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Division I

For the second consecutive year Division I competition will proceed at a level somewhat less than normal.  As was also true last year there are some weight classes that can only be labeled as weak and others that lack significant depth.  This is not to say that there are not at least a half-dozen superstars within these ranks.  One impediment to writing this report is the distribution of Northwest District wrestlers.  They will be allocated, in essentially a random manner, to the Mentor and Darby Districts.  I will for convenience sake discuss their chances at whichever of those districts I deem weakest knowing full well that it is not an accurate representation of what will actually happen.

103 #

Projected Champion:  LANCE PALMER (St. Edward)                

Top Contenders

The 103-pound class vacillates between years with many returning qualifiers and place winners and those where there is almost a 100% turnover of participants.  We are in the latter situation in 2003.  Only two state qualifiers return at this weight class and I suspect from their pattern of participation that both are battling the scale demons.  What we do have are several excellent freshmen and some 103’s who were on the periphery of state qualification last year.

My choice is the exceptional freshman Lance Palmer.  A two-time junior high state champion he has wrestled an absolutely brutal schedule with outstanding success.   He has won at the Beast of the East and Medina while finishing 2^nd at the Ironman to out-of-state Blasco (who he defeated the next week).   He has not had even one nail-biter with an Ohio foe and continues the trend of a great St. Ed’s 103-pounder every two or three years (Lang, Lenhard, Moos, Kulczycki etc).

The Medina District is very solid.  The explosive Hunt is now at Collinwood and he is the only returning state placer (6^th).  He is a huge 103 and his athleticism and experience make him exceptionally dangerous.  He does not wrestle the type of schedule that many others here do, but he dominated at Rogers in an early tournament.  Last year he beat both Brown and Bugara at the district level, but that will be a tough task to replicate.  Bugara lost his go-to-state bout to Hunt, 2-1, last year, but he should easily qualify this year.  He won at Edison and his only in-state loss was a one point upset defeat to Hartley.  The fourth spot is wide-open with Shaft a slight favorite.  Also look for Lerer, Tilocco, and Ertter to push for that qualifying ticket.

There is also real power at Perry.  Solon is blessed with two excellent 103’s - - state qualifier Brown and Floyd.  Brown won at the Powerade and was 2^nd at the Midwest classic and 3^rd at Solon.  Floyd was 3^rd at the Midwest Classic (they both lost one point matches to the very tough Prater from Georgia McEachern) and 1^st at the tough WRC.  Right with them is the excellent freshman Hartley who was a state junior high champ last year.  I think the plan was to have district qualifier Wiley drop back to 103#, but I’m not sure he can dislodge Hartley from the varsity team.  Hartley was 3^rd at the Ironman and Medina and gave Palmer his toughest bout at the latter tourney.  In fact, three of his losses are to Palmer.  Weinman and Solon champ Johnson are my next two choices with district qualifiers Chizmar, Wade, and Gasser backing them up.

I’m not seeing much at Darby.  I think Belcher might be the best of this group with Tiffin champ Kohler and Earley right behind him.  Adams (Upper Arlington) and Jordan have also made my lists with Perrysburg champ, Holliday.  Rodriguez and, Madison and Gorman champ, Burdine are also in the mix.  This would seem to be a wide-open competition with those having the “hot-hand” qualifying.  I think this group, however, will struggle at the state level.

It’s a tightly packed field at Wilmington with the potential for some very close finishes.  The junior Clausing won 31 bouts last year and this year won at Fairfield and was 2^nd at the GMVWA.  His only downside was a 4^th at North Canton.  Tebbe won at Xenia and he should be a factor here.  Northmont has, like Solon and Perry, two state caliber possibilities at this weight class.  The senior Spirk was 3^rd at GMVWA and has past district experience.  Wolf, only a freshman, is the brother of state placer David, and has excellent skills.  He was 2^nd at Xenia and won at St. Xavier.  The SWOCA champ Smith fits in here somewhere, but watch out for Riestenberg.  Only 10-19 last year he was 4^th at the SWOCA and then pinned Smith in the dual meet.  He seems to be showing rapid improvement.  Other possibilities in this tightly packed competition are Love and Beavercreek champ, Price(Xenia Beavercreek).

112 #

Projected Champion:  DAVE FEDERICO (Willoughby South)

Top Contenders

Last year Iovine wrestled with great courage and skill to win the state title at 103#.  It was a triumph of technique and temperament over almost overwhelming power.  His 12-10 overtime win provided the Central District with its first title at the introductory weight since 1973 - - extra credit for knowing Edwards of Westland as the champ over Branham of Franklin Hts.  Unfortunately, the match-up that should have occurred collapsed because of unusual circumstance.

On the surface there would appear to be three principal contenders.  Naturally state champion Iovine is in the mix as is 3^rd place finisher Federico whose only loss the last two season was in the state semi-finals.  Certainly, a huge factor will be state Division II runner-up Ryan Smith whose school changed classification.  As I write this Smith and Iovine have lost once and Federico, of course, not at all.  Smith has not wrestled either of the other two while Federico beat Iovine 15-1 last year - - in a bout that would be contested differently today.  Iovine’s only loss this year was at the Midwest Classic to Division III state runner-up Opfer who Federico beat 10-1 the next round.  The upset-maker is the powerful and exuberant Mitcheff.  He has the ability to beat anyone here - - overlook him at your own peril. 

The Mentor District is strong.  Federico has rebounded from his 3^rd place finish last year to win at the Midwest Classic and Brecksville.  He will again be the favorite this year, but needs to do a better job of expanding an early takedown into larger leads.  He has been 4^th and 3^rd the last two years and he should improve on that this year.  The sophomore Mitcheff is a dynamite competitor.  He missed state placement last year by one win after taking a junior high state title the year before.  He is undefeated this year and he’ll challenge anyone in this field.  After a 20-16 season Catalona shocked almost everyone by winning his sectional and cruising into the district semi-finals before losing twice - - the last by a single point.  He missed the early part of the year and then was disqualified at Brecksville and missed the WRC.  He will not be an unknown factor this time around.  The surprise here may be Stark.  He was 4^th at Medina including a win over state runner-up Horne at 125#.   Should be able to perform well at 112# he might be a real factor.  State qualifier Rabung and the excellent freshman Peskar are other possibilities, but, perhaps, another Catalona-- like surprise will emerge to grab a qualifying ticket.  A big question mark will be whether Metcalfe winds up here or at Darby - - he’ll take one qualifying spot at either location.

Let’s look at Darby, state champion Iovine returns up one weight, but still very successful.  He was the champ at Medina winning his last two bouts in trademark style - - by one point each.  He is so good in close bouts winning both his state semi-final and final in overtime.  He was 3^rd at the Midwest Classic losing to Division III pick Opfer in a tourney won by Federico.  State qualifiers Mossor and Wanner are also here and the former, in particular, has been very good.  He’s won at Madison and Tiffin in impressive fashion.  District qualifiers Lepley (Davidson), Hauff and Blackburn (Grove City) may well battle for the last spot, but again, we may find Metcalfe or Schuller here.  Metcalfe was 5^th last year losing only to Iovine, Mathis, and Federico in the tourney process.  This year he has been just short of sensational winning at Perrysburg, for example, with a fall in the finals.  State qualifier Schuller should also play a role somewhere after winning big at Sylvania Southview and finishing 3^rd (to Mossor) at Tiffin.  He lost his two state bouts last year by a total of three points.  Also exiting Toledo are state alternate Metting, Abair and Goldecker (Toledo St. Johns).  Metting was 4^th at Perrysburg while Abair was second at Sylvania Southview.

The movement of Olmsted Falls to Division I really augments this weight class, as state runner-up Ryan Smith will join the field at Perry.  The first ever Junior High state champion he was also 3^rd as a freshman and brings a wealth of experience to the mat.  He is more aggressive this year with seven of his eight bouts ending in less than regulation time at Medina.  The exception was an early round loss to Reader of Michigan. State qualifier Wiley has taken over the 112# slot at Massillon Perry, and he could be a big plus in the state championship quest.  Also back is state qualifier Manoogian who lost in the first round, 3-2, to eventual state runner-up Josh Horne.  This year Manoogian won at the Wayne Invitational and was 5^th at Wadsworth losing to Metcalfe.  After this trio comes a bunch of question marks.  The sophomore Clark has been good while Mitchell has had some huge wins and was 2^nd at Riverside and 6^th at Brecksville.  Also in the hunt are Garisek, Rosa (Boardman) and, particularly, Borchert (Cloverleaf).

