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Projected Champion: Kyle Stofer (Olmsted Falls)
Top Contenders
2 Kendjorsky (Buckeye Local) 14 Hurley(Kenston)
3 Zupancic (Walsh Jesuit) 15 Maple (Edison)
4 T. Klofta (Indian Lake) 16 Wilson (Claymont)
5 Lochotzki (Oak Harbor) 17 Bugara (Trinity)
6 Meinking (Purcell) 18 Phillips (Vermillion)
7 Smith (Bellevue) 19 Martin (Watkins Memorial)
8 Inghram (Lake Catholic) 20 French (Minerva)
9 White (John Glenn) 21 Durham (Loveland)
10 Randazzo (Padua) 22 Young (West Holmes)
11 Brown (Columbus DeSales) 23 Turchetta (Twinsburg)
12 Smith (Wilmington) 24 Browning (Bellbrook)
13 Franklin (Franklin) 25 Alford (Whitehall)
26 Bice (Tri-Valley)
Last year I totally missed David King from Youngstown Liberty, never mentioning him once in my report. His coach sent me a nice note detailing his credentials and predicted he would go far. Was he ever right! King won the exceptionally tough Firestone District and then handily won three State bouts before falling in the State finals to the tough Wooten in a close bout. He would have been the first State champion in exactly 15 years (unbelievably, Eric Burnett) that failed to gain a mention in this report. Well, this year I have the same nagging feeling that I may well have missed someone again. While I've compiled a representative list of top contenders, no one looks anywhere near a lock for the State crown. I'll be keeping a sharp eye out for the brilliant unknown again this year.
Until I find him, my choice for 103 pounds will be the outstanding junior from Olmsted Falls, Kyle Stofer. Last year after entering the Firestone District with a 31-2 record, he had a shaky weekend and barely qualified with his fifth place finish. However, that guaranteed him a bad pairing, which he got when eventual State champ Wooten drilled him 19-7 in the first round. He then won four of his next five bouts to finish fifth again. This year he is undefeated with wins at Galion and Wadsworth.
There will be a lot of real close bouts at Firestone since most of the top contenders are relatively evenly matched. Zupancic did not place at the Ironman, but was sixth at the Beast of the East and swept through the Ohio Duals defeating Brown and whomping Klofta 10-3. Go figure! Randazzo has been a consistent placer this year, while Hurley and Bugara have had alternating good and poor results. Someone to watch is Inghram who was first at Kenston (over Hurley 12-1) and second at the CIT. Also in the mix is the freshman Turchetta, who placed at Solon, Kenston and the WRC.
Kendjorsky won the Midwest Classic and pinned Schmidt to first catch my eye this year. He missed State qualification by a single point last year and should be best at Buckeye Local. I originally had Fetty (Athens) as second best, but he has not competed recently and did not show up on the certification sheets. Possibly he is injured. White is good, while Bice is a relatively small 103-pounder, but he has had great success this year and may qualify. After Kendjorsky, this looks to be a pretty ordinary district.
I was very impressed with Lochotzki at Medina and think he may be best at Galion. Again this is not a star-studded field with a lot of obvious qualification choices. With Pizzurro at 112 pounds, Brown has the opportunity to give DeSales an extra State qualifier in their bid for a State title. I think he can be a point scorer at both the district and State level.
I'm somewhat puzzled regarding the Wilmington District. Klofta was district runner-up last year losing only to the eventual State champion on technical fall. He followed that up by reaching the State semifinals before losing to King and wound up fourth. He opened the season at 112 pounds and was second at Graham defaulting to Wooten in the finals. At 103 pounds he won impressively at Indian Lake, but lost by the big score at the Ohio Duals to Zupancic. I still think he has finalist potential. State qualifier Meinking is back and he beat Pizzurro last year in a consolation round. He was third at the SWOCA, but only fifth at the CIT finishing behind Division II rivals Inghram and Randazzo. State qualifier Jed Smith also returns at this weight class along with the fast improving Franklin.
Projected Champion: Dan Rooney (Walsh Jesuit) Top Contenders 2 West (Clyde) 14 Damanti (Springfield Shawnee) 3 Laughlin (Canton South) 15 DiPietro (Watkins Memorial) 4 King (Liberty) 16 Velez (Kings) 5 Hostetter (Salem) 17 Russell (Van Wert) 6 Adkins (Shelby) 18 Henry (Claymont) 7 Protz (West Geauga) 19 Boyes (Buckeye) 8 Constantino (Lake Catholic) 20 Spurlock (Bellevue) 9 Pizzurro (Columbus DeSales) 21 Severt (John Glenn) 10 Giambrone (Aurora) 22 Miller (Carrollton) 11 Rossiter (Harrison Central) 23 Bolton (Bellbrook) 12 Weeks (Watterson) 24 T. Harrison (Chaminade) 13 Kasler (Circleville) 25 Lamplot (Loveland)
Even with the defection of Josh Wooten to 119 pounds, this is truly an exceptional field at 112 pounds featuring a State champion (Rooney), a State runner-up (King), and four State placers (Laughlin, Hostetter, Protz and West). It is likely to be a competition won on small elements of preparation, or tiny shards of luck because the contenders are so well matched. It might well be similar to the Ottoman siege of the proud city of Constantinople in 1453. Sultan Mehmet had spent seven difficult weeks trying to take the city with a much superior force. Then during an assault, 50 Turks, separated from their comrades, made a chance discovery of a hidden postern gate accidentally left ajar. Once inside, they opened the inner gate and the Turks swarmed through the breech. Emperor Constantine tried to stem the tide, but his force was badly outnumbered. Then the last Emperor of Byzantium flung off his imperial insignia and plunged into the fray sword in hand, never to be seen again. Thus fell the greatest city in eastern Christendom.
After a long struggle, Wooten has apparently decided he cannot compete effectively at 112 pounds. His move to 119 pounds is surprising and it changes the dynamics of this weight class in may both given and unknown ways. West was fifth his sophomore year at 103 pounds, defeating Laughlin but losing badly to Rooney. Then last year at 112 pounds, after I had chosen Josh Quick, he defeated Quick in the league, sectional and district finals. At Columbus, he lost a State quarterfinal upset to Nate Gulosh in overtime and watched as Quick took the title after all. West didn't even place as he lost in overtime again to Hostetter. This year he has won at Clyde (dramatically with an overtime fall over Pressler), Southview and Edison, but more dramatically pinned Wooten and tech falled Pizzurro at the Ohio Duals. This is his last chance to win it all.
I don't know what to say about Rooney. He won the State title in 1998 at 103 pounds with virtually no close bouts. Then last year, unbelievably, he couldn't make 103 pounds and he couldn't make the varsity squad at 112 pounds. I'll give him credit because some kids would have found a way to transfer. He has come back strong and wrestled reasonably well. He and Wooten have traded falls as Rooney worked to regain that winning rhythm. The edge that might make a difference is that he has appeared to regain his focus and intensity.
It's also got to be a tough cut for Laughlin who was third last year and is already a three-time State qualifier. Still, he has competed with all these people in the past and beaten most of them. His win over Wooten is impressive, but he has always had trouble with Rooney. Last year he dominated Gulosh in the district finals only to see him go on to become a finalist because the draw was ever so slightly better the other way. If the little things go his way this year, he could win.
I won't forget about King who could sail right back to the finals this year. I mean he didn't really have a close bout on his way to the State finals and Wooten's 10-7 win might have been different had King gotten the controversial back exposure. His problem is a weak schedule, but it sure didn't bother him last year.
State placer Hostetter is the wild card here. Undervalued by everybody (myself included), he was sixth last year. This year he won at Medina beating Pizzurro in the finals. He has a tough defensive style along with a long body build that makes it tough to score against him. He always seems to pull off one big upset.
We have Laughlin, Rooney, King and Hostetter at Firestone, and that doesn't leave a lot of qualification room. Especially with State qualifier Protz, the excellent sophomore Constantino and Giambrone still to be accounted for. This will be an absolutely brutal district at this weight class. West should dominate at Galion. The tough Adkins, undefeated this year, is down from two years at 119 pounds and is the biggest threat.
