The 5th Annual Ransick Report
Division 1 OHSAA State Projections
Dan Ransick

Published on January 30, 2008 by OhioWrestling.Net

Dedicated to: Colin, my future state champ

Introduction

This report is written in order to give a comprehensive breakdown of the Division 1 wrestling landscape across the state of Ohio. This report varies from others in the fact that not all the best wrestlers are ranked - sometimes the best six wrestlers may exit from the same district and only four qualify from each district. This report will give a breakdown of the best wrestlers from each district who will then qualify to the state tournament.

Notes...
► The district that was at Mentor is at Marion Harding this year.
► Some of the projections in the report are based on past years' placement of teams at certain districts (for example: the Dayton area teams may shift between the Hilliard Darby and Fairfield districts).

Thanks...
► To Brian Brakeman whose report inspired me to do my own report and hopefully leave my mark on this sport much like you have.
► To Jake's Wrestling whose great database has tremendously helped in the process of finding results.
► To the staff at OhioWrestling.Net whose insight and discussions are what make wrestling season go great.
► To my dad who has been there to support me and encourage all that I have wanted to do in my life.
► To my wife who has been there to support me in everything that I do.

Ordinarily, a wrestler with the superb talent Gus Sako possessed would have been in contention for a state title last year. Instead he backed up another great wrestler in Jamie Clark. Sako had a great year last year wrestling for the St. Edward Green team but this summer he really burst onto the scene by taking third place at Cadet Nationals at 98 pounds. This year Sako was fourth at the Ironman losing close bouts to nationally-ranked wrestlers Hunter Steiber (the #1 wrestler in the nation) 5-4 and Johnni DiJulius, also 5-4. He then crushed the competition at Medina including third-ranked Toth 11-1 in the finals. Not surprisingly, Sako went undefeated at the state duals including a win over Corrill. He now stands as a clear favorite at this weight and probably should not be challenged at the state tournament.

Behind Sako at Harding there is not much in hopes of high state placement. Young has been a solid performer all year long and probably has the best hope of placing. He was seventh at Brecksville and fifth at Top Gun losing only to state placer Pasquale and Brascetta from Graham. Manley, who doesn’t wrestle the most demanding schedule, was eighth at Medina and runner-up at Perrysburg. He was close to qualifying last year but this year he'll make the trip. Wright is somewhat of an unknown wrestling for Lima Senior, but should be able to squeeze into the last spot. He was the champion at Spencerville and defaulted to sixth at Marion Harding.

Massillon Perry has replaced the Mentor "meat grinder” as the toughest district in the state of Ohio. This weight class is no exception as some of the best wrestlers will be left at home this year. Mines, sixth at state last year, is undefeated winning at Kenston over state placer Pasquale 12-4 in the finals while trumping Zingale of Mayfield in the semifinals 9-2. Toth has been brilliant this year, taking second to Sako at Medina and finishing third at Top Gun, avenging an earlier loss in the tournament by beating Brascetta. He also beat Pasquale 8-2 in the consolation round. If Mines is to be challenged at Perry it will be by Toth. Hannan was a backup last year to state champion White but this year he has been very impressive. He was fourth at Medina and won handily, 14-1, over Zingale in the finals. Ague rounds out the Perry district. He was fifth at Brecksville and has wins over Pasquale and Hancock from Troy Christian. He did falter at Top Gun losing to Zingale in the consolation round. If he is not on his game, he could be staying home this year. Two great wrestlers that could be staying home are Boardman's Pasquale, a returning state placer, and Solon's Chorney.

Corrill is all that there is out of Fairfield in hopes of state placement, and he's at least a major decision better than everyone down in the south. Corrill won at SWOWCA and has a big win over Hannan at the state duals. Keeling, Schultz and Artrip round out the weight class at the Fairfield district.

The Darby district isn’t much better in terms of placers as only Boehm who was seventh at Medina and a Division 2 state qualifier last year offers the best chance of placement potential. On the rise is the freshman DiSabato - from a great wrestling family - who could upset a wrestler or two at the state tournament and will be a force in years to come. He had an impressive showing at Brecksville. Higgins and the freshman Williamson from Miamisburg round out the Darby field.

Jamie Clark looks this year to exact his revenge from his heart-breaking state finals loss last year in the ultimate tiebreaker to Sam White. The two wrestlers battled for over seven minutes before White was able to get the key escape point that won him the match (Clark rode him out for 30 seconds in the previous period). This year Clark exacted his revenge earlier as he defeated White 5-1 to win at Medina. Clark wrestles a high tempo and wears his opponents down throughout the entire match. Clark was runner-up at the Ironman losing to national #1 Taylor 7-1, but took him to the wire the next weekend at the Super 8 duals before losing in the last seconds on a somewhat questionable call. "Clark v. White: Round 5" will be a battle that no fan will want to miss.

Marion Harding has 3 of the top 4 wrestlers at this weight exiting from this district. Steve Mitcheff who was 4th at Ironman losing to Clark and was 3rd at Brecksville losing to a freshman phenom from Monroeville named Cam Tessari. Mitcheff had a disappointing state tournament last year taking 5th. After beating Lang in the first round he fell to Touris in another epic battle where he fell in the ultimate tiebreaker and then was destroyed by Lang in the consolation semifinals losing by fall in that match. Mitcheff does hold a nice win over Robinson for 3rd at Brecksville controlling the pace of the match and winning comfortably. Robinson who had a fantastic year as a freshman makes the natural progression up the weight chart however this year he has been hampered by injuries and didn’t compete either Ironman or CIT. Dempsey a former Jr. High state champion should be able to grab the last spot to qualify out of Marion Harding and make his first trip to the state tournament.

