The man, the myth, the legend David Taylor of St. Paris Graham is back. The only thing that has changed about this returning state champ is his height. He is still the innovator of offense and the reason most 103 pounders don’t sleep at night.

Taylor’s sophomore campaign, thus far, has been highlighted by marquee matchups. He has beaten two of the nation’s best in Jamie Clark (St. Edward) and Logan Stieber (Monroeville). A 5-3 decision over Clark and a 7-3 win over Stieber showed what wrestling fans already knew - Taylor is a machine. His non-stop attack methods have led to championship victories at the Ironman, GMVWA and Top Gun. He went 3-0 at the Ohio Duals and 4-0 at the St. Ed’s Elite Eight Duals. Taylor’s only loss this season, and second of his career, was a 10-6 OT loss in his second meeting with Clark at the Graham/St. Eds Dual.

Taylor will have little to worry about at Milton-Union. More than anything, however, I’m thankful there are more than four wrestlers from this sectional (unlike last season). District qualifier Baker (Urbana) is back after going 1-2 at Goshen. Wilcoxon (Bellefontaine) is also a returning district qualifier who wrestled half of the season at this weight class. He has just recently decided to find more breathing room at 112. Baker is a talented leg rider who already holds two major decisions over Wilcoxon. He is a probable second but the freshman Storts has come on strong this season. I think Storts, who won a tough field at Olentangy, has the ability to upset Baker and take the two spot here. Smith is the likely fourth qualifier and has potential to make a run at Goshen. Harting (Kenton Ridge) is left in the alternate spot.

Taylor’s main competition will come from Athens in freshman standout Codey Neff (Miami Trace). A junior high state placer, he lost a close first-round bout to go on and place third. A consolation warrior, I like Neff. He’s in your face, tenacious, aggressive and a dangerous lightweight. He holds plenty of talent and is a step above the rest. Neff was fourth at the GMVWA, won at the Hammer & Anvil and Miami Trace.

Athens is surprisingly desolate at this weight. Neff will have little trouble claiming a sectional title. Goolsby, Carter and a few others have been at 103 for Hillsboro. Whoever is here will likely find a road to Goshen. I also have Greenlee (Circleville), who was fourth at Miami Trace, and Wolfe (Athens) fourth at the Deno, on my radar.

Eaton provides plenty of talent and depth for this weight. However, this sectional is like a rubix cube. Three wrestlers are all equally talented here and have the potential to make a trip to Columbus. The showdown occurred at the Eaton Invite where Brower (Bellbrook) majored Maggard (Eaton). Brower and Maggard also picked up wins over VonNeumann (Carroll). Maggard is a JHSP and VonNeumann is JHSQ.

Brower (Bellbrook) won at Bellbrook, was fourth at Edgewood and fifth at Eaton. Despite the fact that Maggard placed ahead of Brower the Bellbrook standout holds a win over Maggard and therefore is my sectional champ. VonNeumann was reached the quarters of the GMVWA and was one out of the money at the Catholic Invite. The final spot should go to Fiehrer (Alter) who beat Sizemore (Franklin) 4-0 at Eaton.

The final sectional site is not as bare as one might think. Goshen, which usually provides trouble for forecasters such as myself, has plenty of bodies. The trouble is I don’t think they will fare well at the next level.

At the Goshen sectional there is a large group of similar talent. Gulliem (Roger Bacon) and Seal (Turpin) may be in the front running here. Davidson (Bethel-Tate) and Flint (N. College Hill) are also here. Seal was third at Middletown and Flint was third at Deer Park. Humbert (Batavia) should take the alternate spot.

No question as to who is first at Goshen. And Neff, in my mind, is a lock for second. After the top two there will be a real battle for the final tickets out. Storts has been wrestling strong all season and spilt a pair of close bouts with Maggard. I like those two for trips to Columbus while Baker, Brower and VonNeumann are in a free-for-all to fill out the top tier.

Baker is very good with the legs while Brower should finish ahead of VonNeumann. Whether Baker can beat Brower is still a concern but I think Bakers ability to ride gives him an edge. Storts has wrestled very well up to this point in the season and will make an impact. Overall, this weight has depth and talent. It may leave more 103's to opt for the 112 weight class.

112#

Projected Champion: ZACH NEIBERT (GRAHAM)

Top Contenders

The progression of Cordell Longstreath (Graham) is a remarkable one. For the past four years, his only years on the mat, he has made strides unlike any wrestler in recent memory if not the past decade. Longstreath went 0-2 at the sectional tournament as a freshman, was fourth his sophomore year and nearly made the district semifinals. After his transfer from Urbana to Graham he was a state qualifier his junior year going 1-2, nearly making the semifinals.

That brings us to the present. He was one away from placing at the Ironman, went on to win the GMVWA and was third at Top Gun losing to Radsky (Thomas Worthington) by a point. On top of that he went 3-0 at the Ohio Duals where he was honored as the tournament MVP. Longstreath showcases incredible defense and the ability to escape the most awkward positions and scrambles. As a top contender at the state tournament this year, should he win it all, I would have to say that Cordell Longstreath would be the most improved wrestler in Ohio history. It would be my pleasure to witness such an accomplishment to such a remarkable young man.

On Longstreath’s heels is an array of talented wrestlers that includes two state qualifiers, two state alternates, a sixth place finisher at the district and six other former district qualifiers. This is certainly one of the tougher weights at Goshen.