The weak link here is at Wilmington, but there may be surprise wins out of this district at Columbus.  Kostoff is the only returning state qualifier, but my guess is that Kist and DePoy may have overtaken him.  Kist won decisively at the SWOCA and looks to be the top 112# in this area.  DePoy upset state placer Penny while finishing a strong 2^nd.  Kostoff was 7^th at that same tourney.  Other possible qualifiers could be Willcocks, 4^th at Kenston and 2^nd at the SWOCA, Lambert, Brewer and Stoyanoff.  The undefeated Kaake (LaSalle) wrestles a schedule that is invisible to me.  I don’t know where he fits in - - if at all.

The pairings here could be lop-sided.  If the districts proceed as forecasted Smith and Federico would be on the opposite of the bracket from Iovine - - with the possibility that Metcalfe could well be there, too.  A Smith versus Federico semi-final would bring together two masters of the top position, and I’m guessing a low-scoring one-move bout.

119 #

Projected Champion:  BRANDON LUCE (Sidney)

Top Contenders

By the end of the regular season last year I was convinced that I had selected wrongly at 112# in my annual report.  It seemed to me that Albert Madsen was wrestling so well that he would sweep through the relatively weak 112# class.  That view prevailed until the state semi-final when Brandon Luce disabused me of that notion by beating Madsen easier than the 6-4 score would suggest.  I hadn’t realized how tough he was, and I knew as they raised his hand that he would win the state title the next evening.  Now he’s back at 119# (I think) and working his way toward an undefeated regular season.  At the GMVWA competing at 125# he had a brief first round scare when he went to his back, but he quickly righted the ship and cruised to the title - - beating the excellent freshman Kyle in the finals.  He also won the Beavercreek at that weight class, but I don’t see him moving to 125# and facing Johnstone.

The Wilmington District is not especially strong after Luce.  State placer Goode was 6^th two years ago, but has not done as well since.  Last year, at 103#, he won only one state bout.  This year he won the SWOCA and could be in medal contention once again.  After this duo there is something of a drop-off.  Pierson was 5^th at Medina, but neither Cook nor Flake placed at Brecksville.  The canny Ashbrook was 2^nd at GMVWA but got teched by Browning in the finals.  State qualifier Thompson might be a factor, but they’ll be some surprises here.

There are lots of good contenders at Perry.  Anthony was 4^th last year and continues to improve in his junior year.  He was 3^rd at Brecksville after losing to Perez.  Two-time qualifier Riggs remains a puzzle.  Just as I’m about to write him off he pulls off a big win and I start to wonder again.  He failed to place at either the Ironman or Beast of the East (no great shame in that), and was 2^nd at Medina to Reichman.  At the state duals he beat Wornoff 6-3, but lost, up a weight to Stark. State qualifiers Miller and Rogers are also here, but qualification for them is certainly not a surety.  I really like Kleinman and I think he’ll be in Columbus.  Turner and the young Bodnar are also possibilities.  A “sleeper” candidate is Trotter who was a district semi-finalist last year.  He wrestles a weak schedule but has solid skills.

The trio of Perez, Wornoff, and Pedro is very strong at Mentor with McDiarmid looking to make it a quartet.  Perez was 3^rd two years ago in Division II, but failed to place at the brutal 119# weight class last year.  Now competing at Elyria with four-time champ Erik Burnett as his coach and with Felton as a workout partner he has shown great improvement.  He dominated at Avon Lake and defeated a good field at Brecksville with notable wins over Anthony and LaFollette.  Wornoff was 3^rd at 112# last year - - losing in the first round and then winning five straight bouts including victories over Riggs and Hucle.  This year he won at Edison, but lost to Riggs at the State Duals.  Pedro was a state quarter-finalist last year and has good placement chances this year.  He won this year at Southview and Perrysburg.  McDiarmid continues to improve and has nearly reached the level of the top threesome.  He won three bouts at the Ironman and was 3^rd at Medina - - losing only to Riggs.  He could qualify depending, at least in part, on the whims of the pairings oracle.  The powerful Armstrong (Collinwood), Brown, and Thomas (Mayfield) could also get into the state bracket sheet.  Lee just down from 125# has a tough choice to make, both 119# and 125# are strong but the former is far deeper.  I’m thinking he’ll stay at 125#.

State qualifiers Hucle and McKinney along with rapidly improving Davis should be three of the qualifiers out of the Darby District.  Hucle upset Riggs at the district level last year and then won two state bouts before losing to Wornoff.  This year he was 4^th at Wadsworth, but he is a very tough competitor.  McKinney, a qualifier at 125# last year, seems better suited at this class.  He had only two bouts at 125# at Medina, but was 2^nd, to Pedro, at 119# at Perrysburg.  Davis won at the Gorman (among others) and could place.  I’m not sure what to do about a mediocre Northwest District.  Zyduck, Dreschel, and McCulloch (Anthony Wayne) are probably the best of this group with Abitua (Start), Kemp (Mansfield Madison), and McCarthy (Toledo St. John) possibilities.  Some of these folks will be at Mentor, but that will be no treat.  Don’t forget about Brown who could squeeze out the entire Toledo contingent.

125 #

Projected Champion:  JASON JOHNSTONE (Massillon Perry)

Top Contenders

While there is some power at the top, this is not a very deep weight class.  At every district I was scrambling to find the half-dozen or so names I usually rank from each one.  However, there was no hesitation when it came to selecting the eventual champ.  The junior Jason Johnstone (guys with identical initials are always tough) had the most talked about win of the year, but it was no fluke.  Many people, including me, thought Dustin Schlatter had a chance of becoming the first Ohio wrestler to go undefeated over a four-year career.  Johnstone in the semi-finals at the Ironman squashed that dream with a 3-2 decision that included another Johnstone takedown that was taken away for no apparent reason at the end of the second period. Johnstone finished 2^nd to Preston at the Ironman and 3^rd (over Preston) at the Beast.  He was dominating at Medina winning five bouts – two by fall and three by major decisions.  If Luce jumps to this weight class he’s making a mistake.

Johnstone should have little trouble at Perry.  State placer Roberts is probably next best.  He undoubtedly set some kind of record by never winning a single bout in the championship round of either the district or state tournament - - but he won seven times in the consolation rounds.  He followed much the same pattern at Brecksville as this #2 seed lost in the second round and then won six consolation bouts to finish 4^th.  After this duo the state race is wide open.  The best hopes ride with Wise, Barette, and maybe, Hartman.  Someone to watch is Nicholson who failed to place at Solon or the Midwest Classic, but then was 5^th at the Powerade and 3^rd at the WRC.  Despite his close proximity this is someone super-scout Dennis Wahl totally missed.

Madsen has not yet wrestled this year as he has struggled with back issues.  Should he return shortly he still has time to work himself into top condition.  Heck, it’s a long season and Madsen will certainly be fresher than many who traveled widely in that December time frame.  Make no mistake, Madsen has excellent talent and could be a finalist at this class.  Mentor is probably the deepest district.  State qualifiers Bugara, Felton and Spencer (Division III) are all here and each has solid placement potential.  Bugara, a state quarter-finalist, missed placement by two points last year.  This year he won at Edison, but lost to Johnstone and Horne at the Ohio Duals - - no great disgrace.  Felton lost two one-point decisions at States, but has bounced back this year.  He crushed Lee at Avon Lake and was 7^th at Brecksville losing 10-9 to Turchetta and then succumbing to Roberts in the (where else?) consolations.  Spencer was a District champ for Newbury last year, but he and his twin brother have moved to Mayfield.  He failed to place at the Beast, but was runner up to the excellent Grogg at Brecksville and to Turchetta at the WRC.  State alternate Ward will look to pull an upset here while Smylie (Willoughby South) is also one to consider.