Once again White leads the Perry district and this year he has been just as spectacular as last year. White started out at 119 taking 2nd to Steiber at Ironman after defeating Neibert and then beat the tough Garafolo from Virginia 2-1 along with his 2nd place finish he was champion at King of the Mountain in Pennsylvania at 119. Since then White has moved down to 112 and was 2nd at MIT to Clark but was undefeated at the state duals and won handily at Mayfield. White once again has a huge size advantage over the competition and that could once again affect the finals match between him and Clark. If White does win state again he must run the gauntlet defeating Robinson, Mitcheff and Clark to be crowned state champion.

White isn’t all there is at Perry, David Bolger is back after failing to make state last year at 103 after having a great season, this year he was 5th at Brecksville and was 2nd at Mayfield but was pinned by White in the finals. Polley and Zupancic represent the rest of the field at Perry and maybe even grab a low placement if the bracketing is favorable for them.

The battle out of Darby will be a tight one led by a host of state qualifiers. Leading the way is Zac Conn the Darby district champion at 112 last year he went 1-2 but did give Mitcheff a good match in the quarterfinals before losing to him. Conn will be challenged by Millar of Davidson whom he beat 9-7 in a dual this year. Millar was 1-2 at state last year at 103 and this year owns 2 victories over state qualifier Gerberick this year along with placing 7th at Brecksville losing only to Mitcheff and Robinson. State qualifier McSorley is up a weight and should be to exit the Darby district again this year. Regan of Miamisburg looks to rebound after a disappointing district last year where he failed to qualify after a great freshman season at 103.

Don Herrington last year was unknown at the 119 weight class in Cincinnati getting lost in the shuffle of big name wrestlers, this year he has made the drop down to 112 and the results have paid dividends. Herrington cruised at SWOWCA defeating state placer Farber and then pinned McSorley at Sycamore as well. Riegle who was a state qualifier last year was 2nd at the GMVWA losing only to the unstoppable Taylor. Riegle right now maybe a step ahead of Farber who since has rebounded from his loss at SWOWCA by winning the CIT with ease. The last spot out of Fairfield is up for grabs as state qualifier Gerberick is not having a year like he did last year and has struggled with the weight adjustment up to 112. I think Gonzalez maybe the hot wrestler right now after winning at Mason including a big win over Gerberick. Then again it is anybody’s guess who will grab the last spot out for state.

When deciding on how to rank this weight I must have changed the order of every wrestler at least 5 or 6 times before deciding on this order. Much like this year’s college football season the results here are often wild and leave you scratching your head. However I think one wrestler should rise to the occasion and win the state title. Garrett Henry was 5th last year at 119 and returns here once again to this weight and he has been probably the most consistent performer. Henry’s only questionable loss was against Lawrence in the beginning of the year losing 2-1 at the Independence tournament. Henry did win over some tough wrestlers in Scavuzzo and Kovach at Solon. Henry’s length can give many shorter wrestlers fits with his ability to fight off attacks and in fact took Fields in overtime.

Henry leads the incredibly tough Perry district as all 4 wrestlers out of here have placement potential. Ciccarello was the #1 all year up until his loss to Fuller at Waite 5-2. A state placer in 2006 he ran into Mattingly once again and lost and then fell into the consolation bracket never to reach the podium last year. This year he was 2nd at Medina taking state champion Garbrandt to the wire before losing in OT. Hillock makes the move over from Jackson to Perry and has been up and down this year but has come on strong of late with a win over Wallander and taking 2nd at Mayfield. Ryan Marks makes the drop down from 125 where he was a placer last year but wasn’t having the same results in a landmine of wrestlers. He was 3rd at Dies in his first competition down at 119. If he is healthy and can hold the cut he could be a dangerous wrestler.

The Fairfield district could be just as tough as Perry with wrestlers down there. The best right now seems to the freshman Shivener from Springboro who was the JRHSC champion and has dismantled most of his competition this year. His only loss this year was to Neibert at the GMVWA where we just beat by the better wrestler. Shivener ran through Fairfield pinning state alternate Campbell after amassing and a huge lead. He could very well end up as a state champion this year if he continues his torrent pace. Behind him is state placer Shepherd who stunned the arena at the Schottenstein Center with his upset win over Genetin. Shepherd was 3rd at SWOWCA but did win at Mason. Wallander and Harger switch spots this year after both placed last year. Wallander was 2nd at SWOWCA but was upset by Hillock at the state duals and then was only 3rd at CIT losing to an unranked wrestler in the semifinals. Taking the last spot out of Fairfield should be the freshman Davis who was 3rd at JRHSC last year really has turned the corner with big wins over McCombs and Bivenour and wrestling Fuller to close battles each time this year.

Marion Harding is led by Fuller who was 4th last year after upsetting Rini in the quarterfinals. He was only 7th at Brecksville but has since rebounded winning at Waite over Ciccarello. He could end up in the finals as he was close last year but fell to Fields in the semifinals 8-5. Behind him is state placer Lawrence who moves up from 103 and did have the huge win over Henry at Independence. However he was beaten soundly by Gyorfi at Hudson. He will have to be firing on all cylinders in order to repeat the performance of defeating Henry and repeat his state placement from last year. Cobos and Gyorfi round out the rest of the wrestlers here and in this weight class both could place or go two and out.

McCombs leads the way out of Darby this year. A state qualifier last year at 112 he was an impressive 5th at Brecksville losing only to Sergent and Papesh. McCombs did lose to the freshman Davis in a dual 3-0 and other than Brecksville hasn’t wrestled a demanding schedule. Roeth returns after failing to qualify last year at 119, he was 2nd at Hoover losing to Ciccarello and was 3rd at GMVWA losing to the freshman sensation Shivener. Bivenour looks to be the 3rd best here but failed to place at Medina and was 3rd at Mason. The last spot looks up for grabs as Stoll seems to have moved up to 125.

