2007 Ransick Report: Division 1 OHSAA State Tournament Projections
Dan Ransick - OhioWrestling.Net
February 1, 2007
 
As the regular season is winding down and the state tournament approaching fast, I again do my predictions to see who I believe will win the Division 1 state tournament. In years past I have just ranked the wrestlers as I see who the best wrestlers are in the state. However this year I have changed it up a bit. I have broken it down to the top four wrestlers from each district to give a true composite of who I believe will be the sixteen wrestlers to make up each of the brackets at state.

If you have any questions about the report contact me at dransick@ohiowrestling.net for feedback. Note that I will not change the report on feedback as it would take too much time. Feedback is more so for the rankings as I continue to update them on OhioWrestling.Net up until a certain point.

Now, on with the show...

 
Unlike last year where veteran’s were the dominant force on this weight class, this years weight is loaded with freshman and sophomores who have finally made there mark on this weight class. One wrestler in particular has made a huge impact on this weight class. Jamie Clark of St. Edward has really stood out of the crowd all year long despite being small for the weight. Clark really made waves last week with a huge win over David Taylor of Graham taking the #1 ranked wrestler in the nation down 4 times in an 8-6 win. Clark simply has been outstanding all year long taking 3rd at Ironman losing to schoolboy and junior high legend Logan Steiber 6-5. Clarks only true upset was to Sam White of Perry losing 3-2 off a shot that White countered. I have a feeling that if they meet 10 times that Clark wins about 8 or 9 of them. Right now coming off the big win over David Taylor, Clark seems to be just picking up steam and will hit state firing on all cylinders.

Behind Clark at Mentor is another freshman Nick Lawrence of Westlake who is undefeated on the year. For Lawrence to make the 103 spot he had to beat out Junior High state runner-up Nick Dempsey. Right now Lawrence is undefeated on the year but I think he is a good point margin behind Clark as are most people. Manley and Mines round out the rest of the field at Mentor. Right now barring some catastrophe Clark will roll through the district into state.
 
The Perry district will be a true battle for district champion between two very accomplished wrestlers. Sam White and Jerome Robinson right now are the stars of the weight class at Perry. White has been on tear this year coming off a 4th place finish at Cadet Nationals in freestyle, taking 5th at Ironman, 1st at Medina and 1st at Mayfield. White had a huge win at Medina over Clark tying the season series at one win apiece. White is a much larger 103 than Clark, which could to be his advantage at state. Robinson who was a schoolboy phenom has taken that success onto the high school level this year. Robinson took 4th at Ironman defeating White along the way. Robinson again is a big 103 and a rematch with him and White will be a great battle. Brecksville placer David Bolger holds down the 3rd spot from Perry and has really come on strong this year. Danny Foore of Wadsworth should round out the field at Perry which right now on paper is by far the strongest district in the state.
 
Kent Li is the only returning state qualifier in this weight and leads what is a thin weight out of the Darby district. Li was winner at Waite this year along with taking 4th at Brecksville with a narrow victory over Farber. Millar seems to be poised to return to state this year after a year absence he should be a solid #2 out of Darby but I think placement right now is out of the question as he was defeated twice by Farber at Brecksville. Both times the matches were not that close. After Li and Millar it is a complete crapshoot of who makes it out of Darby. Right now the freshman Regan could be the best bet and could upset either Li or Millar if he is on all cylinders. I have pegged Seiple as the last qualifier but to be honest it really is just a matter of where some of the Dayton kids end up that could affect the last qualifying spot.
 
Out of Fairfield is a group of solid wrestlers but really right now Farber is the only one with potential placing. Farber was 2nd at both SWOWCA and CIT along with taking 5th at Brecksville this year. He has had close matches with both Bolger and Li showing that the wrestlers 4th – 8th are all just points away from each other. Giffin a tough freshman has shown some flashes of what could be a great high school wrestler; one win in particular was his win over Farber at SWOWCA. One wrestler to keep an eye out for is Tyler Riegle who had a fantastic tournament at GMVWA taking 3rd only losing to Taylor along the way. He could be a definite dark horse at state if someone other than the big 3 drew him. Aaron Smith looks to round out the field at Fairfield.  

 
Bo Touris again is my favorite just like that last year but this year but he has a new nemesis to overcome this year to win that state title before becoming a Buckeye. Touris has been brilliant all year long with his only loss coming to the hands of Kyle Lang at Ironman which he has since revenged twice. Touris wrestled a constant six minutes of attacking and wearing down on his opponent. Touris won at SWOWCA racking up takedown after takedown never having a match go the full six minutes. He then followed it up with a great tournament at Brecksville defeating the ever tough Ben Sergent and Kyle Lang in back to back matches. Last year the nerves got the best of Bo in his semifinals match but look for this Buckeye bound wrestler to win it all this year capping off a great high school career.
 
At Fairfield there is really no one I have identified that has state placer potential other than Touris. The next best bet would be Crasto of Centerville but he was teched by Touris 23-8 at the Mason tournament. Sherman of Milford could be option but he has shown some inconsistencies all year long and I don’t think he will be able to have a big impact on the state scene. Look for the freshman Shepard to possibly grab the last spot to state, he is the only one in the Southwest to give Touris a decent match. 