The Columbus duo of Pizzurro and Weeks are both solid, but Russell could sneak in for qualification. Wooten would have dominated at Wilmington. It would have been all falls and tech falls with everybody else just hoping to get the other three qualification spots. Now that district will have an extra qualification spot, but that's unlikely to make any difference at Columbus. With Williams at 119 pounds, the Buckeye Local District will struggle at the State level. Kasler is solid, but the wrestler to watch is Rossiter. He could give the big reputation guys a real battle.
Projected Champion: C. P. Schlatter (Columbus DeSales) Top Contenders 2 Blankenship (Bucyrus) 15 DeLeon (Maysville) 3 Finn (Perkins) 16 Cronkleton (Benjamin Logan) 4 Wooten/Evans (Graham) 17 McClintock (Galion) 5 Bowersock (Beaver Local) 18 Radkowsky (Kenston) 6 Williams (Claymont) 19 Toussant (Louisville) 7 Shearer (Clyde) 20 Rowland (Bellevue) 8 Clemens (Paulding) 21 Wheatley (Cambridge) 9 Messier (Coventry) 22 Carl (Springfield Shawnee) 10 Scianna (Hoban) 23 Weight (Fairview Park) 11 Wilson (Carrollton) 24 Egnor (Dayton Northridge) 12 C. Harrison (Chaminade) 25 Kremer (Franklin) 13 Minter (North Ridgeville) 26 Collier (Minerva) 14 Kostko (Bryan) 27 Kastens (Twinsburg)
The last four State champions at this weight class have come from the Northeast District, but it's a real long shot for that streak to reach five. This is because an exceptional freshman has burst onto the scene creating shock waves in his wake. C. P. Schlatter has had a fantastic youth record, but it was still a surprise to those outside of Columbus that he would have such an immediate impact. Despite winning titles at DeSales and the Midwest Classic, Schlatter was unseeded at the giant MIT. He defeated Division I State qualifier Cody Stevens in the second round, hammered State third placer Rocky Laughin 16-3 in the quarterfinals, out pointed State runner-up Mark DiSalvo 9-4 in the semifinals and then defeated two-time State champ Mason Lenhard 4-0 in the finals. It was an awesome performance and thrust Schlatter center stage at 119 pounds, a position he is likely to retain during the next four years. At least for now he doesn't utilize the conservative style I see with so many DeSales wrestlers, but is aggressive no matter who the competition may be. He looks to be at the beginning of a brilliant high school career.
The addition of Wooten to this weight class (if he beats out Evans) will turn the spotlight on Schlatter to an even greater extent. But he didn't seem very shaky wrestling a two-time champion in Lenhard, though this is not likely to unnerve him. For whatever reason, and you can come to your own conclusions, this weight class is not as strong as I originally anticipated. Laughlin and West moved down to 112 pounds, while several of the 125s stayed put. The big change was Wooten's move up to compete at this weight class.
The toughest district is at Galion where my top three choices will compete and five of my top eight. Schlatter should still win quite easily, but the battle will be for places two and three, which will be in the opposite half bracket from him. Blankenship has been outstanding this year and should get one of those two spots. Already a three-time State qualifier, he placed in 1998. Finn had to wrestle up a weight last in deference to State champion Quick, but he made the most of it. He won the district title and won four consolation bouts to finish fifth. This year he has bobbed between 119 pounds and 125 pounds, finishing second to Laughlin at North Canton and first at 125 pounds at Toledo St. Johns. Clemens is already a three-time State qualifier, but is "on the bubble" now that Galion only takes four to Columbus. He is 0-5 in his State tourney appearances and, believe me, I'll be rooting for him to win at least one bout down there this year. I don't believe anybody has qualified four times without winning a single bout. Shearer and Kostko are both good, as is State qualifier McClintock. This is a dynamite district competition.
Williams is a multi-time State qualifier who finished a surprising fourth last year getting some big wins in the process. He defeated Blankenship 3-2 in the quarterfinals, but it'll be tough to duplicate that feat against this year's improved model. He missed the first half of the year, but has been back a week now. He had a rough baptism losing big to Schlatter in the Ohio Duals. Bowersock has been very good after qualifying last year at 103 pounds. He had definite placement potential. State qualifier Wilson battled Hostetter to a standstill in the first round at Columbus last year only to lose 5-4. I think he'll win more than one there this year.
Evans is overshadowed by Wooten, but he may represent Graham at this weight class anyway. Only a freshman, he lost to State runner-up DiSalvo 2-1 in the first round at Medina, and then won six consolation bouts before losing to him again in the consolation finals. History repeated at the Top Gun where he lost early to State placer Eibel and then won four consolation bouts before losing to him again 2-1.
Wooten clearly struggled with weight trying to say at 112 pounds. He won at Graham, but didn't make weight at Medina. both Rooney and West pinned him at the Ohio Duals while Laughlin upset him 13-9 at the Top Gun. Don't count him out. He is a quality performer and at 119 pounds he feels good and performs even better.
The Firestone district is not particularly strong. Messier beat State qualifier Scianna at Wadsworth and he looks to be marginally the best at this district. A dark-horse here is Minter. He is a substitute for the injured Thompson and he has been sensational. He won at Avon Lake, Rogers and Berea and is currently 18-0 with virtually all falls. He has wrestled very few of the top contenders here, but did defeat Radkowsky the first week of the season. He will go into tournament action as kind of a mystery man.
Projected Champion: Nate Gulosh (Walsh Jesuit)
Top Contenders
2 Linich (University School) 14 Garman (Bellevue)
3 Moody (Buckeye) 15 Hindel (Tri-Valley)
4 Stevenson (Perkins) 16 Thompson (Teays Valley)
5 Long (Paulding) 17 Thomas (Circleville)
6 Markley (Graham) 18 Redmond (Columbus DeSales)
7 Clapp (Fairless) 19 Patterson (Claymont)
8 Jolliff (Preble Shawnee) 20 Carter (Springfield Shawnee)
9 Huelsman (Tipp City) 21 Wiles (Perry)
10 Kelch (Hillsboro) 22 Bourquin (Canton South)
11 Gomoll (Bay) 23 Reisinger (Washington C.H.)
12 Williams (Taylor) 24 Komives (London)
13 Ging (Kenston) 25 Deppe (Lima Bath)
26 Snapp (Urbana)
This would seem to resolve itself into a three-way battle with all the top contenders (Gulosh, Linich and Moody) exiting from the Firestone District. It will also be a contrast in styles as each boy has a different niche. Gulosh is tall with excellent mat skills that allow him to turn people from the top position. He was second at 112 pounds last year after beating out State champion Rooney in the wrestle offs. Moody is a rough and tumble competitor who qualified at 119 pounds last year, including a first period fall district fall over eventual State champ Levi Spellman. He was third at Medina and first at the Top Gun where he won MVP honors with a win over State champion Drew Opfer. Linich is a short wrestler with excellent takedown skills and an exceptional mat presence. He was fourth at 125 pounds last year and second at the MIT this year, losing only to Jayne. That was an interesting bout. Linich opened up the first period by taking down the two-time State champ and then letting him go. Almost immediately afterward, he tried a lateral drop which backfired into a five-point move for Jayne and the rest was window dressing. When asked why he would try such a high risk move, he said he felt such a gamble was his best chance of defeating Jayne. He was not wrestling to keep the score close as some have done, he was wrestling to win. Clearly the winner of this district will enjoy a substantial advantage, as the other two contenders will have to face each other in the opposite half bracket first.
The top trio takes up much of the qualification room at Firestone, but there are two spots that will be hotly contested. The underrated Clapp should be well positioned as a likely sectional champion, while Gomoll, Ging, Wiles and Bourquin are other possibilities. I originally thought Gross from Olmsted Falls might play a significant role at this class, but it looks like he may opt to go at 130 pounds. Two other thoughts are Mulhall (Lake Catholic) and Costa (West Branch).
It should also be a real battle at Xenia as State qualifiers Markley, Jolliff and Huelsman leading a talented district. This trio, however, has won only one State bout in total, but they have all had very tough draws. Markley won at Graham and placed well at both the tough Medina and Top Gun tournaments. He could well place in the top four at Columbus. Williams and Carter (who has been coming back from injury) might be next best, but Snapp has been very good as well. Add in Hedric (Franklin), Wilson (Turpin) and Williamson (Kings) and that top group must be prepared to wrestle well from the very first round.