I like Reeser (Miami Trace) second best here. He went 2-2 last season at Goshen but has improved a great deal this year. Reeser was fourth at the GMVWA where he majored returning state qualifier Keller (Carroll). He took third at the Hammer & Anvil, went 2-1 at the Ohio Duals but was absent at his team’s own tourney.

Reeser heads perhaps the best of the sectional sites at Athens which features four other returning district qualifiers. Brown (Jackson), Canaday (River Valley), Buckner (W. Court House) and Crawford (Circleville) are all here after trips to the post season in 2006. Canaday gave the best showing, going 2-2 last season, while the others were 0-2.Going through the results Brown was most recently second at Miami Trace, fifth at the Hammer & Anvil and fourth at Gallia while Canaday was second. Crawford was third at Circleville and Buckner took third at Trace. The wild-card could be Laux (Logan Elm).

My original No. 2 at this weight class was the freshman force - Nick LeForce, a junior high state champ from Franklin. He had acquired some impressive wins while active but a broken vertebrate in his neck ended the season for him. So with that, I look to returning state qualifier Keller to win. He was seventh at the GMVWA but didn’t fare well at the CIT. But he rebounded at Eaton where he took first over Unger (Ross) by a major decision. Unger, a state alternate at 103 last season, is second best at this sectional. He was third at Franklin and went 2-2 at the SW Coaches Classic. For third I like Brunckhorst (Talawanda) who finished second at Edgewood. Wilson is a returning district qualifier who went 0-2. He was first at Bellbrook, second at Watterson and fourth at Lebanon. The latter two could flip flop but I stick with my current pick. Tomlin (Bellbrook) has already fallen to Brunckhorst and Wilson, leaving him as the alternate.

In a rare occurrence, Goshen has a very talented field at this particular weight class. Trimbach (Roger Bacon) is a returning state alternate along with Stephens (Goshen) who was sixth at the district. He fell to Trimbach throughout the post season last year and has already fallen to him in overtime this year. Trimbach was fourth at the Hammer & Anvil and one out of the money at the CIT. Stephens took second at Maderia and finished seventh at the Hammer & Anvil.

At Milton, Longstreath is best competition will come from state qualifier Lay (Greenon). Longstreath majored him last year and I expect the same result this season. Lay won at Wayne and was seventh at Medina. Behind those two is former district qualifier Allen (Ben Logan). He went 0-2 as a freshman in 2004 at 103 and has been a district alternate the past two seasons. He won at Watterson, finished second at Franklin, North Union and Ben Logan. Returning district qualifier Berger (Tiippecanoe) is here after going 0-2 last year. Wray (Indian Lake) could surprise some folks and sneak in.

Longstreath, Reeser and Keller should finish in that order as long as Reeser is not paired with Longstreath in the same half-bracket. The final spot should go to Lay but as most fans know, anything can happen here.

Allen could slip in given the right bracket run but will have to fend of either Unger or Trimbach. Brown should finish ahead of Stephens after a major decision at Western Brown. The consolation brackets at this weight will be one to watch.

There are no real brain busters at 125 pounds with four former state qualifiers back and a remaining field of competitors that will have to pull off some big upsets to get a qualifying spot.

Heading the pack is Brian Stephens (Graham), a returning state placer from Piqua. He was sixth last season as a sophomore and has an edge to his style accompanied by a never-quit attitude. He has beaten the some of the best this year but has also fallen to the best. His top finish was at the GMVWA where he took first, including a 4-3 semifinal win over Kolodzik (Miami Valley). Earlier in the season at Ironman he fell 1-0 to Kolodzik and ended up eighth. He then fell 8-0 to Kolodzik at Top Gun but battled back to take third. Other notable wins include his 3-0 performance at the Ohio Duals where he beat state placers Ulinski (Eastwood) 4-1 and Vaughn (Columbus DeSales) 4-2.

The battle for second place at Goshen will be determined at the Eaton sectional. There we find returning state qualifier Theo Hildenbrand (Franklin) and former state qualifier Tim Silvers (Eaton). Hildenbrand went 1-2 last season while Silvers went 1-2 as a freshman. Last year Silvers was upset in the consolation finals by Jameson (Indian Hill) and ended up state alternate.

Between the two Hildenbrand has made the bigger progression. He was first at Franklin and Olentangy and took sixth at Medina after falling in the semifinals to Collin Palmer (St.Eds). It was at Eaton where the two finally met with Hildenbrand pulling out an 8-6 OT win. Silvers was second at the Hammer & Anvil and fifth at the GMVWA. I would like to think Silvers wouldn’t let the Franklin star catch him again but Hildenbrand seems to be on a roll this season.

With that in mind, the winner at Eaton should reach the finals. But this is where pairings play a big role. If the Eaton champion is in the same half-bracket as Stephens then I see the runner-up making the finals.

So, with all this talk about Eaton I’ll start there. Other than Silvers and Hildenbrand there is two returning district qualifiers in Wellbaum (Valley View) and Lukac (Talawanda). Wellbaum went 2-2 last season and has had a very solid season. He won at Bellbrook and Valley View, was second at Lebanon and Watterson, took third at Eaton and finished one out of the money at the GMVWA. He is one wrestler I could see slipping into the fourth qualifying spot given a hot weekend. While results aren’t easy to come by for Talawanda I did see Lukac took second at Edgewood. Those four should take all the qualifying spots with Henry (Ross) or Thoma (Bellbrook) as an alternate.