Leading the charge out of Perry is the much improved Kyle Lang. This year Lang has really made a name for himself with a huge win over Touris at Ironman catching Bo for 5 early and then building a big enough lead to win 11-9. Lang blew Genetin out of the water 9-2, this isn’t the same Lang that had a huge lead on Genetin last year in the semifinals of state only to see it slip out of his hands and lose. To beat Lang you must make sure you don’t get involved in scrambles as he will capitalize on those situations and beat you. Genetin this year was 5th at Ironman losing to Ramos (IL) and Lang but rebounded nicely to win at both Medina by fall over Sulzer and at Mayfield pinning in the finals there too. The sophomore Mattingly has come on strong this year with multiple wins over Ciccarello and placing 4th at Medina too. Lichtenberg should round out the top 4 from Perry.

Returning state champion Steve Mitcheff has been a bit of a puzzle this year. He had a hot start in the pre-season taking 2nd at Super 32. However Mitcheff was shocked at Ironman losing to Sulzer in the first round of the tournament and then failed to place. This year he was defeated at Brecksville by the much improved Lang 6-4 and then lost to Sergent 7-4 in the 3rd place match. I still think with his experience and coaching he will be ready for another run at state. The freshman Nick Suzler has been hot all year long just missing placement at Ironman and taking 2nd at Medina. He has also split matches with Neibert of Graham a returning state placer in the duals this year. Rounding at Mentor is state 5th Ciccarello and Cody Schilling both of whom have a great shot at nabbing a low placement this year.
 
The weakest district by far is the Darby district as not one kid has state experience. I think a kid like Conn is leading the charge from there. Hartley from Pickerington North has had some nice wins this year and should make it to state this year. Wes and Few are what is left at Darby and could make it out depending on bracketing. Look out for some of the Dayton kids that could end up at Darby and easily claim the title.

 
The road to winning a state title is often filled with highs and lows along the way. Ryan Fields is a key example of highs and lows, a highly accomplished wrestler who has won many tournaments but who has been denied twice in the state finals. Fields’ lows came at the hands arguably to the best wrestlers in the state in the form of Tony Jameson and Collin Palmer both who have potential and should become four-time state champions, so the lows don’t seem as bad on paper. Fields this year has had a rocky start not placing at Ironman and being upset at SWOWCA by Pretty in the finals. Fields rebounded the next week to win at Brecksville including a pin over Zamaria in the semifinals and revenging his loss to Pretty in the finals. Fields seems to be back on track winning at Mason with 4 falls including one over state qualifier Stoll in 53 seconds.

The Fairfield district is very deep this year behind Fields and some good wrestlers will not make it to state. One wrestler who has been on fire of late is the freshman Harger who took 3rd at SWOWCA but won the CIT recording a pin over Pretty along the way to the finals. With Moeller’s tough schedule he will be a challenge for anyone at state. Tommy Pretty could be one of the most improved wrestlers in the state and that showed with his win over Fields at SWOWCA and being runner-up at Brecksville. Rounding out the field at Fairfield is Dukes already a two-time state qualifier and will be looking to make a run for placement at state. Just how tough is the Fairfield district? State qualifier Newberry looks to be on the outside looking in to make it out of districts.

The Perry district isn’t easier as the 2, 3 and 4 wrestlers are all leaving this district. Rini looks to be the best of the field from Perry as he is already a two-time state placer including 2nd last year. Right now the biggest question is his health as rumors have persisted that he is injured for the year and will not be wrestling due to injury. I have left him at 2nd in hopes of him returning to challenge Fields. If Rini fails to come back Squires looks to be the best of Perry. Squires the schoolboy legend finally enters the high school circuit and has had the same success of winning like he did on the schoolboy level. Squires has had to battle injury this year and finally returned to win at Wadsworth and at Mayfield. Zamaria is another improved Brecksville wrestler from last year and this year he was 8th at Ironman, 3rd at Brecksville and 1st at Dies. Zamaria a good mat wrestler could give some of the shorter wrestler problems with his length. Former state qualifier Boosz seems to be back on track this year he took Zamaria to the wire in a wild match at Dies before falling in the 3rd period.

Alex Radsky is the best of what the diluted Darby has to offer and has been impressive this year winning at Marion and Top Gun knocking off Longstreath of Graham in the process. Radsky should be able to place at state this year and could move into the top 6 if he hits on all cylinders. Behind Radsky are state qualifiers Stoll and Roeth both of whom right now seem behind the main pack at state. Nein of Reynoldsburg has had an impressive season and could make it to state depending on bracketing at Darby.
 
The Mentor district is probably the weakest of them all. The best right now seems to be Fuller of Waite who just won at Waite impressively beating Nein in the finals. Fuller probably has the best placement potential of the group from Mentor and could surprise some people along the way. State qualifiers McLaughlin and Cobos are here also. The big question is the status of Cobos who has been out this year with staph infection having only wrestled once. Kyle Leedy of Start has been hot of late and should be able to find a way out of Mentor to make it to state.  

 
Like many of the great wrestlers before him Collin Palmer just has “it”. Palmer and his brilliant combination of speed, power and technique are simply just unmatched by anyone in the state of Ohio. This year Palmer is coming off his first state title where he torched the field at state including a pin in the finals of Fields. This year the results have been same, minus the one loss to Johnston (PA) at Ironman, Palmer hasn’t had a close match. Palmer again didn’t have a match go the distance at Medina for the second straight year. This weight by far is the weakest weight as everyone has jumped off the ship and headed for greener pastures either at 119 or 130. Palmer simply will plow through this weight class on his way to a second straight title which should be just 2 of 4 state titles. 