I'm not quite sure how to evaluate the district at Galion. Now that Stevenson will compete at 125 pounds, he should be very difficult to beat. He won at Tiffin at 130 pounds, but was shaky at North Canton at this class, although both losses were to outstanding competitors Stanek and Hewitt. Three-time State qualifier Long will also play a role, while Garman, Thompson and Redmond are potential qualifiers. Again, Redmond can potentially score for DeSales at the State level, if he can get there. The well is just about dry at Buckeye Local. It's difficult to identify even one contender there who has lower placement potential. Kelch and Hindel both come from parts of the State where wrestling information is at a premium, so one can never be sure of their past record. I think the feisty Patterson could be a surprise here, while Dreher (River View), Patton (Buckeye Local), Rose (Harrison Central), Barath (St. Clairsville) and Jared Hoppel (Beaver Local) also have qualification chances. Seeing the Hoppel name representing Beaver Local certainly turns one's thoughts to the past. During the 1950s the five Hoppell brothers (Herman, Darryl, Jim, David and Carl) were the centerpieces of great wrestling in the Ohio Valley.
Projected Champion: Jason Barnett (Columbus DeSales) Top Contenders 2 Hilliard (Minerva) 15 Thomas (Circleville) 3 Hiles (Licking Valley) 16 Deering (Perkins) 4 J. Klofta (Indian Lake) 17 C. Henn (Bexley) 5 Heiser (Fostoria) 18 Doseck (St. Marys Memorial) 6 Schultz (North Ridgeville) 19 Cornwell (Athens) 7 Hensley (Lemon Monroe) 20 Couch (Tipp City) 8 Galchick (Salem) 21 Munyan (New Lexington) 9 Cartee (Bucyrus) 22 Wunderle (Ravenna) 10 Gross (Olmsted Falls) 23 Knull (Graham) 11 Ewig (Dayton Christian) 24 Ashton (Perry) 12 Shaw (Washington C.H.) 25 B. Roff (Kenston) 13 Squire (Buckeye) 26 Stansberry (Field) 14 Roller (Alliance) 27 Davis (Loveland)
State runner-up Barnett is a clear-cut choice at this weight class despite the fact there are some excellent challengers waiting in the wings. He was fifth as a freshman and second last year losing to two-time champ Leng in the finals. Very short, he combines power and speed in vigorous quantities to demoralize most opposition. What I would like to see modified somewhat is his philosophy. Against good opponents he gets very conservative, playing the out-of-bounds line, incessantly blocking with his head and taking "false" shots to deflect potential stalling calls. He is so good that really isn't necessary. Surprisingly, his coach, Mark Marinelli, was a very aggressive competitor, but much of his team seems rather conservative. This year Barnett has already won at DeSales, the Midwest Classic, Medina and the CIT defeating such stalwarts as Drew Ofper, Spires, West and Zinkan. Looks like he's ready to move up one more step on the podium.
The Galion District is very solid at this weight class. Barnett, of course, is the main man, but he does wrestle a lot of close bouts where the vagaries of fortune can come into play. The junior Hiles is also a big time performer who could be a State finalist, especially since he'll be away from Barnett. He was second at Medina at 135 pounds, and his only loss at 130 pounds was to the excellent Spires. Last year Hiles won two bouts at Columbus and missed placement by a single point. State qualifier Heiser was also one bout from placement last year, and he has continued to perform well this season. He won the big Marion Harding Christmas Tourney, and is the introductory member of a fine trio of Fostoria middleweights which continued with Distel and Frisch. Two folks to watch are Cartee and Deering. The former gets little publicity, but big results. He won at Bucyrus, was third at the Gorman and second at the Coke Classic. Deering, only a sophomore, has put up some excellent numbers for Perkins while at 135 pounds an should be even tougher at 130 pounds. Henn is also dangerous. Last year he lost his go-to-State bout in overtime, but is currently only third best in Columbus behind Barnett and Hiles.
Top Gun champion Hilliard is particularly dangerous. He beat Knull, Harpster, and Galchick on his way to the title and showed the form that made him a State semifinalist last year. That was in stark contrast to what I saw at Medina where he lost to Squire and Galchick and failed to place. Go figure! Anyway, the Firestone District is very crowded. Schultz, Galchick and Gross are my next three and they all have past district experience. Schultz is currently undefeated with three tourney titles, while both Galchick and Gross have been steady placers at big tourneys and champions at small ones. Roller is a bit of a mystery since he's missed a couple of tourneys, while Squire has upset capability. I've also listed Wunderle, Ashton, Roff and Stansberry, but Wunderle is the one to watch. He may end up being far better than I have him shown here. I keep having this nagging feeling that he'll have a breakout tournament, and, maybe, it'll happen at districts. Possible surprises are Manges (Aurora), Randazzo (Padua) an D'Agostino (NDCL).
Klofta leads a solid Wilmington contingent. A State qualifier last year, he drew eventual champ Daugherty in the first round and quickly ended up in the consolation bracket. He hammered two opponents, but then lost to the two-time placer Ray in his placement bout. He has been impressive this year, defeating State qualifiers to win at Graham and Indian Lake. State qualifier Hensley is also back and he won a bout at Columbus last year. He won handily at Edgewood, but lost to Klofta 8-5 at Indian Lake. Ewig was a sectional champ and district semifinalist at 135 pounds last year. He wrestles many high-scoring bouts which, of course, gains value with me. He started the year at 135 pounds and was a close second to Worley, 9-7, at Graham. He was also fourth at that weight at the GMVWA, but made what I believe is a brilliant strategic decision by moving away from the rowded 135-pound field. I've listed several others, but the freshman Knull bares close watching. Also look for Fowler (Springfield Northwestern), Murphy (Wilmington), Bertels (Franklin) and Menchen (McNicholas).
Shaw stands out at Buckeye Local, but there apparently is now some question about his availability. If he wrestles, he is the only one here with even low placement possibilities. Otherwise, this group will have difficulty winning a bout at the State Meet.
Projected Champion: Chris dunfee (Ravenna Southeast)
Top Contenders
2 Romano (Walsh Jesuit) 14 Rudy (North Ridgeville)
3 Allen (Springfield Shawnee) 15 Ashworth (Bellbrook)
4 Worley (Loveland) 16 Meyers (St. Marys Memorial)
5 Hussein (Orange) 17 Lensman (Graham)
6 Jenkins (Carrollton) 18 Goad (Hebron Lakewood)
7 Distel (Fostoria) 19 Poling (New Lexington)
8 Haueter (Chardon) 20 Dennison (Fairfield Union)
9 Davids (Port Clinton) 21 Weinheimer (Clyde)
10 Jones (Twinsburg) 22 Harmon (Clermont NE)
11 Swaldo (Indian Valley) 23 Jolly (Roger Bacon)
12 Fogliano (Columbus DeSales) 24 Lawton (Avon Lake)
13 Westover (Beaver Local) 25 C. D. Roff (Kenston)
26 M. Henn (Bexley)
On the surface it might seem pretty logical that most returning State runners-up come back to win a State title the next year. After all, they obviously have exceptional ability and they now have the experience of battling final round pressure. However, that's not the way it worked out last year. Of the 19 returning State runners-up, only eight captured State titles in 1999 -- a 42 percent success ratio. Thinking this might be an aberration, I checked out the previous year and came up with a 37 percent ratio. Even worse for State runner-up Dunfee, this weight, of all 42, is where I have my longest streak of non-winners -- five years.
Nevertheless, while Chris Dunfee must remain very vigilant, I still think he'll buck these odds and win at 135 pounds. Last year he lost 12-8 in the district finals to Daugherty after defeating some very tough competition in the two previous rounds. He had an excellent State meet shutting his first three opponents by a combined 21-0 score. He then lost another high scoring (14-7) final to Daugherty. This year he pinned in the finals at the Ironman and remains undefeated at this point. His one tough bout so far was another high scoring encounter with a Walsh wrestler, as he defeated Bobby Romano 10-9 at the Ironman.