In what looks like a Battle Royal in reality is the 125 pound Division I weight class. A battle between four very tough wrestlers and only can be crowned champion. This year it is between the dangerous mat wrestler Tom Pretty, the cradle king Dan Genetin, the sophomore sensation Pierce Harger and the upstart junior Scott Mattingly. Each of them have losses which makes this a hard weight to rank in order. Pretty has defeated Harger twice but recently lost to Harger at CIT and also to Genetin at the state duals. Harger has lost twice to Pretty but defeated Genetin. Mattingly defeated Genetin but lost to Chapman and finally Genetin has beaten Pretty but lost to Harger at the state duals. Confusing isn’t it? There is however one competitor who stands out to win the state title at 125 and that is Tom Pretty, who is looking to grab his first state championship.

Perhaps one of the most dangerous wrestlers on the mat in the state of Ohio, Tom Pretty is dangerous lurking for his first state title. This year Pretty started out on fire winning both SWOWCA with ease but perhaps even more impressive than that was his 6 pins at Brecksville to claim the title. Pretty pinned 4 state qualifiers in a row to claim the title there. However he has slipped as of late getting pinned by the dangerous Genetin at state duals then falling to Harger at CIT whom he has defeated twice this year but he did defeat DII favorite Vaughn in the semifinals of CIT.

Right behind Pretty at Fairfield is Harger who does own a win over him and was 3rd at SWOWCA and as mentioned won at CIT. More impressive to that could be the fact that he has defeated both Genetin and Pretty this year. He came on strong last year but faltered a bit at state falling to 6th. This year at 125 he could very well win the state title. Giffin last year looked like a lock to make it to the state tournament but failed to make weight for districts and thus ended his season. This year at 125 he was 2nd at SWOWCA losing to Pretty and 3rd at Wadsworth losing to Foore. Rounding out the Fairfield district is Sherman a state qualifier the past two years at 103 and 112.

The Perry district is absolutely loaded with talent. Everyone qualifying from that district has placement potential. Unfortunately only 4 wrestlers can qualify from this district leaving potential and state placers at home. Genetin leads the pack here with an impressive showing at Ironman taking 3rd at Ironman and was 3rd at Medina losing in overtime to Mattingly but rebounded to crush the competition at Mayfield including a 9-0 win over Foore. Mattingly seems to know how to knock off the big names last year it was Lang this year it was Genetin. Mattingly is a very dangerous opponent and could very well end up on the top of podium but has lost to Chapman and Fayette this year going back to my point of how hard this weight class is to project.
Chapman is another very dangerous opponent who made an early run defeating Mattingly and Baxter at Hoover but lost to Baxter and Meyer at Brecksville taking 5th. He was 2nd at Dies almost pulling the win off after falling behind early. State placer Dinda has made the drop down here and was 3rd at Dies but he is a very dangerous wrestler come state tournament time. Staying at home from Perry is Foore the state placer at 103 who was 4th last year and state qualifier Kretz.

The Darby district isn’t as tough but does have some state placement potential in the form of former state qualifier Sanders and Fayette who has made the move to Miamisburg. Sanders has been solid all year long winning at both Wadsworth and Mason and should be able to grab state placement potential. Fayette has made the move to Miamisburg and has been impressive this year taking 3rd at Hoover with a win over Mattingly and was 3rd at GMVWA losing to Armstrong of Graham. Former state qualifier Stoll has moved up from 119 it seems and should be able to qualify again for state, state qualifier Few should be able to repeat success of qualifying from last year at 112.

The Harding district is very thin in terms of placement potential. Salupo maybe the best but still is a big step behind the main pack. Salupo was 2nd at Medina but was beaten soundly by both Pretty and Harger at the state duals. Beyond Salupo it is even thinner with Vanderhoff who was 2nd at Marion Harding this year being second best. Both Leedy and Hoyt should be able to qualify for state in what is a very weak district at Marion Harding.

In what is probably one of the toughest weight classes in all of the divisions, this weight will be a battle to the end between some really great wrestlers. Last year Brad Squire ran the table to an undefeated freshman season and capped it off with winning the state title in an overtime match with Fields. This year he came right out of the gate and was impressive at Ironman cruising to a title there over Horner. Squire however was knocked off by Horner at the Mayfield 8 to suffer his first loss of his high school career. Squire is somewhat overlooked because of his style and low scoring controlled bouts but make no mistake he is a tough wrestler that could win state again and be well on his way to four state titles.

The Perry district here once again is super tough with 4 of the top 7 exiting this district it will sure be a battle just to get out of the Perry district. Behind Squire is two-time state placer Horner who was 2nd at Ironman, 1st at Medina and 1st at Mayfield with the big win over Squire. Horner has really turned the corner this year and very well could move up the podium to the top and claim his first state title. Parra seems to be a step behind both Horner and Squire losing to both of them decisively. Parra was 3rd at Medina with an overtime victory over Weaver. McCormick is just one of the kids that is part of the resurgence of Akron city wrestling. McCormick was 4th at Brecksville and was 1st at Dies, only a sophomore he will be a force in years to come.

Never in the history of Ohio wrestling has there been a four time state runner-up. A few have been on the brink, such as Jake Percival, Steve Blunk and most recently Josh Horne, however they all rose to the occasion to win that state title that had eluded them those previous attempts. This year Ryan Fields will try and join that club of wrestlers that finally won the state title. This year Fields has been wrestling much more like his old self. He won the SWOWCA but was third at Brecksville being upset by Vaughan. He came back to win at Mason including a victory over Weaver in the finals. Fields will have a landmined field to wrestle through if he is to win the state title. However I think he can do that if he peaks at the right time. There is not much depth behind Fields at Fairfield in hopes of placement. Meyer has made the drop to 130 from 135 where he was 2nd at SWOWCA. Meyer was 2nd at CIT defaulting due to injury in the finals. Behind Meyer are Newberry and Walker both attempting to qualify out of the district and place at state.