There is some good strength at Darby.  Early in the year I had Davis ranked above Horne, but I believe that the latter will be on top by tourney time.  Two years ago Horne was a junior high state runner-up to Schlatter, and last year he matched that effort with a second place finish to Luce at 112#.  Horne was 3^rd at both the Midwest classic and Medina splitting two bouts with the excellent St. Ed’s back-up Clayton Stark.  He was undefeated at the Ohio Duals with a big win over Bugara.  Davis was 2^nd to Johnstone at Medina and wrestled very well.  A state quarter-finalist last year he failed to place after losing to Johnstone and Roberts.  You can note Johnstone's improvement by observing his 2-1 victory over Davis last year compared to a 17-5 triumph at Medina this year.  Rieman was 5^th at 125# after winning the district title.  Rieman was an uncharacteristic 4^th at Wadsworth, and will need to pick it up by tourney time.  After that trio I’m not seeing a lot, Waters, Herzfeld, and Davis (Fremont Ross) come to mind, but there’ll be some surprises here.

State junior high champ Kyle has stepped into a varsity slot (he had been expected to share it) and been exceptional.  At the Ironman he upset state champ Zupancic and then lost two one-point decisions.  He was runner up at the GMVWA losing only to state champion Luce and was undefeated at the Ohio Duals.  I like him a lot.  After him there does not seem to be a lot of placement talent.    State qualifier Center, rated #1 in Cincinnati, was 2^nd at both Xenia and the SWOCA while people like Schultz, Pierson, Foust and McAfee are at about the same level.  The last boy in only his fourth year of wrestling has already won four tournaments.  He may still be on the steep part of the learning curve.  However, a real showstopper might be the recently added Crenshaw to this weight class.  On good days he might be placement material.  The one candidate for a possible breakout year is the junior Matt Neal.  He was 5^th at Brecksville losing 13-11 to Spencer in the quarterfinals.   Keep an eye on him.  Also in the background are Keefer (Springfield South) and Aber who had solid districts last year.  Both will peak at tournament time.

130 #

Projected Champion:  T. J. ENRIGHT (Westland)

Top Contenders

T.J. Enright has had a marvelous high school career that requires only a state title to be complete.  His results bear an uncanny resemblance to those of NCAA All-American Jake Percival - - both were 3^rd as freshman and 2^nd the next two years.  My anticipation is that that parallel will continue as Enright (like Percival) will win that coveted state title.  Last year he won his third district title over Meissner, but then lost to him the next week in the state finals. He is undefeated and won handily at Medina.  While there are a number of good wrestlers at this class Enright will be a strong favorite again this year.

There will be three other state qualifiers at 130# at Darby.  Dutton, at 119# last year, was 5^th at the Midwest Classic and a strong 3^rd at Medina losing only to Enright - -by a horrific score.  At the Ohio Duals he won twice, but lost to Mathews by six.  Two-time qualifier Brown has always done well within his district, but struggled on a broader stage.  He is 0-4 at the state level.  This year he was 2^nd at Kenston (to Chris Hurley) and is undefeated in duals.  Stolz won two state bouts last year, but lost to Rieman in his placement bout.  All three of these candidates though, are at risk with Mankin dropping to 130#.  Stevenson (Reynoldsburg) and McCreary (McCreary) are other possibilities. 

The Mentor District will be strong.  Two years ago Paglia was a huge favorite at 103#., but got caught in the semi-finals and quickly pinned.  Last year at 125# he was injured and did not compete in the tournament process.  This year he is still battling injuries, but has begun to fit in at 130#.  He was 3^rd at Medina losing only to state champion Shearer and could be a real factor at this weight class. Nathan Spencer was the Division III state runner-up last year at Newbury losing only to Jaggers.  He was 1^st at Brecksville with wins over Shearer and Frank Brown, but lost to Gioiella at the WRC.  Oberdove and Mathews are both excellent, but must repel the challenges of Anderson and state qualifier Cook (should he be here) to get to Columbus.  Oberdove, only a sophomore won at Perrysburg and was second at Southview while Mathews won at Edison.  At the state duals Mathews won all three bouts including victories over Dutton and Herzfeld.  Anderson won up two weight classes at Solon but didn’t place at 135# at Brecksville.  Mathews defeated him with an escape in the 30-second overtime in their dual.

State placer Gioiella heads a very solid field at Perry.  He was 6^th last year at this weight class.  This year he won at Solon, placed at the Powerade, and beat Spencer to win the WRC.  State qualifier Butler is one of the linchpins of a very strong Uniontown Lake squad.  He has been at 135# all year finishing 2^nd to the excellent Mundrick at Wadsworth and winning convincingly at Riverside.  He took Cunningham into overtime last year at districts but got off to a bad start at Columbus and could not recover.  Williams was a district runner-up at this weight class in Division II and just failed to place.  He was an impressive runner-up at Medina - - losing by five to Enright.  State qualifier Jonhenry is up three weight classes and that's a lot of new tonnage.  It will be a struggle to qualify once more with Suchomski, Spellacy, and Dickey looking to take his place nonetheless his athleticism should carry the day.

Things are very quiet in the Southwest, but there are two potential placers at Wilmington.  Dahling was the state alternate at 140# and has now moved down two weight classes.  Its obviously worked as he was 1^st at St. Xavier and 2^nd at Xenia and the GMVWA - - both times losing in the finals to out of state foes.  State placer Wilson started the year with some big dual meet wins and then was 4^th at the GMVWA at 135#.  He was 4^th last year at Columbus winning two by fall and two in overtime.  One of his losses was to Gioiella.  Cook is a solid third choice here and he was 2^nd at the SWOCA to an out-of-state champion and 3^rd at the GMVWA - - again losing to an out-of-stater.  Schmittauer might have the inside track for the fourth spot, but Rutledge and Cummings are good back-up choices. 

135 #

Projected Champion:  RYAN LANG (St. Edward)

Top Contenders

There are two principal themes intertwined within this weight class.  First, of course, is Ryan Lang’s attempt to become Ohio’s eleventh four-time champ - - and only the second in Division I competition.  St. Edward High School has won 66 state titles in the last 25 years but no one - - not Alan Fried or Jim Heffernan or Greg Elinsky or the Jayne brothers - - have been four-time champs.  It’s an extraordinary time when someone can set a new standard at St. Edward especially one of such significance.  Much has been made of Lang’s losses - - he is the only wrestler to have the most losses of all 42 state champs in two consecutive years - - but, maybe, we ought to concentrate on his many wins.  During the last 11 or so months he has been awesome.  His closest bout in last year’s tourney process was 12-5 with Flake in the finals, and then he went out and won the Junior Nationals.  This year no more early season defeats.  He just pulverized the opposition at the Ironman and the Beast, and has been untouchable.  He has transformed himself from a scrambler into a hammer, and it’s the opposition that has paid the price for that transaction. 

The second theme is that we have the same cast of major characters from last year’s competition at 130#.  The top trio is back along with five others from that curiously underclassman dominated weight class (only three seniors made the 16 man field).  Once again Flake and Cunningham stand as Lang’s primary obstacles to yet another state title.  Many of my Columbus friends still voice opinions that had Cunningham not been upset in the quarter-finals Lang might not be in search of his fourth title this year.  They point out that in his other bouts Cunningham had a fall and four decisions by a combined 58-11 margin.  I think they are badly mistaken.  Nonetheless, the pairings should be good with both Cunningham and Flake away from Lang.  As Yogi says, “It’s déjà vu all over again”.

Lang will surely dominate at Mentor.  It will, in fact, surprise if any of the other three qualifiers place - - unless of course, a Mundrick or Ramirez migrate to Mentor from the Northwest sectionals.  The quartet of Skaggs, Bottomlee, Carl, and White all have substantive district experience with Bottomlee a state alternate last year.  This year Carl was 2^nd at Solon and 7^th at the Midwest Classic, while Bottomlee won at Avon Lake.  State qualifiers Mundrick and Ramirez would certainly toughen up the qualification process should they appear here.  Mundrick was a district champion last year who split his first two state bouts by scores of 12-9 and 15-12 before getting manhandled by Cunningham.  This year he won at both Wadsworth and Perrysburg against very tough fields.  Ramirez qualified as a sophomore and went 1-2.  A semi-finalist at Medina he ended up 5^th and was a disappointing 7^th at Perrysburg.  He needs to take it up a notch.