Obviously there is a huge drop off in talent level wherever you go that has the name Palmer in it. This year Sutter looks to be the next best in the state and at Mentor. He was 2nd at GMWVA this year knocking off McGuire to make the finals before falling to Stephens of Graham in the 1st place bout. There are some questions still remaining as if Sutter is still wrestling this year. State placer Andrew Dinda has dropped down here from 130 and was 2nd at Dies losing to Lambert in the finals of dies, he could be 2nd at Mentor if Sutter is not year. Highbaugh has also recently dropped down from 130 and he could have some placement potential now that he is in the right weight class.
 
The Perry district looks to be the most balanced weight class of them all leading this weight is former state placer Aaron Reese. Reese has picked up where he left off two years ago and looks primed for placement again this year. Reese has won at both Solon and Kenston and was 5th at Top Gun losing to Stephens both times. Tyler Lambert has been a surprise this year after going 0-2 at state last year this year he seems to be much better and a could possibly sneak into the finals if bracketing is right. Lambert won convincingly over Channel at Wadsworth and as mentioned before defeated Dinda at Dies to win there. Horner has been erratic failing to place at both Ironman and Medina. More surprisingly this is coming off a 3rd place finish last year at 112 with a win over Peskar and Stephens last year. He seems to be back on track going undefeated at state duals and taking 3rd at Mayfield losing only to Dean in the round robin. Ricky Garrett put himself on the map this year by recording a huge pin over Horner at Medina and taking that momentum to the finals lonely to get beat by Palmer.
 
Jordan McGuire heads the pack out of Darby and he could be the final opposition to Palmer if bracketing is right. McGuire took 4th at state last year and has followed that up by taking 1st at North Canton and Sycamore and 4th at GMVWA where he lost to Sutter in the quarterfinals. Behind McGuire is the much improved Channel who this year looks to be standing on the podium winning at Mason over Krummert. The last two spots at Darby right now seem to belong to the sophomore Gavin Moore who was 5th at Medina and 4th SWOWCA and former state placer Vitaly Radsky who has made the leap up to 125.

*Note: That Adam Haas (Massillon Jackson) would be ranked 2nd here but him moving down occurred after it was written

This is one weight where there isn’t a clear cut favorite to win the title just like in 2006 and 2005 and once again it is between about 2 or 3 wrestlers in the field. This year favorites comes from no other than St. Eds, the much improved Neil Birt right now is the on paper favorite. Birt is coming off a summer where he was an All-American in freestyle at 125 and then took 3rd at Ironman losing only to Skonieczny in the semifinals. Birt hasn’t really had a close match other than his loss at Ironman but still he was injured at Medina which still leaves some questions.

Out of Mentor behind Birt is the state placer Dennis who was 3rd last year at 125 making a surprising run to take 3rd after losing his first match. This year Dennis was only 6th at Medina losing to the Ed’s backup Salupo in the consolation semifinals but he rebounded to win the field at Perrysburg. Dennis will have his hands full with the up and coming McHenry from Elyria who took 8th at Ironman upsetting Thome along the way. However McHenry didn’t place at Brecksville which just fits into the category of inconsistency just like the rest of the field at 130 behind the top 2. Duffy rounds out the field at Mentor but look out for the freshman Hayes as he could find his way into state this year.

Josh Palivoda heads a tough Darby field out of Columbus as the 2, 3 and 5 kids all exit from this district. Right now Palivoda only has one loss coming at the hands of Thome at Brecksville where he came back to take 3rd. Palivoda could very well end up being the state champion he did rack up a tech fall over Green at the Lakota West duals. He has the tools to be a state champion. Challenging him is the greatly improved Weaver who this year was 3rd at Medina defeating Cline and Parra along the way but lost a close match to Dennis. State qualifier Sanders who transferred from Westland to Central Crossing has been determined this year after not being able to wrestle at state last year due to skin infection. Sanders won at Mason over state qualifier Green and was 5th at Wadsworth losing to Sulzer and Price. Sasfy could grab the last spot out of Darby.
 
The Perry district is a tough one to get out of this year in many weight classes and this is no exception. The balance is very even across the board. Kurt Wentik is the favorite right now coming out Perry after winning at Medina but did lose at Darby in the first round before coming back for 3rd. Cline only a sophomore out of Uniontown Lake and was impressive at Medina taking 5th with a 6-1 victory over Dennis. The last two out of Perry are Parra and Price and both have the potential to grab one of the last spots on the podium at the Schott.
 
The Fairfield district only has on legitimate state placer in Tyler Green who won at SWOWCA and was 8th at Brecksville and 2nd at Mason. Green has torched the competition down in Cincinnati and districts should be the same. His biggest challenge comes from state alternate Matt Melink of Moeller who should be able to grab a spot in the brackets. Hotopp looks like he is finally going to qualify to state after some close tries in the past. Rounding out this weight is Williams from Glen Este.  

 
This weight is a weight dominated by one wrestler and one wrestler only. Tony Jameson has handled the weight jump from 119 better than anyone I have seen in recent history. Jameson has torched the fields at every tournament he has been at. Jameson routed the field at Brecksville tearing through opponent after opponent including two state runner-ups including a 13-2 thrashing of Pelton in the finals. Jameson closest match was an 11-7 victory over Clopton at Top Gun where he gave up takedowns at the end to make the score closer than it was. Jameson and his unorthodox style are just simply too much for anyone to handle. Best way to wrestle Jameson is not to touch him if you can do that.
 