Sulzer leads the way out of Marion Harding. Sulzer has handled the move up from 112 to 130 quite nicely this year. He failed to place at Ironman but was 2nd at Medina losing to Horner. Sulzer a state finalist at 112 last year wrestles many close bouts with his control the tempo style, this year he took Squire into OT before falling 5-3. If he wrestles at the top of his game he could very well be the state champion this year. Behind him is McHenry who has potential for placement this year. Latham and Palmer round out the qualifiers for the Marion Harding district that will make the trip to Columbus this year however the possibility of either placing are slim in what is a loaded weight.

Weaver last year lost a heartbreaker in the semifinals of state to Haas and fell to sixth. This year he has performed at the same level if not higher taking 4th at Medina losing close bouts to both Sulzer and Parra. He was 2nd to Fields at Mason losing another close bout. Weaver is in front of everyone else at Darby this year where he looks like he is a heavy favorite to win with some ease. Jacobson, Williams and Palmer all look like state qualifiers in this watered down district but how they do at state is another question.

Palmer. One word that is all that is needed to say and people know who you are talking about. Collin Palmer is one of the most dominating wrestlers in the state of Ohio and people know it. The name Palmer can put more fear into wrestlers than just about any other name in the state. With his ability to physically dominate opponents Palmer from all positions, this year reached the pinnacle winning the prestigious Ironman and then following up to win his third straight Medina title. This year much like the last two years Palmer will simply tear the competition apart through the state tournament. Palmer will again all amaze us with his constant pressure on top and how he can get the takedown on his feet as he will continue his march towards four state titles. The Palmer brothers will join the elite club of wrestling as brothers that are four-time state champions joining the ranks of the Jordans and the Schlatters.

Marion Harding is perhaps the toughest district as three of my top five will exit from the district. Besides Palmer there is Josh Speelman who is undefeated this year with dominating wins over Cline and Wookie at Hoover this year. He followed that up with titles at Columbian and Gorman never having a close match. Speelman maybe one wrestler that could match up with Palmer strength wise and will have to use in order to stop the buzz-saw Palmer. Lopez a state qualifier last year has been up and down at 135 this year but could be firing on all cylinders late in the year to grab top 5 in the state. Duffy a two-time state qualifier could possibly grab a low place but in what is a rather deep weight the odds are stacked against him.

Once again the Perry district will be a very tough district as Mencini and Cline exit from this district and both have had great years. Mencini has just one loss coming to DIII stud Thome losing 8-6 at Brecksville. He rebounded to come back to take 3rd. He dominated the competition at Solon and at Dies. Mencini could reach the finals if opposite of Palmer. Cline this year was 2nd at Medina losing by fall to Palmer after winning against state qualifier Smith of Tuslaw in the semifinals to advance to the finals. Cline also was 3rd at Hoover losing to Speelman 6-0. Cline will have to be firing on all cylinders in order to grab a high place. Both Liggitt and Price exit from Perry and very well could find themselves on the podium at the Schott.

Fairfield district is very well balanced with talent that has potential. Difrabitus looks to be the top guy here after winning at Mason including a pin over Channel and a victory over Grandominico in the finals. Difrabitus is undefeated on the year including winning at SWOWCA at 140 and also at Scioto. Difrabitus has an awkward style that could cause some people fits. Gallagher this year at 135 was 4th at Brecksville with a victory over Wukie he was 1st at CIT with a win over Palmer in OT. Gallagher a strong physical wrestler has the ability to upset wrestlers along the way. Krummert was a state placer last year and started out strong winning at SWOWCA and Wadsworth but was 4th at Mason losing to Grandominico and Channel. He will have to be ready to go in order to repeat placing again. Dooley rounds out the pack and he may be the toughest of the bunch but injuries have plagued him his entire career, but if healthy he could very well be on the top of this district.

The central Ohio wrestlers are much like the Fairfield wrestlers in terms of ability. They are all very close to each other and results can be interchangeable for one another. Right now the hot wrestler may be Grandominico who had Palmer in trouble at Medina before falling 7-4; he went on to take 3rd. Grandominico was 2nd at Mason losing to Difrabitus but did defeat state qualifiers Krummert and Dooley to advance. Channel was 2nd at Wadsworth and 3rd at Mason avenging his earlier loss to Krummert in the year. He very well could be the best wrestler in the district and could win the district and set himself up for placement at state. Sasfy was 1st at Waite this year after taking 8th at Brecksville, Sasfy a state qualifier last year will be looking to take home a medal this year. Drake a state qualifier last year at this weight returns back down to 135 in hopes of qualifying once again for state.

Not since the Division II 119 weight class has one weight been so absolutely grinding. With nine state placers in the field and four more state qualifiers this weight is amazing display of talent. In perhaps the toughest weight in all three of the divisions this weight includes a former state champion, a state 3rd, a division II state placer and a two-time state placer and that is just the first four wrestlers. Behind that you have a former state placer, a state placer, a DIII state runner-up and a state placer at 145.When it is all said and done I think that Richie Spicel will add a bookend state title from his freshman year. This year again Spicel is undefeated with wins at Medina and Dies. Spicel was pushed to the brink at Dies before winning in the ultimate tiebreaker over Shepherd. Spicel wrestles a very conservative style that makes it hard to score on; if he scores at the right time he can control the pace and win the bout but that won’t be easy this year with this pack of wrestlers.

Spicel leads what is an insane weight class at Perry. Behind him is DII state placer Shepherd who has been remarkable all year long. He was 5th at Brecksville losing a shootout to DII favorite Dukes 16-15 and lost in OT to Lang. He revenged the loss to Lang at Dies winning in the semifinals 4-3 and took Spicel into triple OT before falling. Lang has handled the jump from 112 to 140 with a great ease. He was 6th at Ironman at 135 then moved up to 140 for Beast and has been there ever since. He took Habat into OT before losing and then won over Sheppard and Sulzer to take 3rd. Lang a very dangerous wrestler with his ability to score points in bulk hasn’t been able to pull the trigger and win a title this year. Lang will need to be at the top of his game in order to win that state title still eluding him. Lijoi last year was 4th at state and decided to make the move to 140 in hopes of winning state. He was 3rd at Medina losing a close bout to Spicel but rebounded with a huge fall over Demas.