Whether Wellbaum can sneak the fourth spot depends on what Ferris (Jackson) does. At the start of the season Ferris had decided not to wrestle do to an illness but later joined the team and has wrestled at 125 and 130. However, his appearances have been hit and miss. If he sticks with it he should make it out again and win at Athens. Returning district qualifier Gatwood (Logan Elm) is here along with junior high state qualifiers Fraley (Miami Trace) and Bays (Gallia Academy). This weight class isn’t extremely tough, especially if Ferris is out. So these two freshman could get out with much of a struggle. Gerren (Athens) took second at the Deno and may have been over looked. Cox (Hillsboro) is another wrestler though that has shown solid results this season and has a shot to make it to the district.

The one area I am struggling with his how well junior high state champion Armstrong (Kenton Ridge) will do. Stephens will take the title at Milton-Union but Armstrong is a lock for second. He finished first at Bellbrook up at 130 and won at Ben Logan at 125. He wrestled much of the season up 130 and in a wise move to evade the deeply talented 130 class and take his chances here. Witt (Indian Lake) has made vast improvements placing at several tournaments and is a solid third. Levingston (Ben Logan) should take fourth here.

The Goshen sectional had just one returning district qualifier in K. Cummings (Finneytown) until state qualifier Jameson (Indian Hill) recently moved here. Jameson won at Maderia and Deer Park. He was second at Ben Logan and has moved here to avoid a crowded 130 class. Cummings went 2-2 last season and is second best. Raabe (Roger Bacon) has looked good placing sixth at the SW Coaches Classic up at 130 and took fifth at Western Brown. Dadosky (Turpin) won at Middletown with Disbennett (Bethel-Tate) second at Maderia.

Stephens takes first with Silvers and Hildenbrand rounding out the top three. Ferris will have to fend off Jameson, Wellbaum, Armstrong which I think he can.

130#

Projected Champion: JOSH SCHELL (GREENON)

Top Contenders

There is a certain points in a wrestling careers when the good become great. And yes, even a two-time state champion like Ben Jordan (Graham) can get that much better. After being pinned by Andrew Gasber (St. Eds) at the Elite Eight Duals he has taken his talents to another level.

He was punishing at the GMVWA where he won over Stevenson (CJ) using a series of offensive attacks. He was runner-up at the Ironman falling to Shanaman (Blair Academy) by a 1-0 score. At Top Gun he fell to Division I state runner-up Clopton (Shaker Heights) 4-3 in the semifinals. He hasn’t been an untouchable force this year but he doesn’t have to be. He avenged his loss to Gasber at the Graham/ St. Ed dual with a 5-4 decision. From late December and up until now he has wrestled with a new found sense of scoring urgency. He will be more dangerous than ever come state.

There are plenty of other talented faces at this weight too beginning at the Athens sectional. Two state qualifiers are here in Fraley (Miami Trace) and Horne (Hillsboro). Fraley went 1-2 last season in Columbus while Horne was a state qualifier as a freshman. He then failed to get out as a sophomore and was injured as a junior. This season Horne won at Lebanon, Bellbrook, was fourth at the GMVWA and third at the Hammer & Anvil. Meanwhile, Fraley won at Miami Trace and the Hammer & Anvil and finished third at the GMVWA.

It’s hard to pick one over the other considering their history this winter. They first met in the quarterfinals of the GMVWA where Horne escaped with a 3-1 OT win. He then met Fraley again for third. This time Fraley won 5-1. Fast forward to Western Brown where Fraley edged Horne 3-2. It seems Fraley has the upper hand on Horne at this point but I would certainly not throw out the notion of a Horne win at Goshen.

Behind those two at Athens is former state qualifier Daniel Gifford (Logan Elm). He qualified as a sophomore but went 2-2 last season in a very tough 130 weight class. He won at Circleville and was third at Miami Trace. He is a sure bet to get out leaving the fourth and final spot to returning district qualifier Carnes (Warren). Holbrook (W. Court House) is a good choice for the alternate spot after third place finishes at Gallia and Circleville. Pugh (Athens) was fourth at the Deno. Some may look elsewhere for more comfortable climates.

The Goshen sectional does not provide much depth. District qualifier Hunter (Little Miami) is back and Cox (Norwood) who was third at Troy Christian and Finneytown, may be the top two. Raabe (Roger Bacon), Krummen (Taylor), Price (N. College Hill) can all be thrown into the mix.

For what Goshen lacks, Eaton makes up. State qualifiers Stevenson (CJ) and VonNeumann (Carroll) are back after 1-2 trips to Columbus. The two have spilt a pair of bouts with Stevenson winning 7-5 at the GMVWA and then saw VonNeumann come back to beat Stevenson 11-5 at the CIT. Stevenson won at Franklin, was second at the GMVWA and fifth at the CIT. VonNeumann was third at the CIT, fifth at the GMVWA and took first at Eaton. Former district qualifier Lu (Alter) is back and was second at Eaton behind VonNeumann. Last is most likely Eric Hildenbrand (Franklin). He wrestled most of the year at 130 but bumped up recently to avoid the crowd. He won at Franklin and took fourth at Eaton.