Jameson leads what is just an absolutely brutal district out of Perry as the top 4 all exit the Perry district but what is more amazing about the depth at Perry is who will be left at home. Former state champion Spicel is back to old form and thus far undefeated on the year winning at Medina and Dies. Both him and Jameson were state champions in 2005 and know what would have thought they would be wrestling 2 years later. The freshman sensation of David Habat who has really come on strong this year winning almost everything he is entered at taking 4th at Ironman, 1st at Wadsworth, and 1st at CIT. I think Habat with his strength and technique could very well end up in the finals this year. Rounding out the group from Perry is state runner-up Marcel Clopton who has been equally impressive this year taking 2nd at Solon (140) winning at Kenston and 2nd at Top Gun. What was most impressive was when he sent shockwaves through the wrestling community upsetting Ben Jordan a 2x state champion from Graham in the semifinals. Not making it out of Perry but would have been placers are Mike Mencini and Haas. However we could see Haas make the slide down to 130 in order to make it out.
 
Again the north rules this weight this time at Mentor. Right now all the top 8 placers hail from the NE districts. Leading the charge is Cadet All-American Andrew Gasber who was back-up to Lance Palmer at 140 last year. This year he slides down to 135 and has been none the less impressive taking 6th at Ironman, 3rd at Medina where he had Spicel on the ropes more than one once before falling 15-13. Gasber is a dangerous thrower as evidence of his pin of Ben Jordan at the Super 8 Duals this year. Right behind Gasber is another dangerous big move man in Josh Speelman a Greco-Roman standout who has really come on strong this year. Speelman was 4th at state last year this year he finds himself in the deepest weight class in Division I. Speelman was 2nd at Medina and 4th at Top Gun. Speelman lost to both two-time state champions in Jameson and Jordan at Top Gun. Right on the heels of Speelman is state qualifier Vinny Lopez who defeated Lybarger at Brecksville this year. Lopez who missed state last year because of a hamstring injury looks to be ready to make some waves on the state level. Nick Webb slides into the last spot out of Mentor and should be able to place.
 
The Fairfield district is substantially weaker than the northern districts right the best choice to come out of Fairfield is former state qualifier Dooley who was off to a slow start this year but since has come on strong. Dooley was 2nd at SWOWCA and 1st at Mason. Behind Dooley is a group of wrestlers that could beat each other on a given day including Dooley. Shepherd was going to be the top guy out of Fairfield until he was 4th at Western Brown losing badly to Horne of Hillsboro. Roberts is undefeated with wins over Dooley and Shepherd but hasn’t wrestled in a while due to injury and his return is still in question. Hammer is the biggest enigma of them all he beats Gasber but fails to place at SWOWCA I think he should qualify out of Fairfield with it being so weak. 
The Darby is just as watered down with competition that I see no state placers out of the Central or Southwest district this year from 135. Papalyzck heads the group now that Lybarger has moved up to 140. Papalyzck was a state qualifier last year and should be able to make a return trip to the Schott. Behind him is Tuttle who has been consistent all year long and really improved from last year and should make it to state. Williamson and Nickolai round out the group of qualifiers from Darby this year that makes it to state.  

 
Shawn Harris started his career as a state champ and he will try to end his career as a state champion. In between there he was 2nd and 5th being upset in the finals at 112 and experienced growing pains last year at 135. Harris this year looks to be on a mission this year to win state again. He knocked off Lindsey at Ironman 6-2 but really sent some shocks when he pinned then #1 Kemmerer from Pennsylvania at Ironman. Harris fell to Mason from Blair in the finals but he won at Medina this year after taking 5th the year before showing that the growing pains were there. Harris did lose again to Lindsey at the state duals 3-2 but I think a rematch would go the way of the Eds senior.
 
The Mentor district is deep this year behind Harris. Grazl is one of the most improved wrestlers in the state and has handled the weight jump up to 140 with great ease this year. Grazl won at Hoover, then took 5th at Medina but rebounded to win at Gorman and then took 2nd to Reedy Top Gun. Grazl has the capability of making a deep run and knocking off one of the big dogs. Behind Grazl is state alternate Gushard who this year won at Harding but had a less than spectacular Top Gun taking 7th. Scott Lowe should be down here at 140 and he could definitely make a run at placement if he gets out of the Mentor district. The mystery man at this district is Errol Young who once was 3rd at St. Edward but since then sat behind Harris last year and didn’t really wrestle this year at Avon Lake he hasn’t captured the fire from 2005. The mystery is Goins and how he will do when healthy which seems like he isn’t at the time. 

The Fairfield district is a strong one lead by state placer Germaine Lindsey. Lindsey has been turning in workman-like performances all year long taking 5th at Ironman, 2nd at SWOWCA to Lybarger and 1st at CIT. Lindsey is a bit of enigma he always comes back to make it close or win but Lybarger got the best of him at SWOWCA catching him early and often to run the score up to 12-5. Lindsey did beat Harris at state duals with a late takedown in the 3rd to seal the victory. Behind Lindsey is state qualifier Stevens who was 5th at SWOWCA giving Lybarger his best match there but had a loss to Gorassi, he took 8th at Brecksville then won at Mason. If he is on he is tough to beat but needs to show signs of consistency. Gorassi this year upset Stevens at SWOWCA and took 3rd there but failed to place at both Brecksville and CIT. Rounding out Fairfield is the always tough Rigel from Tecumseh who took 5th at GMVWA.
 
The Darby district could be the deepest one of them all. Heading the district is state runner-up Lybarger who this year has competed at both 140 and 135 but I think he will head to the slightly greener pastures of 140. Lybarger crushed the field at SWOWCA including a 12-5 dismantling of Lindsey in the finals he was 5th at Brecksville where he was neck and neck with Jameson until a late throw open the score up. He moved back up to 140 at Waite and killed everyone there. Behind him are a slew of wrestlers that are dangerous, Caleb Messerall had an outstanding Top Gun defeating Willis for 3rd. Vaccari is back at 140 and has been impressive this year but right now I think that Messerall is just ahead of him. Rounding out the tough field at Darby is state placer Tucker Guy who will hope to place again after taking 4th at 130 last year.
 