The Marion Harding district is lead by sophomore sensation David Habat. Habat this year at 140 has been great winning at Brecksville with huge come from behind wins over Lang and Dukes. He was upset by Herrick at the state duals but I don’t see that happening again. Habat won over Sulzer 5-3 at CIT this year as well. Habat will have to run the table against the Perry district in order to win state as he will face most likely Lang and Sheppard on his way to the finals against Spicel. If he survives that he could have enough momentum to upset Spicel this year. Herrick is back again at 140 after taking 6th last year and this year did have the huge win over Habat and won at Waite. Behind Habat and Herrick the senior Birt looks to repeat placing like he did last year, however this year he has been bitten by some injuries that could hamper him placing again, plus this weight absolutely murderous so placing will be a challenge. Yetzer looks to grab the last spot out of the district.

The Darby district has some very tough wrestlers in both Messerall and Demas. Both have been phenomenal this year winning at both 140 and 145. However I look for both to end up down here. Messerall looks to be just a slight bit ahead right now after taking 2nd at Top Gun defeating the freshman Stephens before losing a heartbreaker to Dukes in the finals. Demas was 4th at Medina and won at Fairfield at 145 dominating the competition along the way. These two wrestlers are about a step ahead of the rest of the field. Behind them is state qualifiers Gordon and Marsh who should exit out of this district again.

The Fairfield district is very thin in terms of depth. Nickolai looks to be the best choice here but doesn’t represent much hope for placement. Green would be the best man here but injuries have plagued him all year and his return is in question but a healthy Green is the best wrestler here. Leland had a great SWOWCA defeating DIII favorite Cloran; he should qualify for Colerain giving them their first state qualifier since 2003. Melink should finally qualify for state after being so close the past couple years.

Alan Fried, Dustin Schlatter and Tony Jameson are all perhaps some of the all time fan favorites in the history of Ohio high school wrestling. All three of these great competitors put on a great show of talent, athleticism and did with great style and showmanship. Jameson has captured the talk of Ohio wrestling since his freshman year with his great ability to scramble and make moves up on the go. Watching Jameson wrestle is a great treat and he will definitely be missed on the high school level but the Ohio State signee will most definitely put on the same show in college. Jameson this year isn’t undefeated losing two close bouts to Toal and Jordan respectively. Jameson is all about the competition wrestling the best wrestlers out there. The match with Toal at Brecksville he gave up 4 critical points at the end of the 2nd period and then the crucial 3rd period takedown. This did not faze Jameson as he walked off the mat with a smile showing the true resiliency of a champion that will wrestle another day. His battle with Ben Jordan at Top Gun will be something that is talked about for years to come about how two great wrestlers battled to the end and it coming down to a last second takedown. However Jameson will not be challenged at the state tournament as a lot of wrestlers have fled for higher grounds and greener pastures away from him.

Jameson headlines the Perry district and will have no challengers as the OHSAA has ruled Gasber ineligible this year for transferring to Madison after wrestling at St. Eds at Ironman. D’Alessandro and Wiggins both have placement potential here in what is a very thin weight. Rounding out the Perry district is the Brenner of Canfield who could win a match or two at the state tournament.

Connor Suba has made the most of his starting role his senior year at St. Edward. He embodies what it means to be at St. Eds, waiting in line and taking your lumps to reach the starting lineup your senior year. He has not disappointed this year taking 8th at Ironman and winning at Medina. He headlines the Harding district and very well should be a finalist if away from Jameson. Behind Suba is Gooden who was a state placer last year at 145 but hasn’t wrestled much this year. Caraballo does have a win over Suba in the dual meet and could very well upset him again. Caraballo has benefited from having both Habat and Bryan in the room and he is paying dividends right now for Ignatius. Schreiner looks to be the 4th best here and should be able to make it to state.

Stevens is in front of the pack at Fairfield. He has been limited in action this year but should be in full health by the end of the year. He was 2nd at SWOWCA losing a close match with DII standout Fraley. He did get a nice win over Gorassi in the semifinals to advance to the finals. He could very well end up in the finals this year if away from Jameson. Behind Stevens is Gorassi who hasn’t captured the same results he did last year when he qualified for state. Otmar and Cable round out the thin 145 lb. weight from Fairfield that offers little beyond Stevens in hopes of placing.

The Darby district is very thin led by Klontz who could be the only hope of placing at the state tournament. Behind Klontz is a guessing game of names and who could fit into the weight class Crabtree, Gordon and Lutz round out what is a very skeletal weight class.

Like the comedian Rodney Dangerfield, Jesse Dong just can’t get no respect. Dong is perhaps the most overlooked wrestler in the state of Ohio. It seems that Dong just blends into the background despite of what he has done including a huge upset win over Boyd at the Super 8 Duals and 2nd to the very tough Kusar at Medina. Dong was 2nd last year defeating state runner-up Gonsor on the way to the finals before falling to Hardy in the finals. Dong is a rather lanky wrestler and very tough on top with the legs that gives the shorter wrestler fits. Dong however will not have a cakewalk to the title this year as many legitimate challengers are in this weight class.
Behind Dong most likely is Ewing who was 2nd at Hoover losing big to Kusar and again was 2nd at GMVWA this time to Boyd this time losing by fall. Ewing a very tough wrestler on top will take full advantage of that strength and turn wrestlers at will. Behind Ewing there is a sharp drop in talent level as neither of the remaining wrestlers has a true shot at placing at state.