Milton-Union has a solid field behind Jordan with returning district qualifiers Harmon (Indian Lake) and Penhorwood (Ben Logan). Harmon placed sixth as a freshman at 112 and then went 1-2 along with Penhorwood last season. In their only meeting thus far Penhorwood hit a reversal and nearfall to send the match into OT where Harmon quickly prevailed. Harmon was second at Salley George, third at Indian Lake and one out of the money at the GMVWA. Penhorwood has won at Watterson, was second at Ben Logan and third at Franklin. Stanhope (Urbana) or Frederick (Kenton Ridge) are likely to duke it out for the final qualifying spot.

Jordan wins handily but the final three spots will be nip and tuck efforts by everyone. There will be a lot of one or two point matches deciding the final outcome here. Pairings will be more important than ever. Some of the lower ranked wrestlers here could jump up a few spots if they get the right draw. Harmon and Gifford could become dangerous if they fall in the consolation rounds.

There will be a lot of sectional rematches too. Fraley and Horne could meet yet again and end in different results both times. The same could be said about VonNeumann and Stevenson. The X-Factors are, like I previously mentioned, Gifford and Harmon.

This is one of the toughest district championships to predict but and one talented weight class. State qualifiers Joe Newland (Graham) and Matt Cunningham (Miami Trace), should they meet in the finals, will produce one of the most exciting matchups on Saturday night at Goshen. The two met back in early December at Graham’s preview where they ended in a 3-3 tie.

So how do I split hairs with this one? Nothing against Cunningham but I have to go with Newland here. Cunningham is a top-notch wrestler and very talented but Newland has a few things that tip the scale in his favor. He has a tougher schedule but more importantly he has the tougher room. I have plenty of respect for Miami Trace but Cunningham isn’t battling the likes of Coby Boyd or Ben Jordan every day in practice.

Newland failed to place at the Ironman, finished second at the GMVWA but didn’t wrestle at Top Gun. He’s got plenty of grit as he has held former state champion Harris (St. Eds) to 7-4 and 8-2 scores.

Cunningham won at Miami Trace and the Hammer & Anvil was fourth at the GMVWA.

To further emphasize how close this bout could be, two common opponents were at the Ohio Duals. Both fell to former state placer McGovern (Columbus DeSales) with Newland losing 5-2 and Cunningham falling 3-2. Against Eastwood, Newland beat state placer Taylor 7-1 while Cunningham lost 4-3.

Cunningham comes from the most talented district which includes state alternate Shane Gifford (Logan Elm) who lost in OT in his go-to-state bout. Gifford will be hot on Cunningham’s tail after falling 5-4 in the Miami Trace finals. Gifford also won at Circleville. Neill (Warren) remains at 140 after placing sixth last season at the district tournament. He was second at Eaton to Starr (Franklin). Two other district qualifiers are back in Legg (Meigs) and Widmeyer (Circleville). Both went 0-2, with the latter going 0-2 in 2005. Legg should nab the last spot here.

At Eaton we find a wrestler who I feel has been overlooked this season in Starr (Franklin). He went 1-2 at the district in 2006 but has been on fire this year. He has wins at Eaton and Franklin. Starr was second at Olentangy behind state placer Cavello (Willard) by a 5-0 score. He nearly placed at Medina as well. Also at Eaton is returning district qualifier Luke (Carroll) who has leaped from 112. He hasn’t found the same amount of success this season after jumping five weight classes. Clark (Eaton) is one to look out for. He was third at Eaton, fifth at the Hammer & Anvil and placed eighth at the GMVWA. Burggeman (Bellbrook) and Payne (Alter) are here and have wins over Luke but Buggerman has been beaten by Clark and Starr. The final character here is McGinnis (Valley View). He started the season slow placing fifth at Lebanon. Since then he has been second at Bellbrook and Valley View, third at Watterson and was one win from placing at the GMVWA.

I’ve managed to scrounge up results for the Goshen sectional and at the top of my list is Silbiger (Wyoming). He won at Finneytown and was third at Reading. Three other district qualifiers are present in Sexson (New Richmond), Brougham (Roger Bacon) and Adams (Bethel-Tate). The latter two went 1-2 while Sexson was 0-2. Silbiger already holds a win over Adams who was second at Maderia and third at Finneytown. M. Cox (Norwood) who was fourth at Troy Christian and fifth at Finneytown could be an alternate with Webb (Goshen).

Newland heads a complex district at Milton-Union. I’ll start with Seeley (Ben Logan) who is a former district qualifier. He went 2-2 as a freshman at 112 and is now a senior. He won at Franklin (at 145), Watterson, North Union and is currently 25-1 at the time of this report. His lone loss came at his home tournament to Scaglia (Kenton Ridge) who won at Troy and Bellbrook. Scaglia caught Seeley in a gator roll to jump ahead and take a 7-3 win. Take away the five pointer and we have a close matchup. Then we have Schenck (Milton-Union) who is fresh off the injury reserve list. He went 2-2 at the district meet last season but didn’t fare to well at Eaton where he took fifth. At full force he can cause damage but if he performs like he did at Eaton it will be hard to duplicate last season’s results. At 100% healthy he could be second best at the sectional and possibly upset a few people at the district. The dark horse here is junior high state qualifier Christman (Indian Lake). He’s fallen to Seeley 9-3 and lost to Scaglia twice by decision.

Something tells me it is Newland’s time to shine but he and Cunningham are not total locks. Wrestlers like Gifford or Schenck could get hot and pull a major upest. Granted they are unlikely, but I’ve seen stranger things in Goshen.