I think there's a good chance that we could see a repeat of the Firestone District final at the State finals. I've seen Romano described as a warrior and this junior has gotten very, very good. Last year he lost his first round district bout and then won four consolation bouts to finish third. He was fifth at the State meet losing in the 30-second overtime period in the quarterfinals. This year he was third at the Ironman, after losing that tough semifinal bout to Dunfee, and looked great at the Ohio Duals. Hussein is also a returning State qualifier as is Haueter who made it last year in Division I. That's a solid quartet, but Jones, Rudy and Lawton are all good enough to qualify, too. A dark horse could be Wyllie (West Geauga) who has wrestled a very strong schedule. He has wrestled just good enough to lose, but an extra point a match makes him a threat here.
The folks at Wilmington also have a strong one-two punch. State qualifier Allen lost to Dunfee 8-0 in the first-round at Columbus and then won two consolation bouts. Ahead in his State placement bout, he got thrown by Swisher and pinned. This year he's been plagued by illness and nagging injuries, and is just now rounding into form. Even less than 100 percent, he gave Neely and Barnett close bouts. Worley is also very good and experienced. A State qualifier at Big Walnut and Olentangy, he has solid placement chances. He has won several important tournaments (including Graham) and will probably meet Allen in the district finals. This is a good district with those listed, and Correll (Taylor) and Ramsey (Benjamin Logan) all having good credentials.
State qualifiers Jenkins and Swaldo head the field at Buckeye Local. I like Jenkins and think he has reasonable placement chances. He won a State bout last year, and was eliminated in an overtime thriller. Swaldo qualified at 112 pounds and is up four weight classes. Westover is certified at 135 pounds after starting the year two weight classes above that. I think this will provide him with a good opportunity to advance to Columbus. I've also listed Poling and Dennison, and they have had good 1999-2000 seasons. However, it's a closely bunched field with Sansone (St. Clairsville), Sharrett (Circleville), Furbee (Cambridge) and Sefsick (Harrison Central) also having chances.
It's an interesting field at Galion, but I'm unsure whether the four lucky qualifiers will have much impact at Columbus. State qualifiers Distel and Davids both return, but neither won a State bout last year. Distel defeated Davids 3-1 at the Coke Classic and won easily at Hopewell-Loudon. Davids came back to win at Clyde dominating Weinheimer in the final. Fogliano has made a big push in the last month. This transfer from Big Walnut took Adams into overtime at the CIT and wrestled well at the Ohio Duals. However, he did not place at Medina losing to Lensman and he is not a sure-shot qualifier. Besides those listed, keep an eye out for Russell (Big Walnut), Moore (Milbury Lake) and Thurston (Teays Valley).
Projected Champion: Mike Kemble (Ravenna Southeast) Top Contenders 2 Ray (Hamilton Ross) 15 Black (Van Wert) 3 Durkin (Padua) 16 Shriner (Sheridan) 4 Jones (Springfield Shawnee) 17 Glorioso (Lexington) 5 Stough (Copley) 18 Rea (Salem) 6 Frisch (Fostoria) 19 Shannon (Washington C.H.) 7 Wood (Preble Shawnee) 20 Wisecarver (Maysville) 8 Kearney (Triway) 21 Gleba (Fairview Park) 9 Busnick (Canton South) 22 Zadzi (Bexley) 10 Paniccia (Watterson) 23 Kender (Bellbrook) 11 Mills (Philo) 24 Razzano (Columbus DeSales) 12 Woodruff (Walsh Jesuit) 25 Errett (Graham) 13 Hitchens (Tipp City) 26 Keyser (Carrollton) 14 Carter (Franklin) 27 Hixon (Maimi Trace)
One of the curious things about this year's State meet is the parallel tracks we see in the middle weights in Division II and Division III. In both cases, the 140 pound class is loaded with outstanding contenders, while 145 pounds and 152 pounds are quite weak. In both cases, I anticipate some migration from 140 pounds to the higher weight classes. So the roster you see listed above may change significantly by tournament time.
I can't ever remember a year when so many top contenders are coming back after missing the entire previous season. Anthony, Lingruen, Shirkey, Rooney and Kemble are a few of the names that come immediately to mind. Mike Kemble, perhaps, has had to come back the farthest. After finishing third in the State his sophomore year, he began to suffer from numbness in his hand. A bulging disc in his lower neck that he was born with was pressing on his spinal cord, and too many jolts could lead to a severing of the spinal cord and a lifetime of paralysis. Thus the most intense wrestler on the Southeast team sat out his entire junior year. Finally, at the Cleveland Clinic, a complex operation was performed which, after months of difficult rehab, has brought Mike Kemble back to wrestling, and made him a challenger at this difficult weight class.
Kemble has had a great year. He was third at the Ironman, splitting two bouts with sensational Pennsylvania sophomore, Zach Esposito, and has won everything else. He can put people on their back at any time and, after a year's layoff, he's hungry. Firestone is loaded at this weight class. Durkin doesn't get near the recognition he deserves. While he barely qualified last year at this weight class (he was fifth by a point), he was a State semifinalist before ending up fifth. Still the Plain Dealer didn't recognize him as a "returning wrestler to watch." Nonetheless, he was second at Medina (to Percival), second at the CIT (to Zinkan) and first at Avon Lake. Stough is awesome to watch. Last year, as a sophomore, he was a district finalist losing 17-14 to Hathy. That is stereotypical of his slam-bang style, which gave him two State wins. We've seen very little of him this year, and I have no idea as to why. He did wrestle at Wadsworth, but lost 17-12 OT in the first round and then had to default in the consolations. I've seen no results since then, but if healthy, he is a real handful. The sophomore Busnick was a State qualifier last year and he continued to place on a regular basis. The very tall, very slender Kearney is difficult to wrestle and he takes full advantage of his opponent's awkwardness. He was a district semifinalist last year, but lost three on Saturday, including a 4-3 bout to Busnick to go to Columbus. He avenged that at the Top Gun turning the tables 12-4. That's a great quintet, but Woodruff is easily capable of beating out a couple of this group. Like Kearney, he was a point loser in the fifth place bout last year. Add in Rea, Gleba, Yerkic (Chardon) and Daher (NDCL) and that will be quite a bracket sheet. One note to ponder: Kearney, Busnick, Rea and Kemble are at the same sectional, so an inappropriate pairing could basically eliminate one automatically.
If Kemble should falter, Aaron Ray could well take the title. He has been fourth and third the last two years, and many think it might be his time to win. Last year he drew the very tough Long in the first round and was upset. His five consolation wins (including one over Long) have him in third place, but certainly made one wonder what might have been. As always, he's undefeated in his own area, just like last year. State qualifier Jones was injured the second week of the season and it's unclear whether he'll be back. If so, watch out. Described by his coach as "street cat mean with all the tools," he will be a major factor if he can compete. Those two are excellent, but the Wilmington District has several others nearly as good. State qualifiers Wood and Hitchens are back, along with the excellent Carter. Add in Kender and Ernett and this district is nearly as crowded as the one at Firestone. Factor in Cooper (Indian Lake), Hipp (Kentor Ridge) and Goebel (Springboro) and it's just about equivalent.
Mills, Shriner and Shannon have all been on the periphery of State qualification and this could be their year. Last year Mills finished at 33-4, but it was the last loss (8-5) that cost him a trip to Columbus. Shannon was also close to going, while Shriner has come on strong this year. Shriner was first at Meadowbrook and Sheridan and lost 1-0 to Mills in the dual. This crew will have trouble with the Firestone and Wilmington qualifiers, but they will not necessarily be overmatched.
An interesting story that will progress at tournament time is the sojourn of Nick Frisch. He was a State qualifier for three years at Hopewell-Loudon, finishing fifth as a sophomore and second last year. Now wrestling for Fostoria, he has won at Hopewell-Loudon, Marion Harding and the Coke Classic, and seems primed for another State title run. Paniccia had some incredibly poor district luck last year, losing 9-8 in the semifinal and then in overtime in the consolation semifinals. He has won this year at Oak Harbor, Watterson and Bishop Ready. The remaining two qualifiers should come from those rated above.