The Perry district is just as tough led by the much improved Anthony Willis of Boardman who was 4th at Top Gun this year. He defeated Heflin in a dual which really put him on the map ranking wise. Willis will be a force to reckon with come state if he is wrestling like he has been. Lou Greco has been one of the surprises of the year taking 3rd at Brecksville knocking off state qualifier Taylor from Eastwood twice. Rounding out the qualifiers from Perry is Chad Rhoades who could win a match at state.  

 
Kevin Hardy the past two years has had many questions surrounding him such as how did he win state or can he do it again. This year he has answered those questions and looks to be the favorite once again moving up from 130 this year. Hardy has been brilliant all year long with just one loss coming at PowerAde to nationally ranked Moliarno of New Jersey. Hardy crushed the field at Solon to win this year including a win over state runner-up Skaggs. Hardy and his style will frustrate people with his long frame that he can ride anyone in the state and get the turn. Hardy last year used a late turn in the semifinals to win 6-5 with less than 20 seconds left. When all is said and done I see Hardy walking away with his 3rd state title.
 
Hardy leads what is a weaker field out of Perry where he seems to be the dominate figure. Lijoi looks to be the next best wrestler here but I don’t know if he has state placement potential quite yet, I could be wrong. Marrone has been out most of the year and has had some questionable results since coming back from injury but with time the rust could be shaken off and he could make a run for placement. State qualifier Potts is up here at 145 moving up from 125 and has been successful this year and should be able to make a run for the state tournament again.

The Mentor district is much deeper across the board as 3 projected placers exit the district. Leading the way is state runner-up Gonsor who seems to be healthy this year and his results have been impressive. Gonsor took 3rd at Ironman and was 2nd at Medina losing to Tank. Gonsor right now seems to be a healthy margin ahead of everyone at Mentor but don’t count out Jones. Jones is one of the most unorthodox wrestlers in the state and his style causes many people problems. The weight jump doesn’t seem to be affecting Jones greatly as he was 2nd at Waite losing to Andreas in the finals. Gooden also has made the weight transition from 125 to 145 quite easily and he should be able to replicate his placement from last year this year. Rounding out Mentor is the much improved Dominic Jones who should make it to state this year.

Darby maybe the deepest district of them all as all 4 wrestlers have placement potential. Jesse Dong looks to be the best of the bunch after placing 6th last year this year he seems to be even better and ready to make a run for the top at the podium. He was 3rd at Medina getting caught and pinned early in the tournament but came back to take 3rd including a victory of Andreas. Andreas has seem to catch fire this year taking 1st at Mount Vernon, 5th at Medina where he went to the wire with Tank and 1st at Waite with a pin over Roshawn Jones. Ewing should be here and has the capability to beat anyone if he gets hot. Rounding out Darby is state qualifier Rice who has been up and down this year but if he gets hot he could really make some noise come state weekend.
 
The Fairfield district is a two man battle for first. Right now Eric Gobin is the best bet here after missing weight at districts last year he is proven himself all over again that he can contend with the best. I still think he is a step behind the big 3 but on a good day he could upset one of them easily. Challenging him will be Ryan Brownlee who has fallen from grace last year when he failed to make it out of districts. This year not cutting so much weight as helped him has he was 4th at SWOWCA and 1st at Western Brown. A battle between these two will be a clash in styles. Right now there is a group of wrestlers that are way behind the top 2 but looking to get out of the district. Right now Carraher and McSwain are the best of the bunch but both have had ups and downs this year and if either falter look for someone else to grab those spot.  

 
Thomas Straughn last year finally won that state title that had been eluding him for his first two years of high school by dropping down to 135 all the way down from 145. This year Straughn has made the move up to 152 and has continued where he left off and that is simply winning. Straughn this year was runner-up at Ironman losing to Medina in the finals but he did defeat Rahman in the quarterfinals off a bad throw by Rahman to win that match. He won at Medina defeating Kusar in the finals in an overtime bout 7-5. Straughn also owns a victory over Weinkam at the state duals, Straughn is far from being a guaranteed lock but right now he is a solid favorite.
 
The Perry district is pretty weak behind Straughn this year as I only see one potential placer in Brochetti of Parma. This year Brochetti has been pretty solid with his only losses coming to Kusar and Erdman at Hoover. Brochetti was 1st at Kenston and 1st at Midpark, he is the next best wrestler behind Straughn but there is a significant gap between Straughn and Brochetti. Demarinis this year has been much improved and that is a result of the great coaching job going on at Boardman. Weidenthal should grab the last spot out of Perry and make it to state and once you are there anything can happen.
 
The Fairfield district is a two-headed monster led by Muhammad Abdur-Rahman who has really come on this year after taking 3rd at state last year. This year he was 7th at Ironman with a last second loss to Straughn but did have a victory over Weinkam in the opening rounds 5-4. He missed SWOWCA but came back and crushed the field at GMVWA to win Outstanding Wrestler with a fall over Mannier in the finals. Rahman is quick and explosive and has finally learned to wrestle the full six minutes and the results have shown. Weinkam is just as tough winning at SWOWCA and was 2nd at CIT. A battle with Rahman will be a great showdown at districts this year. There is a huge drop-off to the other wrestlers trying to qualify out of Fairfield. Holthaus of LaSalle seems to be the next best wrestler. Watch out for Kline as he is back now and been on fire of late winning at Mason quite easily.
 