Cunningham should also have little trouble at Darby. He has been every bit as awesome as Lang, but against substantially weaker opposition.  Last year he was supposed to be Lange’s toughest opponent, but got tripped early by the excellent Lakia.  The rest of this district is very weak again without knowing the district destination for Mundrick and Ramirez.  Lutz, a Triad transfer, has been solid while Evans, Haynes (Westland), and the young Weisenstein are possibilities.  Nichols, just down to 135# might be second best to Cunningham here.  They mystery to this point has been state qualifier Uhas who has struggled to date.  Should he regain positive momentum he could be a placement factor.  Watch for the young Weisenstein who is building on positive momentum.

Unlike Lang and Cunningham, Flake will not necessarily have his own way at Goshen.  State qualifiers Clemens, Linz, and Sizemore are here, and while the last two aren’t major obstacles, the first named could be.  Flake crushed Linz 17-7 in the SWOCA finals and then defeated a representative field at Brecksville that included a 11-4 win over state 4^th Murray in the finals.  He’s ready but will he stay at 135#?   Clemens, just down from 140# was 6^th at the Ironman and 8^th at the Beast, but was only 4^th at the GMVWA.  Still, I just don’t see him beating Flake, but he might make it a low scoring bout.  Linz was 2^nd at the SWOCA and dropped to 6^th at Brecksville after being a semi-finalist.  Sizemore struggled at Medina after finishing 2^nd at 140# at the SWOCA.  The change in weight may have impacted his performance.  Wagner, Thomas, and Kramer may play roles here, but there are a host of other possibilities. 

The deepest and most competitive district will be at Perry.  There are six wrestlers who are easily good enough to compete at the state level, but, of course, only four can qualify.  Topping my list is state placer Murray and Missouri state qualifier Wright.  Murray, only a junior, looked very good at Brecksville until Flake chewed him up in the finals.  He should place again this year, but next year will be his year.  Wright won at North Canton while Whittaker has consistently placed.  They, along with Prvonozac, have the best shot at the last three spots.  Compton and Mierau are also solid while Berger (Glen Oak) is an up-and-comer. 

140 #

Projected Champion:  CHARLIE AGOZZINO (St. Edward)

Top Contenders

In past years I have written this report out of sequence and then compiled it at the very end.  I did not do this in 2003.  About January 10^th I started on Division II beginning at 103# and worked sequentially through 275#, and then went to Division I and Division III, and did the same thing – with one exception.  I skipped this weight class hoping that one issue could be settled so as to make the most informed decision.  No such luck so here’s the problem.

It seems to me there could be two high probability choices at 140#, with other candidates having far smaller chances of winning the state title.  One is the 2-time state placer Charlie Agozzino.  He has been 3^rd the last two years at 119# and 125#, but has moved up three weight classes this year with exceptional success.  He won the Ironman and the Beast – pinning in both the semi-final and finals at the latter.  His only loss this year was a 3-1 overtime decision to Kevin Pietropinto at the Big Eight. 

The other possibility is last year’s 3^rd place finisher at 135#, Daniel Mason-Straus.  He won his first 40 bouts last year until losing in the semifinals to Chris Vondruska, who slowed down the tempo, made it a one-move match, and capitalized on impatience.  How many times did we see Vondruska do that?  Nevertheless, it was clear that Mason-Straus was a superior athlete with immense upside potential.  My mental note was that nobody would touch this kid with one more year of experience.  Well, that hasn’t happen.  Mason-Straus still is not wrestling although he has certified at 140#.  His physical tools are immense, and combined with his wrestling skill makes him an extremely attractive college recruit, everything else being in order.

It seems to me you have to go with Agozzino.  He is going to show up and perform, and he may well handle Mason-Straus no matter what the circumstances.  His victories at two of the toughest high school tournaments in the United States demonstrate fully well his tremendous ability. 

Agozzino exits a power-packed district, and it may be further augmented if a couple of the excellent 140’s from the Toledo area end up here.  State qualifier Pietropinto lost to Mason-Straus, 6-0, in the first round at Columbus last year and ended up with one state victory.  This year he was 5^th at the Beast and won at both Brecksville and the Big Eight, defeating Agozzino 3-1 in overtime.  State qualifier Lakia pulled a major upset last year at Columbus defeating Tommy Cunningham and ended up 5^th.  This year he won at Eastlake North and Riverside defeating in the latter, Tortorici, and has won several dual meet tourneys.  Effner has been inconsistent, but he is a real talent.  He was 1^st at Edison and the Dies, and nearly beat Walters at the Ohio Duals.  Anderson won the title at Southview and was 3^rd at Toledo Waite.  The intriguing entrant is Tortorici.  Only a freshman, he is the only three-time junior high state champion in history.  He has chosen a very difficult district with which to begin his high school career.

Mason-Straus, should he appear, will dominate at Wilmington, but there are some other good wrestlers there.  Brulport finished 6^th at 125# last year, making it to the semifinals before Enright defeated him.  He’s up three weight classes and it’s been a bit of an adjustment, finish 7^th, for example, at the GMVWA.  State qualifier Spence is up two weight classes, but with more success – at least so far.  He won the SWOCA over Sizemore after winning one state bout last year.  With Clemens moving to 135# - if he stays there – increased opportunities now exist for folks like Manning, Tennant, Brewer, and Butman.  Manning, just down from 145#, was a district semifinalist last year, while Brewer beat Clemens for 3^rd at the GMVWA.  I was also impressed with Butman where he won seven times while finishing 5^th, losing only to Turchetta and Davis and beating Nasteff and Gliatta.  I think Brulport may struggle to return to Columbus. 

It’s a crowded, difficult field at Perry.  State qualifier Walters has wrestled a brutal schedule and been knocked around a bit, but he really is a tough, tenacious competitor.  He was 7^th at the Beast, losing to Agozzino, 7-4, and was 4^th at Medina, losing two one-point decisions to Guerra.  At the Ohio Duals he took Agozzino into overtime before losing.  After him chaos reigns.  With state qualifier Nasteff, Kovacich, and Kallai slight favorites to qualify.  However, it would little surprise me if that trio were supplanted by Ramsey, Jeffers, and Basso.

Guerra won two bouts at Columbus last year, and could do even better this year.  He was 3^rd at Medina and won at Waite and Perrysburg.  State qualifier Marzec is also very good.  He won big at Oak Harbor and Tiffin and was 3^rd at the CIT, losing to Davis in overtime.  State qualifiers Samples and Anderson are also here with Wickboldt edging past the latter.  Newbury is probably the best long shot choice, but Ciracky is also strong.

145#

Projected Champion:  TRAVIS KOVACH (Massillon Perry)

Top Contenders               

This is one of those weight classes where there is no dominant figure or even a dominant duo or threesome.  It is one of those smooth classes where one wrestler flows into another such that it is difficult to distinguish the exceptional from the merely good.  It is also a weight class where it is more difficult to trust last year’s results since I think there have been some major changes.  My choice, Travis Kovach, was 3^rd last year losing only to Pflug at Columbus.  I also like his mental toughness in rebounding from a shocking first round district loss and qualifying 3^rd out of his district.  This year he was a strong 3^rd at the Ironman but only 6^th at the Beast.  However, he then rebounded to win at Medina defeating Division III champ Vogel in the finals.  He is a good solid choice but certainly not an unbeatable one.  He’ll have to be at the top of his game to pull this off.

His district is very good.  Let’s start with sophomore Miller who has exploded onto the scene.  He had 34 wins last year at 140# and won two district bouts.  This year he pinned his way through Riverside, and majored Melton in the finals at Wadsworth.  The high point of his season was a 7-2 win over the redoubtable Ryan Hurley - - a victor, 3-2, over Kovach at the Ironman.  Hmm, what do we make of that?  State qualifiers Melton and Verdi are also at Perry with Melton probably the better of the two.  Remember though, that is was Verdi who upset Kovach last year at districts.  The way I look at it Simms or Streb may need help from the bracket sheet to qualify. 