The Perry district is headlined by two outstanding wrestlers at this weight class. Nick Heflin leads the way and this year has been solid taking 7th at Ironman then 3rd at Medina including two wins over Tank of Oak Harbor. Heflin is a very dangerous wrestler and can get the pin at anytime evident by his three pins at Mayfield on his way to the title. Behind Perry is the upstart Greco who has really come on strong this year taking 2nd at Brecksville losing to DIII standout Moore in the finals. Greco was 3rd at Top Gun losing to Kusar. Greco could very well be a finalist this year if away from Dong. DeMarinis has made the drop from 160 down to 152 and could very well stand on the podium his senior year. Matt Rowe of Barberton looks to grab the last spot out of the brutal Perry district.

Perry could have the two and three ranked wrestlers but Marion Harding looks to have half the state placers in the field. In front is Goins who was 5th last year at 140 coming on strong to place at state as a sophomore. This year he has shown much of the same results like last year taking a disappointing 6th at Brecksville losing big time to Jindra after losing in OT to Greco 3-2. However if he is focused and ready to wrestle he could very well end up on top of the podium come March 1st.

Cory Martinson has been taking advantage of his first time in the starting lineup all year long; Martinson had a big win at the state duals over Gobin and also owns a win over Jindra. Jindra has been fantastic all year long this year taking 4th at Solon, 4th at Brecksville with a huge win over Goins then 5th at Top Gun with a nice win over the freshman Kyle Ryan from Graham. Hendon of Bowling Green doesn’t wrestle the toughest schedule but should be able to place at state this year after qualifying last year at 152.

The Fairfield district doesn’t offer the best in terms of placement but leading the way is two-time placer Gobin who hasn’t had the best year. Taking 2nd at SWOWCA to Carraher and opponent he has defeated numerous times in the past and then was hammered by Heflin at the state duals along with losing to Martinson. Gobin could very well place if he is wrestles to his potential. Carraher is a long wiry wrestler and has a nasty cradle. However he struggles with physically strong wrestlers than can neutralize the length advantage. State placer Rigel moves up from 135 and hasn’t had the same results as last year and placing could be a stretch this year. Either Arens or Clemons (whoever wins the wrestle-off for Lakota West) should qualify for the state in the last spot.

In what is perhaps the weakest weight class in Division I there is one wrestler that does seem to be ahead of the pack. Chris Kline who was 4th last year at 152 this year is undefeated winning at Medina and Fairfield with relative ease. Kline’s biggest win came at the Super 8 duals winning against DII stud Mannier of Graham. Kline should shine in full glory come state tournament time and capture his first state title to what will be a fine career.

Kline could face a tough challenge from his own district in the junior J.T. Rice. Rice a two-time state qualifier already in his career looks to finally place. Rice was 6th at Brecksville and was undefeated at the Lakota West duals. Rice a strong physical wrestler could impose his strength on his opponents. Behind Kline and Rice there is really no realistic chance of placing.

Marc Bryan is having a breakout year moving up to 160 after being a state qualifier at 140 last year. This year he started off with a bang placing 5th at Ironman he faltered to 8th at Brecksville but did wrestle Cubberly to a 1-0 decision. Bryan won at CIT including an OT victory over Babuder in the semifinals. Babuder was 3rd at CIT and as mentioned before had a close match with Bryan. He has a high probability of placing in what is a barren weight class.

Thomas Torres has followed a similar path to Bryan moving up from 140 where he was a state qualifier last year and is having similar results at 160. This year he has been solid taking 2nd at Kenston losing to Walters from Geauga and was 2nd at Fairfield losing to Kline 6-2 in the finals. Torres does own a win over SWOWCA champion Ellis at Fairfield winning 3-1. Ellis is a raw workhorse who won at SWOWCA with some ease in an empty weight. Ellis definitely has placement potential come state tournament time.

Perhaps the only time that the Perry district is the weakest at a certain weight; the 160 weight is led by junior Darren Rhoades who was 3rd at both Hoover and Kenston. He certainly represents the best at 160 from Perry behind him from this district is Billy Calhoun who does have a chance of placing at state.

Overall the 160 weight is void of big names beyond Kline and it will be a dogfight for who he faces in the state final this year.

One of the great things about wrestling is watching wrestlers grow from a lightweight into an upper-weight over their career. This isn’t the case here. Brian Roddy came in as a 171 lb freshman he leaves as 171 lb. senior. However it’s not the fact he hasn’t moved weight classes it is what he has done at that same weight class that is remarkable. Roddy truly has transformed from a raw talent that used strength to get the victory to now using great technique and power to get dominating victories. Roddy last year upset returning state champion Dustin Kilgore in the finals 12-10 to win his first state title. Along the way to winning the state title Roddy transformed last year dominating everyone in his path from Medina on up. Roddy crushed state placer Gaier twice, hammering him with a barrage of takedowns. He did the same thing to nationally ranked Peltier of Blair in the dual.

However Roddy hasn’t been the same so far this year as he was knocked off by what will probably be the best wrestler in Ohio history Chris Phillips. He then was majored and pinned at the St. Ed Super 8 duals unexplainably almost. However he did rebound to destroy state placer Witt at Medina and claim the title there once again. Make no mistake about it Roddy will not be touched in what is an absolutely deserted weight class. I do expect Roddy to be at full strength for the state finals and I see no one coming within a major decision of him either. Behind Roddy at Marion Harding is Winemiller who looks to possibly be in the top three this year. He won at Avon Lake but didn’t place at Brecksville losing to Phillips and Roth. Harasyn returns to this weight but hasn’t been the same as last year but he should place in what is a very shallow weight in terms of depth. Martinez rounds out the 4 from Marion Harding.

Jason Faiella leads the central Ohio boys to Columbus and is doing a fine job doing so. Faiella has been steady all year long in a weight where no one has been. Faiella was 2nd at Wadsworth losing Jenkins of Woodridge 4-2. He did however have a big win at the state duals over Hoffmeyer. He was 1st at Mason this year. Faiella if away from Roddy should find himself in the finals this year. Darby gets very thin very quick after Faiella as the rest of the wrestlers do not stand much of a shot at placing this year at state.