Clark and Scaglia may be underrated and could finish higher than I have them. Seeley will have to be on the top of his game if he wants to get past Gifford or Starr.

145#

Projected Champion: COBY BOYD (GRAHAM)

Top Contenders

There is plenty of talent at this weight class, but the one-man wrecking crew of Coby Boyd (Graham) will dominate here. The question is who will wind up second. There is a group of four other wrestlers who will hope to be paired in the opposite half of the bracket. Those four are no slouches either as three are returning state qualifiers and a district placer. State alternate Pool (Ben Logan) is also here but will already be in the opposite half of Boyd unless he finishes fourth, which is unlikely.

Boyd has been nearly unstoppable this season with his only loss at the Ironman to take second. He dominated at the GMVWA and tore through the competition at Top Gun. He also has two convincing wins over Division I state runner-up Dan Gonsor (St. Eds).

Along with Boyd, Pool and state qualifier Pencil (Northwestern) are at Milton-Union. Pencil won at Northeastern up at 152 but has already fallen to Pool 3-2 at Tipp City. Pool has won at Watterson, Tipp City, Ben Logan and was second at Franklin (at 152) and North Union. Currently, Pool has two losses on his record. The first at Franklin to Kentucky state runner-up Cooper (Simon Kenton) and the second to state placer Davis (Marion Pleasant) 5-0 at North Union. The fourth spot is open to either Retherford (Kenton Ridge) or Wyen (Greenon).

Athens is also not short on talent as state qualifier Neff (Miami Trace) is here. He won at Hamilton Township, Beavercreek, Miami Trace, was second at the GMVWA to Boyd (19-7) and fourth at the Hammer & Anvil. The runner-up spot will go to returning state qualifier McFadden (Circleville) who won at Circleville. He has already fallen to Neff 7-1 at Miami Trace. Lee (Warren), who is a move in, has fared quite well this year along with returning district qualifier Redden (W. Court House). Redden went 2-2 at the district last season. He won at Gallia and was second at Circleville. Lee was second at Eaton and the Deno. Wrestlers like Saunders (Gallia Academy) and Wiliams (Hillsboro) will have to hope for alternate spots.

There is a decent field at Goshen with district placer Hammoor (Roger Bacon) up a weight class from last season. He reached the district semis but fell to Mannier (Graham) and then lost to Whitten by major decision, who he had beaten in the first round. He appears to be on the top of his game this year after placing fourth at the CIT. He notably lost to Brownlee (Western Brown) by a 4-3 score at the Hammer & Anvil where he ended up fourth. He also went 2-2 at the SW Coaches Classic. Smith (New Richmond) is a district qualifier from last year but went 0-2. Behind that duo I am really digging for qualifiers. I’ll throw out the names of Dempsey (McNicholas), Riley (Clermont NE), Ward (Bethel-Tate) and Ison (Batavia). Though I like Dempsey best of those four.

Eaton is the most unpredictable of the four sectionals. Deer (Ross) is back after going 2-2 last year at the district. He fared the best of his team at the SW Coaches Classic with a 3-2 record. He won at Eaton 8-5 over Lee, was second at Franklin and should have a similar post season finish. Originally I felt it would be a toss up for second here but Perkins (Valley View) should nab the spot after improving from a rough start to the season. He was fourth at Lebanon but then went on to finish third at Watterson, second at Bellbrook and third at Valley View and Eaton. Menker (Bellbrook) is a toss up as well as Dermott (CJ). From there we look to Ott (Eaton). He failed to place at their own tourney but has wins over Kitchens (Fraklin) and Guy (Carroll). Budi (Alter) is another to look out for at this sectional.

So lets begin the break down. Boyd is untouchable here but for second I’m going with Pool. Neff seems like the logical choice but assuming he is in the opposite half of Boyd, should he meet Pool it may be closer than people think. A common opponent between the two is the talented Prater (Tecumseh). Neff beat him 5-4 at the GMVWA back in December where Pool beat him 3-0 in late January. It can easily go either way but like Tony Jameson, Pool has "the funk." He has used it to escape the most ridiculous situations but more importantly he has been wrestling very smart for this part of the season. Either way I think the winner comes via a takedown or a single point victory.

With Pencil, McFadden and Hammoor it could go a lot of different ways. I think Pencil is cutting hard and doesn’t look up to par at this weight. Not to mention that Pencil would have to beat Pool, Neff or McFadden to get in. All of which may be too much to overcome. McFadden has wrestled as expected this season and has not faltered much so I like him fourth. Hammoor is the one I may have overlooked and underrated. So a higher finish by him would not surprise me in the least.

Similar to 2004 when the 215-pound state championship was decided in Graham’s wrestling room, the Goshen 152-pound district championship will also be decided there.

State qualifiers James Mannier and Josh Luster are both, unfortunately, at this weight and will battle it out to see who gets a return trip to the state tournament and likely placement. Last year both won their respective weight classes and went 1-2 at the state meet. This season Mannier won the first wrestle off. He failed to place at the Ironman but was second to Abdur-Rahman (Cin. Princeton) at the GMVWA. He also went 2-1 at the Ohio Duals with his only loss to Cubberly (Eastwood). Luster then took over the reigns and placed fifth at Top Gun but was also fifth at the GMVWA up at 171. Whomever wrestled the reserve schedule picked up tournament championships along the way. Mannier most recently beat Luster 8-2 at the Best of the Southwest. Whoever wins the final wrestle off will go on to a district championship and a likely spot on the podium in Columbus. It is a very unique situation that could only occur in the rarest of places around Ohio.

