Discussion Topic: Buckeyes whose careers were cut short
Ben Golden added to this discussion on June 28, 2023
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That's right.... Nick Roberts out of PA, though.
Seems like a decent number of star wrestlers die young. It might not be more than the population at large but it seems like it.
Adam Frey, Jared Platt, Cody Gardner, Nick Roberts, Jacob Schlottke.... probably some more in there too. Kosta Karageorge.
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Discussion Topic: Buckeyes whose careers were cut short
Jim Behrens added to this discussion on June 28, 2023
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Quote from Nick Lecklider's post:
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"
Felipe Martinez- one of the most talented young men this state has ever seen. That is from the mouth of his coach Jordan who has seen the best of the best. I believe he was beating high school state champs in the room as a 6th grader at graham. Stories of him and David Taylor having epic battles in the room. Him dominating an older Tony Ramos as a freshman at graham. It is sad to see where his career ended up and what it could have been. After he left graham he just almost completely quit wrestling and came out the next year fat and out of shape. Always wonder what could have been with him."
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My story regarding Felipe.
I don't remember what year it was except that David Taylor was a senior (which meant Felipe was a freshman).
Graham was at Top Gun and the rotation worked to where I had Taylor's finals match and was the assistant in the match preceding it, which was Felipe. I knew who Taylor was but as I am walking around in the previous match, I am thinking that this kid is REALLY good. I had no idea who he was, only that he was from Graham.
In truth, he impressed me more that night than Taylor did in the following match.
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Discussion Topic: Buckeyes whose careers were cut short
Ben Golden added to this discussion on June 28, 2023
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Yeah Felipe was incredible as a freshman and sophomore. Someone mentioned his destruction of Ramos... who's the other top guy he torched, in a dual. Austin Ormsbee?
Also, Taylor had bumped up a few weight classes his senior year so wasn't quite as dynamic as he had been, as he was growing into his body and adjusting to stronger wrestlers.
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Discussion Topic: Buckeyes whose careers were cut short
Nick Lecklider added to this discussion on June 28, 2023
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Hunter Stieber I didn’t add because we saw him at his best for two years.
Derek Garcia is on that I missed! He was a top ten talent out of high school and remember him beating Evans from Iowa in a big dual. He belongs on this list.
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Discussion Topic: Buckeyes whose careers were cut short
Drew Taylor added to this discussion on June 28, 2023
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Good topic. How about John Weakley. Two-time state champ from CVCA who was part of Tom Ryan’s first class along with Sponseller, Nemec and Triggas. Started as a freshman at 197 with some success and then left the team. Ryan would lament recruiting Weakley over another in-state stud, Dustin Kilgore.
Kilgore went to Kent State and won a national title. Weakley disappeared from OSU after a year and the Bucks finished second to Iowa without much production at the weight Kilgore would have filled.
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Discussion Topic: Buckeyes whose careers were cut short
Rob Wagner added to this discussion on June 28, 2023
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Quote from Ben Golden's post:
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"Yeah Felipe was incredible as a freshman and sophomore. Someone mentioned his destruction of Ramos... who's the other top guy he torched, in a dual. Austin Ormsbee?
Also, Taylor had bumped up a few weight classes his senior year so wasn't quite as dynamic as he had been, as he was growing into his body and adjusting to stronger wrestlers."
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An awesome dual. We torched Brands' squad that year. Quite a few huge wins/upsets.
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Discussion Topic: Buckeyes whose careers were cut short
Ben Golden added to this discussion on June 28, 2023
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Quote from Drew Taylor's post:
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"Good topic. How about John Weakley. Two-time state champ from CVCA who was part of Tom Ryan’s first class along with Sponseller, Nemec and Triggas. Started as a freshman at 197 with some success and then left the team. Ryan would lament recruiting Weakley over another in-state stud, Dustin Kilgore.
Kilgore went to Kent State and won a national title. Weakley disappeared from OSU after a year and the Bucks finished second to Iowa without much production at the weight Kilgore would have filled."
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I’m pretty sure Weakley went to Oklahoma after OSU, but didn’t make a ton of noise.
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Discussion Topic: Buckeyes whose careers were cut short
Casey Talbott added to this discussion on June 28, 2023
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Two from my era at OSU (mid 80s) aka the dark ages were Ricky Burton and Todd Darbyshire.
Burton was a couple time state champ out of Medina Highland; I think Darbyshire – out of Troy – won it just once (maybe over Joe Silvestro (?) of St. Ed’s, then did a back-flip, a la Gable Stevenson).
Both started as true freshmen at OSU, and were absolute studs.
Burton was a frosh All-American (6th), with a lot of his points/wins coming via a move he called the “Rambo”.
I arrived the following year, when they were sophomores; but by then they were both phasing out of school.
I always wished we could have seen what they would have done in their final three years of eligibility.
They were both great guys.
We’ve lost touch, sure hope life has treated them well.
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