Projected Champion: Jason Fink (Aurora)
Top Contenders
2 Blackburn (Clyde) 14 Komar (West Geauga)
3 Canoles (Canton South) 15 Dunahey (Elida)
4 Hada (Harvey) 16 Tennant (Bexley)
5 Baker (West Holmes) 17 Ross (Shelby)
6 Mackesy (Indian Lake) 18 Henery (New Lexington)
7 Blair (Valley View) 19 Kinser (Hamilton Twp.)
8 Brenner (Canfield) 20 Vargo (Buckeye Local)
9 Wickert (St. Charles) 21 Hogan (Avon Lake)
10 Naser (Taylor) 22 DeMarco (Graham)
11 Davia (Union Local) 23 Smith (Urbana)
12 Smalley (Salem) 24 Wood (Jackson)
13 Phillips (Bethel Tate) 25 Grimaldi (Olmsted Falls)
26 Horne (Wilmington)
Absent some refugees from the 140 pound class, this (along with 152 pounds) will be the weakest weight class in Division II. That's surprising since the middle weights were specifically designed to match the peak of the normal curve in terms of weight distribution. One would anticipate that with the largest number of boys available, these weight classes would always be strong. That is not the case this year, as there are only seven participants from last year's State tournament, and only two placers. It's always difficult to gauge the impact of long-term injuries on high school wrestlers. In some cases, missing much of the season means that they'll have trouble making weight and that they'll be rusty and out-of-shape when sectional tournaments begin. On the other hand, it is a very long season for such a grueling sport, and an extended vacation can mean a contender enters sectionals fresher and less nicked up than his competitors. My experience has been that the latter scenario is more common than the former, but, in the long run, it really depends on the individual. If it is possible for him to retain his mental sharpness and desire with some semblance of physical fitness, it may be advantageous to miss a month or six weeks of action.
Those possibilities are likely to be tested (with a sample size of one) when Jason Fink returns to action. Going into State action last year, I thought Fink was the best 140-pound wrestler, but he ended up third. He had dominated Turle in the district final and won his first two State bouts with relative ease. Then a close one-point loss to Coleman ruined his chances, and Coleman nipped Turle for the title. Fink finished third, crushing Smith 7-0 who had gone 2-1 with Coleman the previous week. The grandson of Mike Milkovich, he has been injured all year and made only token mat appearances. Still he looks like the best again this year and, maybe, his luck will be good this year.
The Firestone District is the finest at this weight class. State qualifiers Canoles and Hada are both solid. Canoles has been a consistent placer at tough tourneys losing only to the elite at this weight class. Hada had absolutely rotten luck at the district last year and did not make a return trip to States. He bested the excellent Wahoff at Kenston, and I think he has State finalist potential. On a hot weekend he could beat anyone here. Brenner and Smalley come from the Youngstown-Warren area and post consistently good results. I've also listed Komar, Grimaldi and Hogan, but Judy (NDCL), Vance (Orrville) and the freshman Turchin (Norton) should not be overlooked.
I picked Blackburn to win last year and he came very close to doing so with a third place finish. I was impressed with his dominating State wins over Romano, Hathy and Hickman, but he just hit the excellent Burns on the wrong day and lost a close semifinal. This year he won at Clyde and Lorain Southview, but lost to Henery in the Ohio Duals. The rest of this district is a cut below Blackburn and will have trouble contending for places. Wickert is a returning State qualifier, but may not have the horsepower to go with the top boys.
Henery is a bit of a mystery, but defeating Blackburn bespeaks substantial talent. I think he could qualify, but it will probably be behind returning State qualifier Baker and Davia. Baker has good placement potential. He was third at Brecksville losing only to the marauding Bolyard and defeating Ashby and Gleba. Vargo, Wood and Goodfellow (Sheridan) have outside shots here.
The Wilmington District has a number of possible placers, but no one that comes close to projecting as a finalist. State qualifier Mackesy returns after a strong follow-up season. He has won at both Graham and Indian Lake with decisiveness. State qualifier Blair spent much of the year at 160 pounds, but certified at this far weaker weight class. However, we may also see him at 152 pounds. In any case, he'll be a factor to be reckoned with no matter where he ends up. I've also listed Naser, State qualifier Phillips, DeMarco, Smith and Horne -- all of whom could qualify. However, there is even more depth here with Glass (Kenton Ridge), Herdtner (Loveland) and Richardson (Dunbar).
Projected Champion: Russell Spicer (New Lexington)
Top Contenders
2 Heiland (Shelby) 14 Ule (Norton)
3 Wise (Ravenna) 15 Wygle (Utica)
4 Thompson (Perry) 16 Sage (Kings)
5 Fisher (Bellevue) ‡ 17 Gates (Vincent Warren)
6 Jenkins (Indians Lake) 18 McClelland (Franklin)
7 Cupp (Hamilton Twp.) 19 Ayers (Canal Fulton Northwest)
8 Hoy (Olmsted Falls) 20 Gagne (Padua)
9 Beard (Urbana) 21 Dixon (Purcell)
10 Fankhauser (Avon Lake) 22 Zugg (Hillsboro)
11 P. Bergman (Oak Harbor) 23 Willman (Kenton Ridge)
12 Heston (Fairfield Union) 24 Brown (Columbus DeSales)
13 Felts (New Richmond) 25 Mullet (NDCL)
26 Vanni (Medina Highland)
‡ If he is able to compete (injury issues).
What can you say about a weight class where the top choice comes from a school that has never even had a finalist, where the second and third choices didn't get out of sectionals last year, where the fourth and fifth choices have missed virtually the entire season due to injury, and where there are only four boys with any State experience. Well, one thing you can say is that the competition is completely wide open.
Spicer was a State qualifier last year and won two bouts there. He is a brilliant football player, running for something like 1,800 yards this year, and that athleticism translates well to wrestling. He was third at Brecksville, losing only to dominating Bertin and also sported a far better haircut than was seen last year. He emerges from a very nondescript district, and should have little trouble repeating as district champion. That should help him with the State pairings.
Wise didn't get out of his sectional last year, but it's altogether different in 2000. He has already won at Solon, Kenston and the WRC and really has not been challenged. I came very close to picking him to win it all but, then again, my record with Ravenna wrestlers suggests that would not be doing him any favors. Thompson has not appeared in the Perry lineup as I write this, but he will apparently certify at 152 pound. He was a real surprise to me last year finishing third at the district level, and winning one bout at Columbus. If he is near last year's form he will do very well at this weight class.
Heiland, likewise, didn't make it out of his sectional last year. Starting the year at 160 pounds he tore through all opposition winning by fall a high proportion of the time. Moving down to 152 pound that streak continued until he met the powerful Nate Yetzer at the Gorman finals. Still he currently stands at 18-1 and looks like a possible finalist. State qualifier Fisher, if healthy, might well be the choice at this weight class. Vastly experienced he would be difficult to beat at this weight class. However, it sounds like it'll be a long-shot if he can compete this year. Two dark-horse candidates are Cupp and Bergman. They may be far better than my ratings indicate as they have shown rapid improvement as the season has progressed.
State qualifier Jenkins heads a relatively weak Wilmington District. He won a State bout last year and took first at Indian Lake, but lost badly to Henry at Graham. Beard, Felts and Sage come from schools that do not wrestle demanding schedules so it's difficult to judge how well they'll do at district time.
Projected Champion: Elliott Peters (Claymont)
Top Contenders
2 Nixon (Hoban) 14 Davis (Alter)
3 Jones (Olmsted Falls) 15 Incorvaia (Medina Highland)
4 Birden (Steubenville) 16 Toukonen (Jefferson)
5 Tieche (Perkins) 17 Neelon (Benedictine)
6 Garver (Graham) 18 Day (West Holmes)
7 Gray (Fairless) 19 Ja. Villers (Canal Fulton NW)
8 Ryder (Springfield Northwestern) 20 Knapp (Morgan)
9 Savelli (Lake Catholic) 21 Copelin (Purcell)
10 Reamer (Taylor) 22 Sydebotham (Hamilton Twp.)
11 Schmitz (Watterson) 23 M. Smith (Miami Trace)
12 Fritz (Salem) 24 Lowe (Buckeye Valley)
13 J. D. Bergman (Oak Hills) 25 Cooper (Indian Creek)
26 Rist (Rossford)
For most high school teams having an individual reach the State finals is a relatively rare occurrence. Even teams that contend every year often go a long time between finalists. For example, perennial state power Claymont has had a total of seven finalists in its wrestling history, while Olentangy has had six, and always strong Olmsted Falls ten. Most schools have had three or fewer State finalists. On the other hand, St. Edward has had 90 in the last 25 years.