The Darby district maybe the deepest in terms of state placers exiting from there to state. Led by former state qualifier Kline who last year was undefeated going in districts but had a meltdown and failed to get out. This year he was 5th at Medina losing to Bivenour early on but rebounded to beat him for 5th place. Behind him is Bivenour who as mentioned owns a victory over Kline and was close with Elliot at Medina too. Mickley who was a 6th last year this year looks to be making another run for the podium this year but it will be tough as this weight class is very balanced throughout. Rounding out the top 4 at Darby is state qualifier Rees who tries to make it up on the podium this year taking 2nd at Hoover but was 8th at GMVWA which raises some questions about placement possibilities.
 
The Mentor district is led by St. Edward senior Scott Elliot who this year has made the most of his first year in varsity. Last year he was the wrestler that knocked off Derek Foore at the state duals this year he owns down the 152 spot and was 4th at Medina with a close loss to Collett for 3rd place. He owns victories over both Luster and Mannier of Graham. He right now is the only state placer out of Mentor. State qualifiers Roth and McNamara are both nipping at his heels but right now seem to behind him. Rounding out the group is the much improved Cotton who placed at Brecksville taking 5th with a win over Mickley.  

 
This year will be the first year since 2003 that a four-time state champion will not be crowned. Sean Nemec was the closest thing that the class of 2007 to being a four-time state champion if it weren’t for his upset loss in the finals his freshman year to Matthews. Nemec lost the state finals call it nerves that got to him but since then he has been simply brilliant cementing his place in Ohio history as one of the great middle-weights. Nemec this year has been battling injuries but should be 100% for state. Nemec was 2nd at Ironman losing to Welch from California in the finals 1-0 but it was his 12-5 loss to Sponseller that shocked people. However he should be fine and has owned every wrestler in this division in some way shape or form.

Behind Nemec at Mentor is state placer Green who has been up and down all year but should be able to repeat his placement from last year but I don’t know if he can grab 5th again. State qualifier Findley is back and was 2nd at Waite losing a close match with Shalash 7-5. Harting has been another greatly improved wrestler with a big pin over Musaro at the state duals but was beaten badly by Badovick and Dukes at Brecksville. Many people have gone to greener pastures of 152 or 171 because of Nemec but will be sorely disappointed whatever weight they go.Derek Foore could go down as a three-time state runner-up each time losing to Nemec. However Foore who has been up at 171 shocked the state when he pinned state champion Dustin Kilgore in the finals of Wadsworth in the second period off a roll through on a tilt. Foore decided to come back down to 160 after he was beaten soundly by Foore in a dual. Foore is the only challenger of Nemec but his 0-3 career record makes it hard to think that the result will change. Behind Foore is the upstart Pankiewicz who also decided to drop down to 160 a more natural weight. He should be able to grab placement this year with some ease and could upset the 3 or 4 ranked wrestlers if he is on. Coleman and Ambrose round out the group at Perry which right now on paper seems to be the toughest district and both have a chance at grabbing a low place on the podium this year.
 
The Darby district is led by two-time state placer Shalash who last year was so very close to making to the finals instead he took 3rd place. This year the move up to 160 has been impressive but has had some losses to DII opponents. Shalash was 3rd at Brecksville but came back to win at Waite. He will be challenged in his district by a group of wrestlers that have left there mark on the wrestling scene this year. Muscaro of Davidson seems to be the next best wrestler in the district but did lose 7-3 to Shalash in a dual this year. Behind Muscaro is Faiella who has been injured this year but if he does return for districts I see him getting out. O’Donnell of Miamisburg rounds out the top 4 who has been coming on strong of late with winning Sycamore and Xenia.

The Fairfield district is led by two-time state placer Mahon who this year has been much improved from last year’s disappointing state finish. Mahon was 4th at Ironman, 1st at SWOWCA and 1st at CIT. Mahon should have very little trouble with this district. Mahon will be on the same side of the bracket as Nemec come state which really crushes his state title chances. Behind Mahon is a group of kids that will battle for the spot to make it to state. Christy of Tecumseh looks to be the next best wrestler at this weight. Guys like McClary and Ellis round out the field at Fairfield.  

 
Very rarely is a returning state champion not favored to repeat as state champion especially when he is back at the same weight class. However this year I think that the returning state runner-up has made such a leap to the next level that he is favored to win state. Brian Roddy I think has made the jump to elite status this year and the results have shown. Roddy has been simply outstanding at the same time dominant besides his loss to Magrum at Ironman, Roddy has simply out wrestled his competition. He was 3rd at Ironman and 1st at Medina. At Medina he simply crushed the competition including a major decision over state runner-up Wolff in the finals 16-5. What sealed his status was his 11-3 dismantling of Derek Foore who had pinned Kilgore this year. A rematch with Kilgore will be one for the ages and a true battle between some of the best upper-weights.
 
While Roddy leads the pack at Mentor there are a few wrestlers that could place at state. Harasyn right now is the second best but still way behind Roddy. In there match up he lost 16-6 and then went on to lose his other matches at the state duals to McKinley and Sasfy. Harpel could grab a placement if he gets the right draw and is wrestling tough he won at St. John’s and pinned at Sanders at CIT before taking 2nd to Gaier. Winemiller another greatly improved wrestler this year should make it to state and has the possibility of making an upset happen.