The Goshen District is also good, but even more confusing.  Dean was a surprise placer at 152# last year and has switched weights with Monk this year.  He was 3^rd at the SWOCA pinning Carraher in the consolation finals after losing to Maupin in the semis.  Then he dominated at Brecksville shutting out Halverstadt and Maupin and crushing Carraher in the finals.  I think he’s the best one here.  State qualifier Sanchez has also been good placing 5^th at the Ironman and 2^nd at GMVWA.  Melton beat him 8-2 at the Ohio Duals, however.  Maupin was 2^nd at the SWOCA and could have placement potential.  The scrappy Wilson - - also down from 152# - - should also be a factor especially after his big win over Carraher at St. Xavier.  Smith, Neumann (Moeller), and Wiley (Beavercreek) are good, but it’s hard to figure them to qualify in this crowded district.

We need to keep in mind that the Toledo area has at least three state caliber wrestlers at this weight class.  Where we end up finding them will play a major role in the district outcomes at Mentor and Darby.  As it is, Mentor is not that strong.  Tischer was 6^th at this weight last year, but was pinned in the finals at Perrysburg by Hreben, and was majored by Kovach while finishing 3^rd at Mentor.  State alternate Halverstadt lost his go-to-state bout to Tischer 7-6 last year, but was pinned in their dual last week.  He was 4^th at Brecksville losing to Sanchez and did not place at the Ironman.  Ward and Cook are other thoughts, but the big news would be the arrival of some of the Toledo 145’s.  State qualifier Cramer returns after drawing two-time champ McIntire in the first round at Columbus.  Also good is state qualifier Hreben who spent much of the year at 160# and won against a solid field at Perrysburg.  He competed at 130# last year, but has gotten substantially larger.  I originally thought Marzec would be here, but apparently he will go at 140#, but Root is also excellent.  A state alternate last year he was 2^nd to Marzec at Tiffin.  Bork, Portillo (Libbey) and Mager (Ashland) are also possibilities at the right district.

Huddle’s been at 152# most of the year, but I believe he’s the best 145# at Darby.  A state qualifier two years ago he got shut out last year losing two Saturday afternoon bouts - - the last to Marzec.  This year he won at Marion Harding and the Gorman.  After that it all seems pretty confusing.  Think about it.  Tigner won at Kilbourne, Boyd at Darby, and Bierl at Coffman while Bishop was 2^nd at Marion Harding.  I haven’t decoded the pattern as of yet.  I have seen the future so watch for the freshman Popham (Mt. Vernon).

152 #

Projected Champion:  IAN EMMONS (Hamilton)

Top Contenders

This is a weight class that is rather ill defined and elusive.  We have top contenders returning from lengthy injuries, dropping from higher weight classes, leaving their team, and being injured.  It’s safe to say that no one can be completely assured of showing up in Columbus at the end of February.  However, that’s what should make it interesting, exciting, and unpredictable since there are a lot of interesting stories here.  Let’s take a district-by-district look at this weight class.

It’s safe to say the Goshen District is really loaded.  The blocky, powerful Emmons finished 5^th last year losing twice to Rhodes and defeating Scarl, Horner, and Dean.  He is undefeated this year at 160# (and just recently 152#) with wins at the SWOCA (all in under six minutes) and St. Johns.  Should he win - - and he now knows he has at least one fan in Cleveland - - he would become Hamilton’s first state champion.  Right behind is district champion and state 5^th placer Sharkey.  He was a winner at the GMVWA and North Canton (over Miller) and has finalist potential.  He wrestled a lot of very close bouts at the state level last year.  I think he’ll be more dominating this year.  I was extremely impressed with state alternate Monk at Brecksville where he was runner-up to Division III pick Whelan.  He also won at the SWOCA (Emmons was at 160#), but had some early round challenges.  Not far behind this trio is another threesome of solid reputation.  Mauro, only a junior, qualified at 145# last year and won a state bout before losing to Sharkey.  He was 2^nd at the GMVWA as Sharkey got him again.  State qualifier Butler defeated Monk in their go-to-state bout last year, but I’m not sure he could do it again.  He was 3^rd at the SWOCA, but, otherwise, wrestles a fairly pedestrian schedule.  Conley was 2^nd at the SWOCA.  He moved up to 160# at Medina and won 5 bouts to finish 6^th.  We might see him there again.  Armbrust has wrestled several of these top boys very “tough” and could pull a significant upset here as might Honnerlaw (Wilmington).

Kuhner is close to a co-favorite at this weight class.  He was a semi-finalist last year finishing 4^th - - the best placement by an underclassman.  He was 2^nd at the Midwest Classic - - also losing to Whelan - - and then won by a point over Smilek to take the Medina crown.  Then came the shocker - - a loss by fall to Miller at the Ohio Duals.  Pickerington wrestlers have a history of peaking at tourney time so he’ll be even better in late February.  State qualifiers Gurney (maybe) and Moore will be here battling for a low place. I’m a little worried about Moore who didn’t make the top pool at the Midwest Classic.  He has, however, bounced back with some big wins since then.  There are a number of other potential contenders Maier, Love, Kettinger, Cepeda, and Gourash trying to be part of the state recipe.

There are a lot of question marks at Perry.  Foster, 3^rd as a freshman, has endured nearly two years of varying levels of inactivity because of his shoulder.  A favorite two years ago he had to default out of district action and has been hurt every since.  Recently back, he won a small tourney at Malvern and then was 3^rd at Medina - - losing only to Smilek and beating Koz twice by narrow margins.  He won twice at the State Duals (including another win over Koz) but lost to Monk.  Now a senior this is his last shot.  Miller moved directly from being a junior high state champ to a state qualifier at 135#.  Then he won two bouts reaching the semi-finals before finishing 6^th.  He was 2^nd at North Canton (by one point to Sharkey) and 2^nd at Wadsworth to Tripp.  He was a sensational 3-0 at the State Duals including that fall over Kuhner.   District champ and two-time state qualifier Horner drew Ward and Emmons in the first two rounds and did not place.  He has, apparently, left the team, but I’ve rated him anyway with the hope that he returns.  He has had a great career.  State qualifier Jonhenry is also here, but after him the well runs dry.  I’ve listed Lemmer and Reed, but I’m sure there are others.  Maybe, Soltis (Solon) is the answer.

Mentor is not strong.  State qualifier Ward is back and he had an exceptional freshman year - - including a win at the state level. However, after his 21-10 loss to Monk he defaulted out of Brecksville and didn’t wrestle at the WRC.  Last year he didn’t hit the radar screen until late, and, maybe, it will be the same this year.  Koz has wrestled a brutal schedule and should be, if anything, battle hardened.  He has placed at the Ironman and Medina and his losses have come to high-grade competition and have been close.  O’Bryan and Ludwig are reasonable selections for state berths, but a Toledo influx might put that in jeopardy.  Southview champ and Perrysburg placer Marasch could also put a crimp in their plans. 

INTERLUDE

There are always discussions as to the strongest districts feeding into the state meet.  This examines the last two years looking only at championship round action.

160#

Projected Champion: STEVE LUKE (Massillon Perry)

Top Contenders

This should be a three-man showdown filled with a lot of low scoring battles during the last two rounds.  My choice is the junior state champion Steve Luke.  As a freshman he battled Mark Moos for the 112# state title.  Last year he was again a finalist, but this time turned the tables on Chris Vondruska and avenged several regular season defeats with a 5-4 win.  Now at 160# he was 2^nd at the Ironman, 4^th at the Beast, and first at Medina (over Division II state champ Maxworthy).  Luke has gone up 8 weight classes the last two years with no loss in efficiency, a junior high state champ at 108# he has that barrel chest, tremendous strength and quick feet that win. 

Luke has gone against St. Edward’s competitors in both his state title bouts so if form holds it should be he and Scarl in the finals.  They have already met four times with Luke winning thrice.  Scarl is a master of the low scoring, not much happens bout, and the over/under when he wrestles quality is about five.  Several times a state qualifier he has yet to place although he has come very close.  He was 3^rd at both the Ironman and the Beast and beat Srock 3-2 in the Ohio Duals.  He is not a wrestler who can come from behind, but he doesn’t generally face that issue with his superb defense.