Here is a chart of all current Division II schools who have had at least 20 finalists.
School Number of Champs Sucess Ratio
Finalists
Walsh Jesuit 41 31 75.6%
St. Paris Graham 20 15 75.0%
Coventry 35 24 68.6%
Columbus DeSales 41 28 68.3%
Highland 30 14 46.7%
167 112 67.1%
Clearly, the top schools not only get a lost of wrestlers into the finals, they also win about two-thirds of those contests. Some of the toughest wrestlers in Division II each year come from the Eastern District Tournament. Last year, for example, there were 10 placers out of this district; most in places second through fourth. What has been unusual is we haven't had a State champion from that district since 1995 (extra credit for those identifying Joe Cominsky). It's one of those statistical anomalies that may well come to an end in 2000, perhaps at this weight class.
There has been a Peters on the Claymont every single year since 1979. They all share two traits, their first names ends with a pair of "tees" and they are rugged, hard-nosed battlers. Looking through their media book, the seven brothers have won, through 1999, precisely 600 varsity contests. That leaves one year left for Elliott and a varsity career for Clintt and we're talking, perhaps, 700 wins from one set of brothers. Meanwhile, this appears to be the year when Elliott has an excellent chance of joining brother Matt as family State champions.
Peters won the prestigious Top Gun by default when ahead 7-2 and was also champ at Barnesville. His only loss was in the Medina finals when Schweda won a narrow decision. This will make Peters a four-time qualifier and he has already placed twice. Some of his toughest competition will come right at his Buckeye Local District in the form of Ethan Birden. A two-time State qualifier, Birden finished fourth last year at 152 pounds, losing two close bouts in the process. His strength and athleticism will severely test Peters. Day just missed State qualification at this weight class last year and has wrestled a rugged, successful schedule. The freshman Knapp is already good and could go to State as early as this year -- next year for sure. Smith has a boatload of falls for Miami Trace, while Whited (McLain), Milhoan (Buckeye Local) and Fuller (South Point) all have district experience.
Peters will face a bevy of challengers from the Northeast District. I saw Nixon last year at Firestone and he lost badly in the first round after going in 27-3, and never got a second chance. This year he has been sensational. He won the Ironman against a very tough field, and then won effortlessly at Hoban. He again won at Wadsworth defeating a field which included M. Kallai, Miller and Pacetti. It's been a sensational run. Kenny Jones is also very good. He has spent most of the year at 171 pounds, winning at Wadsworth. Last year he was upset in the first round of districts (just like Nixon) and never got a second chance. Gray was a State alternate at 152 pounds last year, losing 8-6 for fifth place. This year he won at Toledo Rogers, but stumbled badly at Northwest. I'm guessing that an anomaly. Savelli was third at the CIT and beat the excellent Radgett to win at Kenston. He should be a big factor at this weight class. And watch out for John Paul Fritz. Last year he knocked Jones out of district action, and this week was fifth at the Top Gun. Toukonen, Neelon and Incorvaia all could qualify on a "hot" weekend, while the freshman Villers has had some moments of glory already in his varsity career, such as the first place trophy at North Canton. Also don't overlook Milano (Rocky River), Keho (Padua), Hartman (West Geauga) and Tomsik (Fariview Park).
As a freshman last year, Tieche qualified out of the Galion District at 145 pounds and then won two bouts at States before falling 8-7 in the placement round. Peters beat him 4-2 in the first round in a close bout. This year Tieche got off to a late start because of Perkins' State championship run in football. That was followed by an injury (basketball?) and finally there was the issue of 152 pounds or 160 pounds. Kind of as a sidelight, he also won at Mapleton. Now with everything decided, he looks to be easily best at Galion. This is not a strong district and I have trouble finding well qualified names to put in the ranking grid. I had no such trouble at Wilmington. Garver, Ryder and Reamer all have State credentials and strong 1999-2000 seasons. I like Garver the best because of the demanding schedule he has wrestled and the generally successful way in which it has been managed. Ryder won at 160 pounds at Graham and Franklin, and was third at Troy. Davis and Copelin will challenge the top trio while Everhart (Indian Lake), Linkhofer (Bellefontaine) and Saylor (Urbana) will hope for some upsets.
Projected Champion: P. J. Jones (Walsh Jesuit) Top Contenders 2 Villers (Canal Fulton NW) 14 Dymond (Clyde) 3 Scholes (Lake Catholic) 15 Owens (Perkins) 4 Canty (Columbus DeSales) 16 Sowers (Cambridge) 5 Weimer (Springboro) 17 Jo. Bergman (Oak Harbor) 6 Harmon (Norton) 18 Van Ausdal (Eaton) 7 Meggyesy (Triway) 19 Watts (Franklin) 8 Crompton (Teays Valley) 20 Apperson (Morgan) 9 Smith (Chardon) 21 Kreps (Marlington) 10 Davis (Union Local) 22 Schaal (Buckeye Local) 11 Parrish (Buckeye Valley) 23 Weaver (Loveland) 12 Mautz (Philo) 24 Shonk (Sheridan) 13 Hackett (Hamilton Twp.) 25 Kinzy (Claymont)
Without question the toughest weight class this year and, perhaps, for the last five years will be here at 171 pounds. It is a field that provides great depth, individual stars and tremendous "up top" firepower. The first six boys would all be champions in any normal year, and it's a sad thought that several (because of the vagaries of the draw) might not even place. Ironically, 189 pounds is one of the weaker weight classes and, maybe, someone here will move up; although 18 pounds is a large differential. Four of the top six emerge from the same district (Firestone), but fate has been at least microscopically kind in that each exits a different sectional. Last year that quartet finished second, third, fourth and fifth in the State at this weight class. I'll spend little time on the district evaluations here, but instead concentrate on the top six contenders. Incidentally, the ordering has changed at least 20 times before today, and if I were to write this tomorrow it would probably be different again.
Jones has been excellent since his freshman year. Last year he was the district champ (defeating Schules and crushing Villers) and then beat Harmon in the State semifinals before losing to Hieber and finishing second. This year after a great football season, he won the Ironman by defeating Villers in the 30-second tie breakers 5-4. He then won the Powerade and Beast of the East before coming home to nip Canty 3-2 at the Ohio Duals. However, a phone call just before I started this section indicated that Jones would have to have his knee scoped again. How this will impact his conditioning and mobility makes him a question mark and adds just one more variable into an already complex situation.
Villers was district runner-up to Jones last year and was third in the State, losing 9-8 to Hieber in the semifinals and beating Schules and Weimer. This year came the loss during the first week to Jones, but then titles at North Canton and Canal Fulton Northwest. I think Jones may be a hair better than Villers, but that microscopic advantage dissolves if Jones isn't 100 percent. Scholes is only a junior and wrestled part of this year at 189 pounds. With the logjam at this weight, I thought he might stay there, but that is apparently not the case. He was third at last year's district losing to Jones, but beating Harmon. This year he won at Kenston and the CIT defeating Canty 6-4 in overtime to take the title. He probably has the most upside of this top six; and the longer the season, the more he improves against the others.
Canty was the only one of this group at 160 pounds last year. He came into the State Meet with six losses and as the district runner-up. He left with four wins (three relatively easy) and a State title. This year there was substantial conjecture that he would eventually certify at 160 pounds. Didn't happen! He won at Medina and DeSales, but has the two aforementioned narrow losses to Jones and Scholes. He sure didn't look like a "small" 171-pound wrestler to me, and he knows how to win close bouts. He could win it all again.
Weimer is an interesting study. He came to last year's State Meet with a 34-2 record and a district title. He ripped Dymond in the first round 16-0, and then matched up with Villers. For the first five minutes it was all Weimer as he ran up a 6-2 score. It was an impressive performance. And then he gave it all away allowing a reversal and a three-point near fall. It was so surprising that it took a minute to digest what had happened. Then their paths diverged. Villers gave Hieber a sensational battle in the semifinals and finished third while Weimer, in shell-shock I'm guessing, immediately lost his first consolation bout. This year Weimer is undefeated winning at Franklin, Graham and Sycamore.