There is even more peril at Milton-Union. Not only is the sectional champion unclear but the health of Casey Wells (Greenon) is also in question. Last season he was dominate and on his way to a state berth at a weak 140-pound weight class. Then Pencil (Northwestern) accidently broke Wells’ neck at the league tournament, a week before the sectional. This time around he tore his meniscus. He attempted to return at Ben Logan. He reached the semifinals but defaulted out. A healthy Wells gets out easily in the runner-up spot at Milton-Union. That, however, is obviously not the case. I’m sure he will attempt to give a post season berth one last shot. But, returning to early (at Ben Logan) he may have set himself back even further. I have decided not to rank him. Any impact at the district would be minimal at best.

That opens doors for district qualifier Wright (Indian Lake) who wrestled around half the season at 145. He should be second best here. He was third at Salley George, fourth at Troy where he lost 10-3 to Luster and placed seventh at the GMVWA (at 145). Sherman (Urbana) and King (Milton-Union) are two who appear to be above the rest. Sherman won at Finneytown while King won at Edgewood and was fourth at Eaton.

State alternate Holt (Miami Trace) is up one weight class after transferring from Hillsboro. He won at Beavercreek, was fourth at the GMVWA, second at Miami Trace to Mannier and placed fifth at the Hammer & Anvil. A solid field fills out this sectional with three returning district qualifiers. Starner (Circleville) went 1-2 while Meek (Warren) and Bailey (W. Court House) both went 0-2. Bailey looks to be on top of the trio with a third-place finish at Miami Trace. He was also second at Gallia and won at Circleville over Starner.

I’m sure Eaton will throw my rankings around and mix things up. On paper, Miller (CJ) heads this group after finishing as a state alternate with a favorable draw. He was third at Franklin, went 3-2 at the GMVWA and went 0-2 at the CIT. Other veterans include district qualifier Sperry (Franklin) who went 2-2 at the district meet. His health may also be in question. He reached the semifinals at Eaton but defaulted to sixth. The surprise at Eaton is district qualifier Pitsinger (Valley View) who dropped two weight classes after going 1-2 at 171 pounds last year. He won at Valley View, took second at Lebanon and Watterson (both 160) and Bellbrook at 152. Most recently he won at Eaton over Meek 9-2. The final spot could go to Seymour (Talawanda) who won at Edgewood.

It’s been quite some time since Roger Bacon had a state qualifier but I think Danny Johnson ends that trend this year. He finished sixth at the district last year and has been impressive this season after placing fifth at the CIT, fourth at the SW Coaches Classic and third at the Hammer & Anvil. He will coast through the Goshen sectional. Brunsman (Goshen) is also a returning district qualifier who went 0-2 last year. Outside of those two are Brookins (Wyoming), who was third at Reading and Finneytown, and Kools (New Richmond), who was second at Maderia. Kelly (Turpin) could also slip in somewhere. Mannier or Luster take the title but I don’t think Holt is a lock for second. He wrestles a tougher schedule than Roger Bacon but a Johnson win does not sound out of the question. Johnson has placed at some of the tougher tournaments and I think that may help him come post season. One match is all it takes.

While Miller’s credentials are not flashy he has to be considered a favorite to earn the final spot and make the trip to Columbus. If Sperry is still healthy he could make a run along with the likes of Wright or Bailey. This weight class is certainly top heavy. There are six or seven battling for four spots and the rest fill in the bracket. At least this weight is deeper than last year.

This was the hardest weight class to predict a champion. Newland and Cunningham (140) was tough but 160 pounds is a real brain buster.

The clear top two are returning state placer Rhoads (Hillsboro) and former state placer Zac Thomusseit (Graham). Rhoads was fifth at state last season while Thomusseit shocked many by leaping a staggering nine weight classes from his freshman to sophomore year. Despite that stat he still went 2-2 at the district after placing as a freshman at 103. He appears to have filled in his body and has wrestled more comfortably this year.

I could take the easy road and side with Graham, and with good reason. Thomusseit brings all the favorable credentials that wrestlers from Falcon land do. But, more than any other weight at the district, this one left me thinking the longest. Last year I was sure Dylan Ray (Ross) would defeat Rhoads in the finals. It was a no-brainer at the time. Ray was tough, smart and then Saturday came and Rhoads wins 4-3. For that reason I’m not so quick to overlook Rhoads this time. I will also mention that I could see Rhoads winning the district and then see Thomusseit place higher at state. Similar to last year where Rhoads was fifth while Ray tore through the consolation bracket to take third.

Rhoads has wrestled much of the season at 171 so I was reluctant to rank him at this weight. He won at Lebanon and Bellbrook (both at 171). He took second at the SW Coaches Classic down at 160 and was second at the GMVWA (at 171). He hasn’t been commanding in his bouts at the latter two tournaments. He doesn’t seem to wrestle up to his full potential in the finals, granted the losses were to Division I wrestlers.

Meanwhile, Thomusseit started the season off with a sixth-place finish at the Ironman, then lost to state-placer Yant (Delta) in the GMVWA finals. He was fourth at Top Gun but notably held Sponseller to a 7-2 decision. He also beat state placer Fisher (Columbus DeSales) 1-0 at the Ohio Duals.