Srock really improved last year as a junior gaining a district 3^rd and then capping the season with a state 4^th.  He upset Konyesni in the quarterfinals and then lost a close 3-1 bout to the eventual champ Murray.  This year he has breezed through North Canton and Wadsworth barely breaking a sweat and his only loss was the aforementioned one-pointer to Scarl.  He and Luke emerge from the same district so they’ll be apart at the state level, and with no seeding here Scarl could fall into either half.  While the odds favor the Perry District champ to go through unscathed (2 to 1) there is still some chance that Srock (if he is not the champ) might see Luke and Scarl battle it out in the other semi-final.

We’ll just take a quick look at each district.  At Perry it is very difficult to see anyone challenging the top duo.  Frye, Alexander, and Beck are workmanlike performers, but seem hardly ready to upset the two top boys.  Like all four districts there isn’t a lot of depth here.

Much the same is true at Mentor.  Hough-Snee won at Solon and was 2^nd at the Midwest Classic, but finished 6^th at Brecksville.  He has possible placement ability.  After him I have Kenston champ DeLiberato, Wallace, and Anderson, but there may be others I have missed.  There is some solid talent in the Northwest District who could play a role here.  State alternate Zeiler has been very strong.  He took Division II champ Maxworthy into two overtimes before succumbing 7-6, and he beat the excellent Seng at 171# to win at Sylvania Southview.  Harris won at Rogers and was 2^nd at Northwood and this senior could also play a role.

Maybe, I’m missing something but there isn’t much at Goshen.  Look, perhaps, for one of the 171’s to drop or for a couple of the 152’s to exit that difficult class.  As it is Gallagher, a state qualifier, is probably best.  He won two state bouts last year and should place.  He and Ferguson make up a small second tier directly below the top trio.  He was 3^rd at the SWOCA losing to an out-of-stater and was 2^nd by default at Brecksville. Cromwell, Griffin, and Haws are other qualifying possibilities.

It may be somewhat more crowded at Darby.  State qualifier Ferguson stands at the top, but I have far more names here than at the other districts.  Mowry was one bout from qualification last year and won at the Wayne Invitational and Ashland. Perhaps, more importantly he was a strong 3^rd at Wadsworth losing only to Srock.  State qualifier Doup, Rausch and McCunney could also qualify with Thomas also a real contender.  A dark-horse candidate here is Trujillo who has been pinning all kinds of people recently.  His win at Darby may have opened some eyes.

171 #

Projected Champion:  JOSH JOHNSON (Waite)

Top Contenders

While this weight class will be very competitive it will not be contested at an extraordinarily high level.  The winner here would be fortunate to be in the top five in Division II.  Nonetheless, it should be a weight with lots of surprises and much give-and-take.  I’ll get lots of e-mails because people will be ranked behind wrestlers they’ve beaten (that’s what they complain about) and ahead of wrestlers to whom they’ve lost.  There is a lot of churning or turbulence at this class, and internal consistency will not be its trademark.

Two names, however, stand out above the rest.  Johnson and Grogan are both undefeated against Division I foes, each suffering their only loss to state champion, Hahn at Medina.  I was hoping they’d meet, but, of course, it didn’t work with Hahn beating Johnson by two in the semis and Grogan by four.  Both were 160# state qualifiers last year and had oddly parallel results with again the bracketing favoring Grogan who got 6^th.  Johnson lost in the quarters to eventual champ Murray 6-5 while Grogan lost in the semis to Shamakian - - also in overtime.  Then they both lost to Konyesni in the consolations - - Johnson by two and Grogan by eight.  This year they’ve won everything entered except Medina.  I like Johnson just slightly better believing him the better athlete.  Even if both win their districts there is no guarantee they’ll be apart so some third party could easily be a finalist. 

The bracketing methodology has not been good to Johnson, and, of course, no one knows, as of yet, what district will serve as his qualifying base.  Assuming its Mentor, he will not have enormous difficulties winning that title.  In the fall I had anticipated state qualifier DeLande might be the top 171-pounder at Mentor, but I’m still waiting for that to happen.  Apparently plagued by injuries he has wrestled intermittently and without overwhelming success.  After his gusty district performance that saw him defeat St. Edward’s star Swift twice I would not count him out.  The rest of this district seems just a little above ordinary.  DiDona stepped in as a starter and has done quite well.  He was 5^th at Medina losing only to state champion Hahn and state qualifier Grove.  Pokorny and Anthony are solid journeymen with good qualification chances while Armbruster and Glavan are long shots

Like Johnson Grogan should dominate at Perry.  A long ago transfer from Walsh he has shown excellent improvement the last two years.  A member of that first group of Junior High State champions he has the opportunity to add a senior title to his resume.  Beside his runner-up finish he was 1^st at North Canton and undefeated at Springfield.  There are at least half dozen contenders for the last three state berths.  State qualifier Chine is closest to Grogan and could be a significant factor at Columbus.  He was second at Brecksville to Knapp and upset West Virginia star, Pickens, in overtime.  Fitch always has one or two excellent upper weights and Chine certainly maintains that tradition.  Brown has been at 189# all year with some success.  A district semi-finalist last year he certainly has strong qualification chances.  Smith was the champion at Hudson beating DeLande by eight, but failed to place at Brecksville including a surprising overtime loss to Riha.  Wilson missed much of last year to injury but bounced back to win opening week at Solon.  I kind of expected him to settle at 160#, but he remains at 171#.  He was 5^th at the Midwest Classic losing to Johnson and lost to Smith at the WRC finals.  That leaves North Canton runner-up Roman (who Grogan defeated 12-0) and Richardson just outside potential qualification.  But upsets will be the rule at this weight class.  Somebody to really watch in that vein is Miller who has a boatload of pins.  Up from 145# he is dangerous.

The Darby District will be very interesting.  Two Northwest District grapplers that should do well here (or at Mentor) are Imhoff and Seng.  Imhoff missed state qualification by two points last year including a win over Simmons.  This year he won at the Gorman (over Doup) and at Ashland (over Chine). He was 3^rd at Wadsworth when Simmons defeated him.  Seng went 17-10 with Wade Morris last year before having to default out of the district process and has lost but once this year (to Zieler on criteria).  Other than that he has been perfect.  They’ll match up with some good Columbus kids.  Simmons, a state qualifier two years ago, has inconsistent results.  He did not even make the championship pool at the Midwest Classic, but then won at Wadsworth.  Rudell is a returning state qualifier and won in devastating style at Kilbourne.  He was 4^th at the MWC losing to Johnson by technical fall.  State qualifier Doup is also strong and was 2^nd at the Gorman to Imhoff.  Rudell defeated him 10-4 at Columbus last year.  I also like Fisher (winner at Tiffin) and Saunders (winner at Ready).  It’ll take peak performance to get out of here.

This is another district where the transitive property doesn’t hold - - in other words if A beats B and B beats C you can’t be sure that A will beat C.  I think the top quintet of Malinowski, Merkle, Friend, Combs, and Gadd are all very close.  Malinowski, a returning state qualifier was 2^nd at the SWOCA and 3^rd at Brecksville and won at St. Xavier.  Still, he has not wrestled many of the top contenders here.  Friend also made it to Columbus last year, but he, too, does not wrestle an overly demanding schedule.  Nonetheless he will play a major role here.  State qualifier Gadd has wrestled a part-time schedule and his only loss was to Combs at Fairfield.  Combs have won four tourney titles, but was 4^th at the GMVWA losing to Brennan twice.  And then there is Merkle who missed much of last year.  He was only 1-2 at the Ironman, again having to default, but then returned to win the GMVWA in impressive fashion.  Lingering just below this fivesome are Wiley, Klaesner, and Riha (Lakota West).  Two interesting contestants are the powerful Poore who nearly qualified last year and the dark-horse Gentene (Mason).  The one to watch is Poore who upset Merkle last year and won at Middletown.

189 #

Projected Champion:  ANDREW LEGG (Fremont Ross)

Top Contenders

*Morris (Rogers) would be rated #2 should he wrestle.