Fairfield is perhaps the deepest district at this muddle of a weight class with all four of the wrestlers exiting the district having placement potential. Matthews leads the way out of the southwest district he was only 4th at Kenston but really came on strong to win at Fairfield including a 10-2 win over SWOWCA runner-up Adams. Behind Matthews is SWOWCA champion and state qualifier Geter. Geter is an amazing athlete but one has to question some of the losses he has had. However if he is on top of his game he could wind up in the finals facing off against Roddy. Hoffmeyer and Adams round out the field at Fairfield and very well could end up placing high if they peak at the right time.

This is one weight where Perry does not reign supreme but then again really no district does and no wrestler does besides Roddy. Exiting out of Perry is a close quartet of wrestlers the best may be Joe Stewart of Strongsville who this year has made the drop from 215 and has had some nice results taking 1st at Solon and having undefeated records at the Strongsville duals and BG duals as well. However he was pinned by Randolph of Wadsworth at Mayfield where he took 3rd. Phillips has come on strong of late winning at Mayfield with a narrow 7-6 win over Randolph. The sophomore Randolph may end up being the best wrestler in this district but I still think he is a year away from having a breakout season, however don’t be surprised if he is standing on that podium on March 1st.

Frequently you see a good freshman become a sensational sophomore and once again this weight holds up to that trend. Cody Lamberg a junior high state champion and a state alternate last year at 171 has been brilliant all year long undefeated with wins at Solon, Hoover, Brecksville and Dies. While winning all those titles he has beaten some impressive wrestlers including Jeremy Foster where he controlled the bout at Brecksville putting constant pressure on him. Lamberg also owns victories over state placer Bailey of Walsh and state placer Neff of Waynedale. Lamberg will be challenged at the state tournament but I look for him to rise to the occasion and win his first state title.

Lamberg is head of the pack at Perry but there are some challengers to him there, mainly Jontony. Jontony this year has been great with three wins over Bailey of Walsh along with winning at Mayfield and taking 3rd at Brecksville. He did lose to Lamberg 12-5 at Solon but I believe he may have closed the gap in terms of score there. Denman very well could end up a state placer this year having taken 3rd at Medina, Saranti rounds out the field from Perry.

Andrew Tumlin is already a two-time state placer at 215 and he is only a junior. His freshman year he was 7th and last year he was 5th. This year he made the drop down to 189 and is undefeated with wins at SWOWCA, Wadsworth and Fairfield. Tumlin’s biggest win this year came at Wadsworth when he narrowly defeated state qualifier Isley 5-4 in the 1st place finals bout. Tumlin a very well rounded wrestler does not make many mistakes and capitalizes on his opponents. Tumlin will have a battle with state qualifier Quehl who has made the drop down from 215. Tumlin defeated Quehl last year in OT for the sectional title and I see that being the case again here, another close bout between two great opponents. Newburg has made the jump up from 160 and has had a great year winning at GMVWA over Thomusseit to capture the title. Newburg has the capability of winning this district if he catches his opponents off guard, much like he did against state placer Mike Mahon of Moeller last year.

Isley is the only returning state qualifier from this weight and has been impressive this year in his return back to 189. Isley was 2nd at Wadsworth losing to Tumlin in the finals 5-4 but he did tear apart the field at Waite recording four pins in four matches. Behind Isley is Nelisse who is having a breakout year he placed 6th at Ironman, 1st at Independence and was 7th at Brecksville. Nelisse could definitely surprise some wrestlers and place higher than where I have him pegged at. Alexander of Findlay and Robertson of Normandy make up the final pieces of the quartet from Marion Harding.

Darby doesn’t offer much in terms of placement potential. The best wrestlers are both from the Dayton area in Miller of Centerville who should win the district over Borgstrom of Middletown neither one has a key victory this year tells me they can pull off placing. Beyond those two it is very thin with Sanders of St. Charles and Tudor of Watkins Memorial rounding the field out at 189.

Storylines. Storylines are another great thing about wrestling and they can’t even be written they just work themselves out. The storyline here is a two man race both wanting the same thing. Two wrestlers undefeated, both hungry for gold and only one can win the coveted gold medal. The two man race between Adam Cogar and Orlando Scales is one of the highly anticipated matches at the state tournament. Cogar won the last meeting in the state semifinals last year 6-3. Cogar went on to Powell in the finals losing a close bout while Scales finished strong taking home 3rd place. Cogar has a very low center of gravity and makes it very hard for him to be scored on. Cogar reminds me a lot of former 215 great Matt Koz in terms of his build and how hard it is to score on him. Cogar much like Koz has a double leg that he can utilize to get the crucial takedown. The match up will come down to one thing and that is if Cogar can stop the upper body attack of Scales and turn those into points.

Cogar headlines the Perry district and is the best wrestler by far here. However the rest of the pack is very capable of placing at state. Zizfal is probably 2nd best this year out of Perry taking 3rd at Brecksville with a pin over Cook but took 3rd at Waite losing a close bout to Cook. Hayes may be ranked a little low but don’t be surprised to see him higher after taking 2nd at Top Gun. Miller has really come on strong this year he owns a pin over two-time state placer Rasho and was 3rd at Top Gun.

Scales is the top dog at Fairfield this year once again but unlike last year he has no competition. Scales is undefeated this year winning SWOWCA, Brecksville and CIT. Scales is a prolific thrower and is very dangerous and if he is able to throw Cogar that could be all he needs in order to win his first state title. Scales should be able to run his way through districts straight into the state semifinals. Brooks a state qualifier last year is the 2nd best here but a distant second. Miller and Krimmer both seem to be on pace to qualify for state in what is there last chance to.