Harmon is the pinner in the group. He was fifth at last year's district and then duplicated that feat at the State level. This year he cruised to victory at both Norton and Solon, and has little trouble winning. However, during the past two years he has never beaten any others of my top sextet. He should get plenty of chances in the next seven weeks.
Projected Champion: J. R. Shrewsberry (Ravenna) Top Contenders 2 Kirst (Lexington) 15 Thomas (John Glenn) 3 McGovern (Columbus DeSales) 16 Burkhart (Watterson) 4 Grove (Claymont) 17 Manges (West Holmes) 5 Moran (Kenston) 18 Keough (Clermont NE) 6 Reed (New Lexington) 19 Klepacz (Tipp City) 7 Blomquist (Olmsted Falls) 20 Schatz (Perry) 8 Smith (Teays Valley) 21 Barber (Hamilton Twp.) 9 Rodriguez (Orange) 22 Snare (Oak Harbor) 10 Palermo (Hoban) 23 Camargo (Benedictine) 11 Lowery (Walsh Jesuit) 24 Steen (Springboro) 12 McAvinew (Canal Fulton NW) 25 Mattmuller (Aurora) 13 Moyer (Eaton) 26 Jimmar (Purcell) 14 Rice (Graham) 27 Conner (Clyde)
This year's report was written in a much more linear manner than in past years. Division I was written first, followed by Division III and finally Division II; and I pretty much wrote them in weight class order. The one exception is this one where I have struggled -- big-time. Kim "Fifty Fingers" has already typed the rest and is now known as Kim "Three Fingers," but still I waver. If you've read those new, wildly popular Harry Potter books (which are great), you know that he goes to a school for wizards. And that's what I need now some magic elixir which, when taken, will reveal the name of the winner. Unfortunately, what we have here is a large assemblage of very good journeyman wrestlers. They are all at about the same quality level so that, unlike many weight classes, there isn't that much difference between #1 and #20. What is even worse is that seven of those listed will participate in the same sectional, which means three won't even see district action. It has to be one of the most unlucky and unbalanced distributions I've ever seen.
Heading my list is Shrewsberry, who looked wretched at Solon, but great everywhere else. He is at the infamous Kenston Sectional (along with Moran, Rodriguez, Palermo, Lowery, Camago and Mattmuller), and a lack of focus there will quickly doom his chances. This year he won at Kenston (over Moran) and at the WRC (defeating Delguyd). One thing that separates him from many of the rest is his strength on the mat. Moran and Palermo are returning State qualifiers, while Camargo and Mattmuller have had substantial tournament success this year. Lowery has wrestled that brutal Walsh schedule, and will be battle hardened for this particular fray. Rodriquez is a pinner who has not wrestled a real tough schedule. That means he will be relatively fresh, but perhaps, not battle hardened.
That sectional feeds into Firestone where we'll do it all over again, losing the three non-placers at Kenston and adding Blomquist, Schatz and State qualifier McAvinew. The five that qualify out of this district may be close to exhaustion by the time they get to Columbus.
There is also substantial depth at Galion and also some very big question marks. Kirst, kind of a run-of-the-mill competitor the last two years, has suddenly blossomed into a big-time performer. Whether it's maturity, hard work, better control of his asthma, or a combination of the three, it's been "lights out" for his opponents. He is 18-1 with several tourney titles including the Gorman, but it was his loss that was enlightening. Wrestling State runner-up Ben Rings, he was ahead 13-11 when disqualified for his fifth stalling warning (don't you hate that!). If he can go with Rings, he can compete with anybody here. He has as good a chance of winning as anybody else. Also at Galion is State qualifier McGovern who was impressive at Columbus last year. Injured the entire season, he would be a big boost for DeSales' team chance if he can perform effectively. Smith, another State qualifier, has moved up three weight classes from 152 pounds. He was third at Medina and looks blazingly fast compared to his opponents, until Reed slowed him down with size and strength. One to watch here is Snare who seems to be heating up, and looks ready to make a run at a State place.
Medina champ and State qualifier Grove looks very good at this weight class. He won a State bout at 171 pounds last year, but there's no sense going back there this year. He defeated Reed at Medina and was a strong second at the Top Gun losing only to the almost invincible Lammers. Reed will challenge Grove again at this district, while Thomas and Manges battle for the last State berth. There is not much depth beyond this quartet.
State qualifiers Moyers and Klepacz return at Wilmington and I may have undervalued them in my rankings. The two districts in the north seem much tougher, but that may, in the long run, be illusory. Keough was second at the SWOCA and he is the one to watch in terms of upset potential. If Graham gains team momentum, one of the beneficiaries could be Rice who can, at times, be very good. Also keep an eye peeled for Engle (Loveland), Snowden (Franklin) and Parker (Valley View).
Projected Champion: Damar Pentorn (Perkins) Top Contenders 2 Raber (Marlington) 15 Brown (Beaver Local) 3 Hummel (West Holmes) 16 Edgington/Sanchez (Bellevue) 4 Jones (Steubenville) 17 Marx (Bethel Tate) 5 Groll (Napoleon) 18 Gantz (Avon Lake) 6 Eck (Ravenna) 19 Boitnott (Claymont) 7 Karnehm (Dayton Christian) 20 Campea (Padua 8 Sosa (Clyde) 21 Moseley (Buckeye Valley) 9 Grothjan (Springboro) 22 Kowalewski (North Ridgeville) 10 Yates (Norton) 23 Bartunek (Coshocton) 11 Bankard (Wilmington) 24 Stephens (Willard) 12 Griffin (Coventry) 25 Stephens (Tipp City) 13 Lackmeyer (Purcell) 26 Whippo (Canfield) 14 Potridge/Levy (Oak Harbor) 27 Bond (Buckeye)
Last year the Northwest District crowned seven individual State champs; the most in history for that area. It as also the first time since 1986 that the Northeast District hadn't been the pacesetter in that category. Unfortunately, six of those seven were seniors; but the one returning champ (Damar Pentorn) had the most dominating run through the tourney. He was never challenged in his four bouts, winning the final 11-0. He returns at 215 pound facing a disparate field of entrants. However, he is a heavy favorite to repeat despite the fact that his season started slowly.
Pentorn was a key element in Perkins' state championship football team. I've noticed in past years that such a euphoric time often makes it difficult for wrestlers to move from football and concentrate immediately on grappling. Pentorn was second at North Canton, winning a tight semifinal from Miocic and losing to Freday in an overtime final. Since then he has won tournaments at both 215 pounds and Heavyweight, and appears to be regaining his timing. Make no mistake, a healthy and motivated Pentorn will be a heavy, heavy favorite to win a second State title. He has both the talent and ability to overwhelm the great majority of this field. Ironically, perhaps the second best 215 pounder might be Brandon Schnittker from Perkins, the All-State linebacker who is not competing this year.
I initially thought that the Firestone District would have three 215 pounders who might challenge Pentorn. Raber is certainly one since he is a returning State qualifier at this class, and lost two close bouts to Miocic, while finishing fourth at North Canton. Eck may be another after winning at the WRC. However, my third and probably best choice was Morrison (Aurora) who was undefeated this year at both 215 pounds and heavyweight. Unfortunately, he will not be competing. That leaves one additional slot at 215 pounds and Yates, Griffin and Gantz have the best shots at capturing them. Griffin, in particular, was impressive at Wadsworth in man handling Bendall before losing 13-8 to Morrison. Campea was third at the CIT, first at Kilbourne and Avon Lake, but failed to place at Brecksville. He could be a dark-horse here.
Hummel was a finalist at Brecksville after a great junior season last year, when he was a district runner-up and won a State bout. Interestingly his two losses at Columbus were by a total of three points. He could be a finalist. State qualifier Jones is also at Buckeye Local and they are quite a one-two punch. The third spot will be a three-way battle between Boitnott, Brown and Bartunek. In this battle of the "Bees," give slight edge to Brown, but it will be very close with the draw being, perhaps, the deciding factor.