Now, for the rest of the field:

Eaton has a great title bout between state qualifier Guthrie (Eaton) and Sexton (Franklin). Guthrie went 0-2 last year in Columbus while Sexton went 2-2 at the district. The two met in the Eaton finals where Guthrie won 4-0. Guthrie took fourth at the Hammer & Anvil and was one win away from placing at the GMVWA. Sexton also won at Franklin and was second at Olentangy. Then there is White (Dunbar) who went 1-2 at the district meet last season. A weak schedule sometimes causes Dunbar kids to be overlooked but White is a good wrestler with athleticism and balance. He nearly went 2-2 but lost by a point to Sexton. This year he finished second at Bellbrook up at 160 and was second at West Liberty-Salem. Dalton (Valley View) is a solid bet to get out. He finished runner-up at Valley View and was fourth at Eaton.

With Thomusseit winning at Milton that leaves the runner-up spot to either Roth (Tippecanoe) or Cope (Indian Lake). Both are returning district qualifiers with Roth going 2-2 and Cope 1-2. The two have split a pair of bouts. Cope earned a major over Roth while the Red Devil came back later in the season to win 3-2. Roth was runner up at Troy Christian and Indian Lake while Cope took second at Troy. Roth has gradually improved as the season went on while Cope has been streaky. He could make a run at the district if he gets hot. Engle (Greenon) or Klosterman (Kenton Ridge), who was fourth at Bellbrook, will get the last qualifying spot.

The duo of district qualifiers Saddlemire (McNicholas) and Fehrenbach (Turpin) head the Goshen sectional. They both went 0-2 but I feel Saddlemire will have a better trip this time around. He was second at Franklin and was third at Edgewood. That, however, is as deep as the pool gets. Dierker (Wyoming), Liegel (New Richmond) and Barkalow (Little Miami) are just a few names in the running.

Rhoads rolls at Athens while Parkinson (Vinton) seems a likely choice for second. He went 1-2 at the district meet last year, was second at Gallia earlier this season and took third at the Deno. Then there is Gossman (Miami Trace) who has been on the upswing. He won at Miami Trace and has a schedule to refine his skills. Harrison (Gallia) was fourth at his home tourney while Young (Athens) was fourth at the Deno.

It almost seems predictable that an obvious top two like Rhoads and Thomusseit will meet in the semifinals. But, should Guthrie or Sexton take advantage of such an occurrence they would be a solid runner-up. I would very surprised to not see these four with tickets to state. Behind them a thin field headed by Cope and Roth are left. Gossman may be ranked to high and could drop a few places but for this field I’ll stick with what I’ve got listed.

171#

Projected Champion: DAVID THOMPSON (GRAHAM)

Top Contenders

215#

Projected Champion: ROBBY WEISENBERGER (URBANA)

Top Contenders

We have two returning state qualifiers in Oney Snyder (Hillsboro) and Robby Weisenberger (Urbana) who moved up from 189. Both went 1-2 at the state meet. Throw in state alternate Pummill (Valley View) and district placer Ford (Circleville) and we’ve got something here.

Originally I had Pummill best here but looked over my radar again, and flying low was Weisenberger. He doesn’t wrestle the most demanding or high profile schedule but he is the quiet giant who reeks havoc wherever he goes. He was a force at the Northeastern Duals, won at West Liberty-Salem and Finneytown. Weisenberger flew under the radar last year as well and ended up with a ticket to the state meet. He has unbelievable strength but has skills to match. Weisenberger is solid choice for district champ over Pummill.

Behind Weisenberger at Milton-Union is district qualifier Miller (Spring. Shawnee). He went 0-2 but has improved in his junior campaign. He was second at Olentangy but more notable was his 5-4 win over Pummill in the Eaton semifinals. He would go on to place second. Another inexperienced and young field leaves Reynolds (Northwestern), who was a district alternate last year, looking to make the trip to Goshen. He won at Ben Logan and took third at Indian Lake. Junior high state qualifier Williams (Graham) is also here after surviving Graham’s regular season schedule. Currently I have four other names here with Richardson (Greenon) at the top.

Pummill heads a mediocre district at best. District qualifier Rasche (Talawanda) is down from 275 after going 1-2 a year ago. Other than his championship at Edgewood results have been hard to come by. Foster (Ross) won at Franklin over Weidle (Goshen) and was fourth at Eaton where he lost to Pummill 9-4. Others include Barnett (Eaton) along with Bishop (CJ) as possible bets to qualify.

The Goshen sectional is headed by one of its own in district qualifier Weidle (Goshen). He went 1-2 last year, was second this year at Franklin and fourth at the Hammer & Anvil. Schoolfield (McNicholas) is also back after an 0-2 trip to the district last season. He was third at Finneytown, fourth at Edgewood but was fifth at Maderia. Then the field grows rapidly thin. B. Distler (Clermont NE) is here along with Burns (Little Miami). Neither have eye-catching results but may have the skills to advance from this sectional.

Looking over all the sectionals Athens has to hold the most talent. Snyder should have little trouble with his best competition coming from district placer Ford. The Circleville standout lost in a close go-to-state bout to Smith (Graham) and defaulted to sixth. This season he won early at his home tournament and at Miami Trace. Duehren (Jackson), a returning district qualifier, was second to Ford at Miami Trace. Demick (Chillicothe) won at Kings and was third at Miami Trace ahead of Keaton (Miami Trace) who was fourth.

A quick rundown of head-to-head matchups include Foster pinning Schoolfield and Barnett, Weidle pinning Barnett who has pinned Keaton.