Darby is perhaps the toughest district as former state qualifier Cody Smith holds down the top spot of here. Smith who was 3rd at SWOWCA this year losing to Quehl and 2nd at Medina losing to Cogar is a step behind Cogar and Scales at this point. Cook who was 5th at Brecksville and 1st at Waite should be able to place rather high in this weight as he does have a key victory over Zizfal in there rematch. Snyder has been impressive with his move up to 215 taking 2nd at Waite. Romine will complete the foursome heading to the state tournament from Darby.

The Marion Harding district offers very little in terms of placing. Leading the way is Lawson of Shaker Heights who was 2nd at Solon, 3rd at Hoover and 2nd at Kenston. He could very well upset a wrestler or two and make his way on to the podium. Green looks to qualify for state in what is his first year in the starting lineup at Eds. Williams and Knapp finish out the qualifiers for Harding.

Much like the stock market and picking the right stock to maximize your profit is hard to do thanks to the because one bad pick and you could ruin your portfolio, picking a champion at heavyweight is much the same thing in the fact that one move can change the outcome of the match. Last year Frank Becker the state champion was down big to Antonio Jeremiah before he came back and got the fall on one move, with that much weight one move can be it for a wrestler. This year one wrestler really rose to the occasion early and was the buzz of the internet forums but since then has been plagued by injury. James Meder a state qualifier last year and a last minute fill-in at Ironman turned heads by defeating Adam Walls and then taking the 3rd best heavy in the nation and Ohio State football signee Goebel into OT. Meder can move for a big man and score win he needs to as evident in his 10-9 win over Walls. Meder has to be at full health in order to win an open weight class, if he is not all bets are off the table.

Behind Meder at Harding is Rupert who was 5th at Brecksville who defeated Carpenter but was pinned by Myers. Rupert could end up at 215 as he wrestled there for the state duals but he has wrestled mostly at heavyweight. Harding is rather thin beyond Meder as Laird and Byrd make up the rest of the field qualifying for the state tournament.

Fairfield is an absolute landmine of wrestlers and all of them can place at the state tournament. However one wrestler stands above the rest. Josh Kline has been on fire all year long. Kline won easily at Mason pinning Carpenter in the finals he also won at Scioto over Pritchard 4-1. Kline was 2nd at Mason after having a huge lead but then was caught late in the match after one bad move, thus proving the stock market analogy true. Pritchard this year has been very good winning at GMVWA over Walls in the finals 4-2. Pritchard a big strong wrestler could definitely be on top of the podium this year moving up from the 8th place finish of last year after all he is the only returning placer at state. Carpenter and Myers are both having terrific seasons this year and look to cap it off by placing at the state tournament.

Beatty maybe a bit on the small size of heavyweight but that hasn’t stopped him this year as he looks to be the best out of the Darby district. Beatty won at Waite winning over DIII state placer Southwick. Beatty’s only downfall I see is his size compared to the big heavyweights and he could have trouble finishing his offense against their size. Schram could very well end up placing at state after pinning Kline at Mason and defeating Myers in the pool portion of the tournament. McCaskey and Oglesbee should both head to the Schott and wrestle in their first state tournament.

Once again at Perry it is a tough place to exit out of. Mike McCarthy a state qualifier last year has been out of the lineup most of the year however if back I look for McCarthy to win the district. Ryan Jones looks to stand on the podium after having a great year thus far taking 3rd at Hoover and 2nd at Medina. Jones could end up a little higher than where he is now come state especially with some the wrestlers health in question. Johnson and state qualifier Buzzelli finish out the state qualifiers from Perry and both have a standing shot of placing at the state tournament this year.

Team Projections

1. Lakewood St. Edward
Sako, Palmer, Roddy, and Clark anchor the Eagles. Those four are projected champions with the first three being prohibitive favorites. Throw in Sulzer and Suba both being high placers and you have enough points to take home their twelfth consecutive team state championship. Birt, Cobos, Martinson, and Green will add more points and allow the Eagles to distance themselves from Massillon Perry. That doesn’t sound too bad for a team everyone thinks is having a down year.

2. Massillon Perry
With White, Genetin, Horner, and Heflin all being possible state finalists, the Panthers have a clear shot at a runner-up finish in the team race. Hannan, Hillock, and Phillips all should place, adding to the point total. If everything goes right for the Panthers and St. Edward slumps, they might be in the hunt for the title.

3. Akron Kenmore
Lamberg is the favorite at 189 which means big points. Sheppard could be a state finalist and Chapman and McCormick could both place in tough weight classes. A third place finish at state would be an awesome finish for the inner-city Akron school in their first year in Division 1 wrestling.

4. Austintown Fitch
Jameson should score bonus points in every match he wrestles, which means huge points for Fitch. If Greco makes it to the finals with Ague placing in the top five and Miller placing they could end up as high as third place.

5. Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller
A better dual team, they have three heavy hitters at the state tournament. Harger leads the pack and will place high if not win, but Corrill and Quehl must wrestle to their expectations in order for them to stay here. Wallander and Gobin must also place for them to move up higher than fifth.

6. Westerville North
The tandem of Dong and Kline should supply huge points as both are projected champions. If Demas can upset somebody and find a way to place high at the murderous 140 weight class, a top five finish is realistic.

7. Toledo Waite
A very nice tournament team, they are led by state placer Fuller who could win a state title at 119. They need Herrick, Lopez, and Gooden to wrestle to their full potential in order to move up higher on the board.

8. Cincinnati Elder
With projected state champion Pretty and state finalist Scales, Elder could very well be higher than eighth - especially if Pretty gets the bonus points for the pins he's been getting all year. Gorassi and Meyer's contributions will be key in the Panthers staying on or moving up the leader board.

9. West Chester Lakota West
Fields and Stevens providing a bulk of the points as both could be finalists at their weights. If Myers can place at heavyweight and Davis, Dooley, Green, and Arens perform well you could very well see West higher on the board once again.

10. Elyria
With Mitcheff being a high placer and Goins who could very well be a finalist, Elyria needs Nelisse and McHenry to score points for the team to stay on the board.