Pentorn has little to fear at Galion. Groll won big at Galion beating excellent Spreng 10-2 and was second at Perrysburg to Weickert in overtime. Still, it's difficult to see him staying close to Pentorn. Sosa has plenty of experience, while Edgington or Sanchez should represent Bellevue well.
Karnehm leads the way at Wilmington. He pinned in the finals at the GMVWA and beat State qualifier Flora to win at Graham. Grothjan won two district bouts at heavyweight last year, but has moved down to 215 pounds. He was third at Sycamore and Graham, but won at Franklin. Karnehm pounded him at Graham 10-0. Bankard just missed qualifying at this weight last year, while Lachmeyer and Marx are also good. It should a close competition at this site with Karnehm, at this point, having a definite edge in pursuit of the top spot.
Projected Champion: Jacob Welch (Eaton) Top Contenders 2 Steiner (Orrville) 14 Beuschlein (Indian Lake) 3 Miller (Chaminade) 15 Benner (Van Wert) 4 Thompson (Walsh Jesuit) 16 Angelica (Steubenville) 5 Hart (West Holmes) 17 Kave (Urbana) 6 Bryant (Olmsted Falls) 18 Kiko (Marlington) 7 Prescott (Beaver Local) 19 Carothers (Harrison Central) 8 Stewart (Brookhaven) 20 Wheeler (Alter) 9 Valvoda (Kenston) 21 James (John Glenn) 10 Thorbahn (Oak Harbor) 22 Giannaris (Springfield Shawnee) 11 Gilstrap (Columbus DeSales) 23 Johnson (Hamilton Twp.) 12 Cottrell (Claymont) 24 Dillard (Benedictine) 13 Balogh (Clyde) 25 Ryan (Lemon Monroe)
Starting in 1976 when the bifurcation between Division II and Division III took place, there had been only one Division II heavyweight who had repeated as champion in the next 15 years -- the mammoth Tim Moxley. Then, during the decade of the '90s, we had four two-time champs; the great Luke Fickell, John Kelly, Tim Anderson and Jeremy Tate (although one title was in Division III).
This year there is no dominant figure in the heavyweight classification. In fact, parity is clearly the order of the day. It's likely the vagaries of pairings, refereeing and good fortune will be principal elements in the resolution of this weight class. One factor that may be more than normally important will be conditioning. Without a crop of dominant heavyweights, we can anticipate a lot of six-minute (or longer) bouts. That will favor those heavyweights with the stamina to perform well deep into the third period. While there may be no dominant heavyweights this year, it is still a very good crop of relatively evenly matched competitors. The top ten this year would compared very favorably to what we have seen most years. What I like is that every district has two or three high quality performers.
The winner will probably be one of the top three, but the question is which one. I've fiddled around with names, putting them all possible permutations and ended going with Welch. However, Steiner's name keeps ringing bells with me, and this choice is made very hesitantly.
Welch will exit from a powerful district. Last year he entered the State meet a perfect 28-0 and scored two quick first period falls over Thorbahn and Steiner. Then two-time champ Anderson pinned him in the semifinals, and Welch slipped all the way down to sixth. This year he is again undefeated, but has not wrestled a very demanding schedule. Miller is something of the unknown uantity. A division I State qualifier last year for Dayton Carroll after a third place district finish, he beat the excellent Howell in the first round before being pinned by Stepanovich and Seng. This year he won the CIT defeating Burtscher 3-1 in the finals. Both of these boys will weigh in at more than 270 pounds. Also back is State qualifier Beuschlein, but he's at a lower plateau than these top two boys. I would say this qualification is not assured as Kave, Wheeler, Giannaris and Ryan are all potential threats.
Steiner is another enormous heavyweight with excellent mobility. He was district runner-up last year and won two State bouts. He defeated Thompson twice in the sequence, but lost to Welch. This year he was second to Piccirillo at Wadsworth and won powerfully at Wayne. The equally big Thompson may be the best athlete of the top quartet. An All-State football player, he comes into the room to stay in shape and win any close duals Walsh might have. A State qualifier this year, he beat both Beuschlein and Gilstrap at the Ohio Duals. The whole Firestone District is rugged. Jamal Bryant is also exceptional and could easily be a finalist. He missed State qualification by a takedown last year. Valvoda was second at the WRC (to Piccirillo) and Avon Lake and beat the well-regarded Ramsey to win at Kenston. He and Thompson exit the same sectional so they'll be apart at the district level.
There are also some fine heavyweights at Buckeye Local. State qualifier Prescott returns and won at Lorain Southview. Steiner and Thorbahn, however, both beat him at States last year. Hart is an interesting story. A State qualifier at 189 pounds as a sophomore, he sat out virtually all of last year with injuries. Now at heavyweight, he was third at Brecksville, second at the Coke Classic and second at the Top Gun, losing only to high quality people like Stepanwich, Irving and Howell. He'll be outweighed by 40 pounds by the big boys. He is far quicker than most. Cottrell has just missed State qualification at least twice and it should be his turn this year, but Carothers, Angelica and James will not make it easy.
The are five or six heavyweights that are very close at Galion. Stewart, who has never hit my radar screen until this year, looks like, maybe, the best of the lot. He was pinning people like crazy at Medina, catching both Thorbahn and Link. State qualifier Thorbahn is next best, but Gilstrap, Balogh and Benner are all good. In reality all four spots are up for grabs at this district and the sorting process will be tough.
1. Walsh Jesuit -- They surprised most people by winning the title last year, and it will probably shock some that they're rated first in 2000. After all Columbus DeSales was the early favorite especially when both Hurleys ended up at Akron St. Vincent rather than Walsh. However, Walsh still has the core group of State champion Rooney, State runners-up Jones and Gulosh and State qualifiers Romano and Thompson. Add in the freshman Zupancic along with Woodruff and Lowery and that should be well over 100 points.
2. Columbus DeSales -- Their top end strength is impressive with State champion Canty, State runner-up Barnett and the fabulous freshman C. P. Schlatter. However, the back up help needed to win the title still hasn't shown up. They need a healthy McGovern and points from people like Pizzurro, Brown, Fogliano, Redmond and Gilstrap. If three of this latter group can score at the State level, they can still win.
3. Perkins -- After a great third-place finish last year, they have struggled up through mid-season. Schnittker not wrestling hurt big time, and they've had trouble getting people at the right weight classes. Pentorn is the main man, but Tieche and Finn should also score heavily. The key will be if Stevenson and Deering can come through or that Owens suddently gets hot.
4. Clyde -- They need to score heavily early with West and Shearer and late with Dymond, Conner, Sosa and Balogh, and hope that Blackburn is a State champion in the middle. Even with all that, third place is about as good as it can get.
5. Ravenna Southeast -- Two State champions can score 50 plus points, but there is very little back up. That makes for a very small margin of error so that if things go badly they're quickly off the charts.
6. Graham -- This is a very solid team, but without Wooten at 112 pounds, there is no one here with the look of a State finalist. That means grinding out points in the consolation round with Evans, Markley, Garver and the rest. With the fabulous underclassmen they'll be really tough next year.
7. Olmsted Falls -- Stoffer, Jones and Bryant are a tough trio that needs to produce big points at the State level. Add in Blomquist, Gross, Hoy, Grimaldi and, maybe, Funk and you could easily see a top five outcome.
8. Canton South -- This is pretty much a three-man team with State placer Laughlin and State qualifiers Canoles and Busnick. The last mentioned needs to pick it up, while a Bourquin or Larsen needs to play a bigger role.
9. Claymont -- Not one of their best teams, but some strong individuals provide some upside hopes. State placers Peters and Williams return as does State qualifier Grove. They should be able to qualify a few more out of that district like Henry, Patterson, Boitnott, or Cottrell. If this quartet can help, there is still a lot of upside here.
10. Oak Harbor -- This may be a bit of a stretch, but Oak Harbor might be just good enough to make the top ten. They'll need big-time help from the bookends Thorbahn and Lochotzki, and for the three Bergman's to score as well. If Snare, Potridge, or Branum can help out that's bonus points.
You can contact me at John@Ohiowrestler.com