This is undoubtedly the weakest weight class in Division I.  In fact, both 171# and 189# are far less strong then we normally see.  I noted, for example, that at the four major holiday tournaments in Cleveland, Division II wrestlers won all eight titles at these two weight classes.  That may be one of the reasons I have struggled to identify potential qualifiers and a likely champion.

Last year I singled out the sophomore Andrew Legg as a high potential candidate with good upside potential.  It turned out that he far exceeded my expectations by capturing the district title at 171# and then finishing 5^th at Columbus.  In truth, had he gotten the overtime takedown in the semi-finals Kallai would have faced him instead of Fairman in the finals.  This year he won at Ashland and Rogers and began to dominate as had been anticipated.  Fremont Ross has not had a state champion in 43 years (Mooney at 119# over long-time retired Rogers coach Ray Steely) and I think they are overdue.

The Northwest District has some other solid 189’s and had Wade Morris (Rogers) recovered from his football injuries he would have been very near or at the top of the list.  Interestingly enough he certified at 189# so there may yet be hope of seeing him.  A state qualifier last year he was an exceptional performer.  Duenke and Greene (Toledo St. John) are also potential qualifiers - - some of which will depend on the district to which they are assigned.

I don’t see a lot at Perry.  State alternate Rose lost a tense one-pointer in his go-to-state bout last year, and has returned to anchor the upper weights at Uniontown Lake.  He was 2^nd at Riverside and Wadsworth and has to be the favorite for the district crown.

Donadee and Kemokai are also possibilities and I think the latter on a hot weekend could do very well.  Kemokai was a state alternate at 215# last year.  The surprising Zalaiskalns was 3^rd at Wadsworth losing only to Unger and 2^nd at Northwest to Brown.  With so much parity at each district folk’s like Kaszar or Jeffrey have an outside chance.

The Mentor District will be stronger than what we saw last year.  All four qualifiers at this weight lost in the first round at Columbus.  There are six potential qualifiers here and this year they’ll have a better first round.  The only problem is somehow discerning the proper order.  State qualifier Dominick has missed part of the year because of illness so his current record doesn’t tell you much.  Nonetheless I think he and the tough Dobies might be marginally better than the remaining quartet.  Hough-Snee has on the other hand, has seeming been everywhere.  He was 1^st at Solon and a solid 4^th at the MWC losing two very close bouts.  He also was a solid runner-up at Brecksville crushing Donadee and Waller along the way.  In the famed shoelace dual meet he lost to Dobies 5-3.  Gronzalski is Maple’s only hope for a state berth and he may make it.  He won at Franklin Hts. and was 3^rd at Brecksville losing only to the excellent Carpenter.  Waller has had some big wins, a title at Columbia Station and a 3^rd at Avon Lake.  He defeated Brown but lost to both Hough-Snee and Schweer.  The wild card here is Adkins.  At times he appears to be a world-beater and then he kind of fades out of sight.  He was 6^th at Medina losing to Bergman and Reinhart in a 17-15 shoot-out.  Last year the unheralded Quinn took the district title at this weight class, but this year the task for Adkins will be much tougher.  I would be remiss if I also failed to mention Rios (North Ridgeville) and Masterson (St. Ignatius).

I think Clingner has to draw the favorite’s label at Goshen after winning the SWOCA, GMVWA and Beavercreek championships.  Winning the first two is a relatively rare double.  Lukens, now a junior, may be following the same trajectory as his older brother.  As you recall a solid sophomore season followed by a good junior season where upon he exploded at the end of that year and took home the state title.  Could it happen again?  I’m not seeing much after this duo with Schweer (5^th at Brecksville, 2^nd at SWOCA, and 1^st at St. Xavier) a possible exception.  After him I have DeMaris, Ervin and Lewis (Northmont).

State qualifiers Grimes and Rickman lead the way at Darby, but the former has had the better year.  He won at Marysville at 215# over Radva and was 2^nd at the same weight at Wadsworth losing only to Busson.  Rickman on the other hand has not been overwhelming this year.  He won at the Darby Tourney, but was 5^th at Wadsworth losing to Zalaiskalns and Wills (by 20-9) and lost later to Schmidt as well.  He still should go - - last year he had 17 losses and qualified.  Reinhart, Adams, and Kellogg are three other possibilities, but no one here has really taken charge.

215 #

Projected Champion:  MATT KOZ (St. Edward)

Top Contenders

            "Like one that on a lonesome road

            Doth walk in fear and dread.

            And having once turned round walks on

            And no more turns his head,

            Because he knows a frightful foe

            Doth close behind him tread"

Somehow I picture this poem summarizing the feelings of most 215’s as the specter of Pat Barrentine haunted them.  For more than a month he tried to reach 215# to set up one last titanic struggle with Matt Koz.  Twice they had met at Columbus (once in the finals and once in the semi-finals) and both times Koz had won in the 30 second overtime - - once by escaping, once by riding out.  He weighed 238 pounds at the Ironman and the cut was just too much.  We’ll talk more about him at the next weight class.

Koz should become the first Ohio wrestler to win three state titles at 215 pounds.  An awesome figure in his own right he now dominates a weight class that not only lacks Barrentine but had state 4^th Stansbury move to Division II.  A state qualifier at this weight class as a freshman he won two bouts, but did not place.  Since then he won everything - - two state titles, Ironman, Medina, Beast of the East, whatever.  He is short, compact, and infinitely resourceful in relation to winning.  Last year he lost his first two epic confrontations with Matt Delguyd, but got the win when it counted at Columbus.  He wrestles to win by taking shots, looking for backpoints, and, occasionally, putting himself at risk.  This year he has lost twice to old foe Villers who defeated him for a junior high state title four years ago.  He has suffered from a low-grade pneumonia for probably a month and needs to get completely healed by tourney time.

Koz should have little trouble at Mentor.  He’s already beaten most of the top contenders and seems poised to take his third district title.  Burger has moved into the forefront of his district challengers.  He started slowly with a 5^th at Solon, but the was 1^st at the MWC and 2^nd at Brecksville to Nagel.  Last year he gamely continued wrestling at the district level despite some injuries only to lose his go-to-state bout in overtime.  Noga, Kusmirek, and Faught are all very close even though Noga has missed a lot of time for a variety of reasons.  Kusmirek won at St. Xavier and was 5^th at Brecksville.  He has a real chance here.  McConnell, a district qualifier last year, also has chances.  And, then, there’s Zako-- who?  I don’t know either, but he was 3^rd at the WRC and won the Big 8 over Busson.  Clearly a backup last year to Delguyd and also very good. Tragically missing is state alternate J.T. Matranga who was found dead in his truck near his home.  Only a sophomore last year he would have been rated near the top at this weight class

One of Koz’s principal threats is the rapidly improving Busson.  He pinned state qualifier Matt Meyers to win at North Canton and then majored state qualifier Grimes in the finals at Wadsworth.  At the state duals he lost 9-4 to Koz a score that suggest that he may even do better in the future.  Also at Perry is Division II state placer Kuhn who was 2^nd at the Wayne Invitational.  He proved a tenacious competitor at last year’s states by coming back to place after losing in the first round.  Friend won at Riverside and was a solid 4^th at Wadsworth in a very tough weight class.  He missed qualification last year by a single point.  A small step behind this trio are perennial placers Watson and Trusnik with Kent and Doyle (Massillon Perry) one further step removed.

The Goshen District is uncharacteristically shallow.  I like Chambers at 215# and think he has strong placement potential.  He missed the early part of the year and then wrestled at Heavyweight before moving down.  State qualifier Wessel was 3^rd at the SWOCA and should once again qualify.  The last two spots are wide open with Osborne, Atkinson, and McCoy the principal threats.  Perhaps Harter or Bolte (St. Xavier) could play a role here.  Don’t forget to watch the freshman Porter (Mason) Cincinnati’s first junior high state champion.  Look for him at the district level, he may still be a year away from state qualification.

Its crowded with possible qualifiers at Darby, but none are threats to Koz. Litchfield and Austin are rated the best in Columbus, but both Koz and Burger pinned the former and the latter has faced little tough competition. Still, Litchfield was 4th at Brecksville and 3rd at the MWC, while Austin won at Hamilton Township. State qualifier Meyers is a shaky third choice with Johnson, Gough and Troll not far behind. Also look for McDuffie (Coffman) and Huddle (Scioto) to offer significant problems for the higher rated boys.