With all the possible and likely candidates listed the remaining two questions are why Weisenberger? And why a state alternate (Pummill) over a state qualifier (Snyder)?

The latter question is a simple one. Snyder was fourth at the SW Coaches Classic and won the Hammer & Anvil. However, he was second at the GMVWA, Lebanon and Bellbrook. Any guesses to who? Pummill of course. He beat Snyder first at Lebanon 5-2 then beat him 5-2 in three overtimes at the GMVWA. The last meeting was at Bellbrook with Pummill winning 3-2 in OT. The bouts may be very close but I think Pummill has figured out how to wrestle Snyder effectively enough to win.

They are bigger, meaner and, yes, faster. Adam Walls (Graham) and Thomas Taylor (Indian Lake) certainly don’t wrestle like stereotypical heavyweights.

Should they meet in the league, sectional and district final it would accumulate to the sixth installment of Walls vs. Taylor. Depending on their meetings prior to Goshen this district version will either be a lop sided win or a real barn burner for one wrestler.

Last season Taylor beat Walls 4-1 at the GMVWA and then pinned him at the sectional. And despite finishing ahead of Walls at the district, Taylor went 0-2 at state while Walls battled his way to a sixth-place finish.

Like a fine-tuned machine they have upgraded their parts and skills to become some of the most dangerous heavyweights this season.

Taylor currently has one loss and who else could it be to but Walls. They met at the GMWVA finals where Walls prevailed 9-5. Despite his runner-up finish in Vandalia, Taylor claimed championships at Troy, Clyde, Salley George and Indian Lake. Since his match with Walls a new and improved Taylor will be anxious to meet again.

Walls has grown in size and ability from his freshman year. In addition to his GMVWA title he was fourth at the Ironman and Top Gun. His schedule has allowed him to battle the best in the state. He fell 9-5 to Walker (Alliance) and lost to Salyers (Mechanicsburg) 2-1 in OT at Best of the Southwest. An example of his rise in skill level is that he beat former Division I state runner-up and national prep champ Ben Kuhar (St. Eds) by scores of 5-2 and 3-1.

Milton-Union should provide the most talented sectional with Walls and Taylor but Wolf (Greenon) is another above average wrestler. He was a district qualifier last year who went 1-2. He is vastly improved and turned heads in the process. He was second at Wayne and placed fifth at Medina. In 2006, Taylor pinned Wolf at the league meet and then took a 7-0 win in the sectional semis last year. One common opponent between Taylor and Wolf is Cline (Olentangy). Taylor beat Cline 3-2 to win at Salley George while Wolf beat Cline 4-1 at the MIT. For what that is worth Wolf’s improvements should make for a much closer bout with Taylor. With one spot remaining I look for either Jackson or Clary (Ben Logan) or Lau (Spring. Shawnee) to claim it.

The next best sectional site is at Athens which is headed by trio of district qualifiers. Williford (Meigs) fared the best going 2-2 (one win by default) while Burt (Vinton) went 1-2 and Bokovitz (Gallia Academy) went 0-2. Burt was sectional runner-up behind state qualifier Davis (Circleville) last year. He won at Miami Trace over Bokovictz by a 5-4 decision and won at the Deno. Along with those three, Sailing (Warren), Bennett (Miami Trace) and Benson (Chillicothe) are left to battle for the final qualifying spot. Sailing was fourth at Eaton, Miami Trace and the Deno. He also holds a pin over Williford. Benson won at Kings and was second at Bellbrook while Bennett is a dark horse. Bennett showed what he is capable of by beating the talented Ishmael (Oak Harbor) at the Ohio Duals and was seventh at the Hammer & Anvil. Pairings and seedings will be vital at Athens for this final spot.

The X factor at Athens is Davis. A state qualifier two years ago he lost to Walls in the consolation semifinals by a point. This season he won at Circleville but has been hit and miss at most tournaments. More misses than hits. I have been unable to conjure up what is exactly going on with him. Due to majority of absences, especially this late in the season I will not rank him.

Taton really left me scratching and digging through papers to find qualifiers here. With a group of talented upperclassmen this sectional was left bare. District alternate Foster (Ross) went down to 215 leaving sectional placer Mahorney (CJ) here. He fared well at the CIT but didn’t place. Myers (Talawanda) won at Edgewood while Unwin (Ross), Maish (Eaton) and Taulbee (Alter) are other names in the running.

Giltz (Goshen) heads his home town sectional after going 2-2 at the district meet last year. He beat Walls in the first round 1-0 and then lost by a point to miss placement. This season he has won at Maderia and finished third at the Hammer & Anvil. Stallworth (Finneytown) is another district qualifier who went 0-2 and won at Reading this season. Ison (Batavia) is on the rise after not placing at the sectional a year ago. He won at Valley View and took second at Eaton. Lasley (Bethel-Tate) is a sectional placer who took third at Finneytown. Thomas (Taylor) was third at Franklin and Maderia and is a probable fourth qualifier this year.

Walls, Taylor and Wolf are all strong bets to get out. The last qualifier is still up in the air to me. I like Giltz here, he is tenacious and has grit. He fell to state placer Salyers 7-2 at Western Brown but his schedule may leave him a step behind the rest. Burt and Bokovitz are equal in skill while Ison could be underrated. The final pairings will most likely play out who gets the state berth. This weight class continues to produce exceptional talent at this district.

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