Dustin Kilgore has the possibility of cementing his place in history as one of the best upper-weights in recent history by winning state. This year he comes in with just one loss and that is of course by pin via Foore. He rebounded to win at Top Gun avenging his loss against Foster. This year Kilgore has been simply just winning. He has all the tools and talent to beat anyone when he is on and that is evident of the number of pins he has racked up this year. Behind Kilgore is the tough Saks who has been winning all year long at Kenston, Hudson and Avon Lake. He will be a force at the state level but I think right now everyone is behind Kilgore and Roddy. Fosco and Roman seem to round out the group at Perry and should be able to win some matches at state.
 
The Fairfield district could be the toughest as both the 3rd and 4th ranked wrestlers exit this district. Right now Dean Gaier is the best of Fairfield having won at SWOWCA not even having a close match along with crushing the field at CIT. If he is healthy he has the ability to wrestle with anyone as evidence of taking Ciraky into double OT last year before falling on a controversial call. Mauro returns and is a two-time state qualifier already but has missed placement the past 2 years but this year is healthy and ready to go. He could give Gaier and a great match as long as he doesn’t try to get funky with Gaier. Behind these two wrestlers is a huge drop-off. TJ O’Connell and Matt Hoffmeyer are the best of what is here but both don’t offer a realistic chance at placing.

The Darby district is deep with all four wrestlers having a chance to place. Sanders leads the way out of Columbus and should grab placement he was 3rd at CIT getting pinned by Harpel along the way. He should be able to find out the others and grab the district title. Behind him are McKinley, Sasfy and Witry. All of who had there ups and downs this year but right seem to be the 3 best behind Sanders. On the outside looking in is Moreno who owns a victory over Witry this year.  

 
Chris Honeycutt represents what is great about Lakewood St. Edward’s wrestling program. He has been one of the most improved wrestlers in the nation that is obvious of his 9-1 victory of Weakley at Ironman then dismantling his opponent in the finals to earn OW. Honeycutt last year was 3rd at state losing to Robertson in the semifinals in OT. This year I don’t think anyone in Division I will hold a candle to him. A great athlete this year Honeycutt has become a great wrestler dominating his opponents left and right. Come state I don’t think anyone will be within 6 points of him if that.

Behind Honeycutt at Mentor maybe his biggest challenger in Iammarino who likes low scoring bouts compared to the always attacking style of Honeycutt. Iammarino a former state qualifier missed it last year but this year he should be able to make it to the finals as he will be on the opposite end of Honeycutt at state. Iammarino was 4th at Medina losing to the kid from Davison and was 2nd at Waite losing to Purdue in the finals but did beat Samson in the semifinals. Samson is right there with Iammarino having lost a close bout to him at Waite. Samson had a huge win over Perkins at the Columbian tournament this year winning 2-1. Alexander is another tough wrestler and should be able to place at the state tournament this year too. The Mentor district without a doubt is the toughest district in this weight class.
 
Nathan Jones was a state placer last year at 171 this year he has made the move up to 189 and the results have been staggering. He has dominated his opponents everyone so far this year, torching the field at GMVWA with wins over White and Massie both by fall. He also moved up to 215 to face state qualifier Fletcher and torced him 22-11. Jones if on the opposite end of Honeycutt has a great chance of making to the finals. Behind Jones at Darby is a big gap. Brown is probably the next best then followed by Delande and Humphries. However I don’t believe that any of the last kids offer a realistic chance at placement.

The Perry district is led by the much improved Pushpak who was 1st at both Brecksville and at Dies. He could easily sneak into the finals if given the right draw. Behind Pushpak is returning state placer Snyder who this year has been steadily winning. Snyder should be able to reproduce another state placement this year. Oblisk and Kuti round out the field this year and they could sneak a low placement more so Oblisk than Kuti but it could happen.
 
The Fairfield district is somewhat watered down as Canfield leads the way he was 2nd at SWOWCA losing to a Matre Dei opponent and then was 5th at Medina. He is clearly the best wrestler in the SW district and should grab another spot on the podium this year. Massie was a state alternate last year but this year should qualify out of Fairfield no problem. I have saved a spot for Weatherholt in hopes of his return; if he had not been injured he would have easily qualified. Rounding out what is at Fairfield is Mincy of Mount Healthy.  

Justin Powell this year has been simply dominant in his opponents. Powell has losses only to the 1st and 2nd ranked wrestlers in the nation both times losing 3-2. Outside of taking 3rd at Ironman and at Beast he has crushed everyone in his way. He dismantled all of his opponents at Top Gun never having a close match including a 14-1 finals victory. It would be a huge shocker if Powell were not to be crowned champion especially after pinning Rasho in the past weeks.
 
The Perry district is composed of the top 3 wrestlers in the state. Behind Powell is Cogar who has come on strong this year at the end winning at Dies over Hooper in the finals. Cogar was only 6th at Medina losing to close matches to Smith and Rios but I think he can reverse the outcome in those matches. Rasho is back after being 6th last year at 215, this year he has been right there with everyone besides Powell but that has been the case all year long. Finally rounding out the group at Perry is Nemunaitis who was hot at the start of the year with a win over Srock at Ironman but has seemed to fade faster as the year goes on. If the same Nemunaitis comes back from the beginning of the year he could ruin some plans of placing for people.
 
The Darby district is almost as tough led by the young gun Cody Smith who transferred from Graham back to Beavercreek and hasn’t missed a beat. Smith this year was 1st at SWOWCA and 4th at Medina. Smith is only going to get better as time goes on and has he develops physically. Behind him is state qualifier Beatty who this year has been simply dominating the Columbus area. A match with him and Smith will be a great test for both. Behind them is state qualifier Fletcher and state alternate Sato both have the possibility of being able to knock out someone from grabbing a lower place on the podium.