HVY.

Projected Champion:  PAT BARRENTINE (Carroll)

Top Contenders

This is an excellent group of heavyweights featuring four returning state placers - - all of whom are multi-talented.  As we saw last year this is a dangerous weight class where the unexpected is almost commonplace.  In the 2002 competition all four-district champions had undefeated records - - so unusual that it might have been a unique occurrence.  Yet none of this group won the title and only one made it to the semi-finals.  I see three distinct tiers this year - - a top trio all of whom have very realistic championship expectations, a second duo that have strong upset potential, and everybody else.

The most intriguing participant is the exceptional Barrentine.  Short, like Koz, and even stockier he has tremendous skills and strength as was documented at 215#.  He was 2^nd as a sophomore and 3^rd as a junior losing both to Koz in the 30-second tiebreaker.  At the Ironman he weighed 238 pounds but wanted one last shot at Koz.  Apparently it was just too large a cut and he will compete here.  He won at the Ironman and Beast (7-2 over Bendau in the final).  He was the OW at the Ohio Duals with three falls. He is so determined and so rock solid that I think, this time, he’ll find a way to navigate to the finals--and win.

Right there with him is the Cadet National Champion and state third place finisher, Tony Johnson.  Only a junior he upset Bendau in overtime in the quarterfinals last year, but was overpowered by Vallos in the next round.  I don’t think that will happen this year.  He won handsomely at the SWOCA (over Taylor) and at Medina. His stated goal is not to give up a single takedown this year.  Should he do that the state title is well in reach.  He is the best athlete of the top trio and with his extensive experience he becomes an imposing foe. 

Bendau has been 4^th the past two years.  He had injury problems at last year’s States which clearly hampered his effort, and he has again been injured - - this time at Brecksville.  Of the top trio he is the most dangerous.  Last year he pinned Johnson in 89 seconds in the Brecksville finals.  Barrentine and Johnson exit the same district so Bendau will have to beat them both (and, maybe, Taylor, too) to win.  That may be a larger assignment than this big man can complete.

Taylor was 5^th last year and, in fact, beat Johnson at the district level.  His win at Brecksville should have reminded us how good he is.  Winning the district would put him away from Johnson and Barrentine and enormously inflate his chances.  Nail is a small, mobile heavyweight who gives the big boys fits.  He beat Taylor in the first round last year and was nipped by Vallos in overtime.  Johnson only beat him by three at Brecksville - - where he finished 3^rd.  He is a prime candidate to pull off the big upset 

The Goshen District is loaded.  Barrentine, Taylor and Johnson have the potential to be 1-2-3 not only at the district level, but at the state meet as well.  The last spot should probably go either to the tall (6’5”) Snapp who was the state alternate last year or to Vance.  Snapp has two victories over Vance.  But the vagaries of bracketing could be the real decider.  Absent injury no one else should have more than an infinitesimal chance of qualification.  Marshall (Mason) or Smith (Springfield North) are that small probability.

There is a lot of talent at Mentor, but certainly not to the level we see at Goshen.  A healthy (and that’s critical) Bendau is easily the best, but state qualifers Cybulski and Rowe also return.  Cybulski was 1^st at Solon, 3^rd at the MWC, and 4^th at Brecksville.  Rowe has been injured much of the year and Cybulski may have overtaken him.  State alternate Fitzpatrick was 5^th at Brecksville after getting pinned by Taylor and losing in overtime to Cybulski.  Quinn, who will certify at 215#, is a very light heavyweight who has made a nice transition from 189#.  He placed at both the Ironman and Beast, but Johnson crushed him at Medina.  Avolt is a back up here.

Nail leads a decent group at Darby.  Smith is very good and in many years would have a great shot at placement, but this year it will be much more difficult.  He was 4^th at Brecksville winning six times.  Pritchett and McGhee also rate highly with Inceoglu right with them.  Holzhauer and Brubeck lead a Northwestern contingent, but they may not be factors even at the district level. 

The Perry District is somewhat ill defined.  They have had some big victories (like Ciborek over Cybulski).  State qualifier Britton returns along with good performers like Starkey, Ciborek, and Wiley.  The unknown part of the puzzle is Porter.  He won the Wadsworth tourney with a pin in the finals, but frankly, he wasn’t on any of my lists until then.

TEAMS

1.            St. Edward - Very few of St. Edward's many state titles have been won in tense, down to the wire dogfights. Generally, they sprint to an enormous lead and then concentrate on individual goals. This year could be very different. They have four potential finalists in Palmer, Lang, Agozzino, and M. Koz. They should score between 90 and 100 points, usually enough to win--but not this year. Scarl should score heavily though his track record in Columbus is shaky. After that its boys who are problematical like DiDona, Quinn, C. Koz, and Ward. The key element that could clinch the title is a healthy and effective Madsen.

2.            Massillon Perry - Early in the year there was much speculation about Massillon Perry becoming the first public school to win a Division I state title since Nordonia in 1977. It evaporated when St Ed's finished light years ahead of them at the Ironman and the Beast--but it shouldn't have. They have three potential finalists in Luke, Kovach, and Johnstone--that should be around 70 points--and good placement possibilities with Hartley and Walters. It's the last chance for Riggs and Foster and should they wrestle up to their full potential it will be a very happy weekend for coach Dave Riggs.

3.            Pickerington - This is another exceptional public school program that generates lots  of state points every year. Iovine, Kuhner, and Horne are finalist material with the right draws and could score in excess of 60 points. They'll need help from Nichols, Ferguson, Anderson, Dutton, and Litchfield to go any higher. I think the key players are Horne--working to match last year's result--and Ferguson scoring in the 160# class.

4.            Wadsworth - This is a team that could be 4^th or 14^th--there is so much variability in their scoring potential. Srock is solid and could be--with a good draw--a state finalist. After Koz at 215# its wide open and Busson could score big points there. Let state qualifiers Miller and Melton have a big tournament and then get points from Kallai, Wise, or Noble and this team could challenge for 2^nd--especially if Kemokai scores at the easy 189# class.

5.            Carroll  - Another team with a wide range of possible point totals. Barrentine should be a finalist and that freshman, Kyle, just keeps getting better and better. They'll need points in between these two scorers from folks like Clemens, Sanchez, and Merkle.  If state qualifier Thompson can put some points on the board they'll do very well, indeed, at the Schott.

6.            Mayfield - Like Wadsworth this team could end up anywhere. Bendau could really score big at 275# especially with his ability to get bonus points. Pietropinto could be a finalist, but they also have some question marks. Can the Spencers score at the Division I level? How will the erratic Ward perform? Can Catalona surprise once more? They could finish ahead of everybody but St. Eds and Pery if all these questions have positive answers.

7.            Garfield Hts. -The bulk of the their points have to be generated by their little guys. The Bugara brothers and Wornoff seem fully capable of scoring 30 to 40 state points, and if Mathews and Dobies can help out that total could grow significantly larger. Maybe, Pokorny can be a player at the relatively weak 171# class or better yet that Effner gets a "hot hand".

8.            Lakota West - It's the middleweights that will determine the fate of this squad led by state runner-up Zach Flake. However, Monk and Dean both have placement chances and Neal down at 125# is also good. There are also chances for additional help from people like Butman, Riha, A. Flake, and, maybe, Touris.

9.            Westland - This is a squad with one potential state champion and a number of boys just on the edge of scoring at the state level. Enright is overdue to win a state title while Davis could be pulled along at 125#. Smith and McCunney certainly could be helpers, while Tigner, Cepeda, and Haynes are long-shots to do the same.

10.          Solon - Brown and Gioiella should score heavily at 103# and 130#. Brown got off to a slow start, but seems to be rounding into form while Gioiella has consistently good all year. Other points will have to come from Wilson, Nicholson, Watson, and Clark, but the key factor is Kleinman. I think on a hot weekend he could be a significant scorer. 

11.          Waite - Johnson could be a finalist and Guerra and Ramirez have the potential to score heavily at the middle weights. There is no margin for error since only Holliday has the remotest chance of helping out.

You can contact me at John@Ohiowrestler.com