The Fairfield district is a crowded one with a group of wrestlers all trying to get out. Tumlin leads the way as he hasn’t lost to a Cincinnati opponent all year long. This year he was 3rd at SWOWCA losing a close match with Smith in the semifinals. Behind him is Cadet All-American Scales who has shown signs of greatness but still showed youth in some matches. Scales failed to place at SWOWCA but was 2nd at Brecksville pinning the bigger Hale. Quehl and Emmons round out the group and both are capable of beating the top 2. In fact both have beat Scales at one point this year.

The Mentor district is the weakest of the bunch but Rios pilots the district as the best wrestler. He was 5th at Medina with a win over Smith but did lose to White in the Graham dual, and he has been hampered by injuries. Behind him is Hale who this year was 4th at Brecksville this year and has been real impressive of late. Rounding out the field at Mentor is Metzger of Findlay and Patrick of Midview. Both of these wrestlers should make it to state but winning matches are still up in the air at this point depending on there draw.

 
Brendan Barlow is attempting to repeat history becoming only the second Division I heavyweight to repeat as state champion. This year Barlow has crushed all opponents that have come his way. The future Flash has shown why he is the best heavy in Division I and possibly the state but that is for another debate. Barlow killed the field at Wadsworth then won over Walker in the finals of Top Gun. This weight class is just a reminder of how many great heavyweights have come out of Ohio in recent years. The class of 2007 is almost on par with the class of 2004.
 
The Darby district again is loaded at heavyweight with Barlow heading the group again. This year Hartshorn and Jeremiah have been much improved from last year and both have the possibility of being finalists since they are away from Barlow. Hartshorn was 2nd at Brecksville but won at Waite over Jeremiah in the finals 3-2. Jeremiah won at Medina winning over Kuhar to make it to the finals before pinning his opponent. The rematch with Jeremiah and Hartshorn will be a great one and it seems right now that Hartshorn has been able to neutralize the size of Jeremiah. Cline has been solid all year long and should grab the last spot out of Darby to make it to state.
 
The Fairfield district is almost as tough. Frank Becker is the best of the bunch. Becker won at SWOWCA pinning Lipsey in the finals and at the state duals he pinned Kuhar in the first period. Becker is a very agile heavyweight and I think he is the only one that can beat Barlow right now. Lipsey is still raw but has a lot of great athletic ability. He was neck and neck with Becker at SWOWCA before getting pinned off a bad roll he hit. Gudmunson is undefeated on the year with a big win over Piccirillo at Kenston but he will have a big challenged at conference this year with Lipsey. Rounding out the tough group is Pritchard who is only a junior which this year will only help him out for next year at state.
 
The Mentor district is led by senior Ben Kuhar who missed all of last year with a knee injury and it has shown this year as he is not the same wrestler that was 5 seconds away from a state title in 2005. Kuhar still is the best wrestler out of Mentor and shouldn’t have a problem with them but at state is where my concern with him lies. Piccirillo is just one of the great Mayfield heavies to come out in recent years and this year I could see him sneaking a low placement in. Behind those two at Mentor is state qualifier Holland and the upstart Warford.

The Perry district is by far the weakest of the districts with Stolarsky the only legitimate placer of the bunch. However I believe he has been injured since taking 2nd at Solon this year and hasn’t wrestled much since then. Behind him are a group of wrestlers that are looking to get qualification status this year in hopes of turning into placement next year. McCarthy and Yoder both should qualify and that will help them tremendously next year when they return to state. The last guy in this report is Ballinger of Uniontown Lake who should grab the last spot in a wide open weight at Mentor.

  
1. St. Edward – With the possibility of 7 state titles they should shatter the record set by them last year. That doesn’t include state finalist Gonsor who would make it 8 in the finals. Don’t forget about Sulzer, Elliot, Rios and Kuhar all as placers. This is the year that I think St. Eds qualifies all 14 wrestlers.

2. Moeller – The Crusaders have dominated the Cincinnati area these past few years and this year they should finally take 2nd. With big point scorers in Harger, Lindsey, Gobin, Weinkam, Mahon, Gaier and Becker they would have to stumble even worse than last year not to take 2nd. 

3. Perry – The Panthers are led by the senior Straughn who should win another state title this year at 152. Big points will come from White and Genetin. If Horner gets back on track they will be set plus Coleman should add more points for them. 

4. Lakota West – They will rely heavily on the point scoring of Touris and Fields to secure this spot on the board. The key will be getting Green, Dooley and Stevens to win matches and maybe even grab a place on the podium. 

5. Brecksville – The sophomore Lang should score big points at the state level and along with Zamaria at 119. If they get the big boys of Pushpak and Nemunaitis to place high they could over take Lakota West for the 4th spot. 

6. Reynoldsburg – They have big points in Hartshorn and Shalash. However the key is additional points from Li and Lester at state plus finding away for Nein to get some points 

7. Fitch – Tony Jameson should rack up over half of the points they have as he should have big bonus points from his early matches. Throw in points from Greco who can place along with Pankewicz right now having Weidenthal win a match will be huge and have them in the top 10 no problem. 

8. Davidson – Right now having Vaccari and Mickley score the bulk of there points plus Millar who could grab a placement along with McKinley and Delande to have the points to make it in the top 10. 

9. Wadsworth – Foore and Squire right now both look like state finalists so far and then having the younger Foore place would easily put them in the top 10 this year.

10. Miamisburg – McGuire right now could be a state finalist at 125 which would be big points along with finding a way for Guy to place again would go far them placing in the top 10.