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Division II

In something of a landmark, the 2003 State Tournament will be the 33^rd conducted with a Division II classification--exactly matching the number that were held with only one classification (1938 – 1970).  Division II has always seemed to have the most competitive and spirited team competitions and some of the most entertaining weight classes.  Recently, the always-high quality of wrestling has moved sharply upward and that trend continues this year.  It is safe to say that this year we will see the strongest field ever assembled in Division II.  Virtually every weight class is loaded with talent that includes not only a bevy of state champions, placers, and qualifiers, but wrestlers who have excelled at the national level.  Both in terms of individual brilliance and weight class depth, we have entered what looks like a golden age of Division II wrestling. This has occurred because of a rare convergence of factors. These include the blossoming of talent in the Southwest District (most notably Graham), the movement of exceptional wrestlers and teams from Division I and III, and the continued excellence of powerhouse programs like Walsh and DeSales forcing their competition to match their efforts.  Add to this young wrestlers emerging from the Junior High State Championships and the result is competition at a level never before reached in Division II.

103 #

Projected Champion:  Pat McLemore (Padua)

Top Contenders

After the introductory paragraph, it is somewhat ironic, though understandable, that this first weight class is the one that is not “loaded”.  There are, at last count, only two returning state qualifiers, including McCahan, who placed two years ago in Division III.  There is, as always, at this class, an influx of talented freshmen that have competed very well with those returning at 103 #.  Because we’re talking about a wide variety of styles and sizes, the pairings algorithm is likely to play a major role in the final outcome.  Despite so many unknowns, my view is that the freshman Pat McLemore has the best shot at winning it all, given his portfolio of tangible advantages.  He is a big 103 (something of an oxymoron) with lots of experience, an outstanding skill set, and emerges from the easiest of the four districts.  This year, he has already won, comfortably, at Avon Lake and Brecksville ending both finals in less than six minutes.  However, facing a multitude of challengers at the state level, he must remain super-focused, and avoid the tendency to rely on muscle rather than technique.

While the Firestone District is the weakest of the four, it still offers some long shot possibilities for low places.  The freshman Kriwinsky, in particular, should be watched after recording some big early wins with a decision over the excellent Shaft, a highlight example.  He pushed McLemore before losing 8 – 6.  District qualifier and Hudson Champ Valore is also in the mix, but after him, there are a lot of uncertainties.  Henry, Connelly, and House (Ravenna Southeast) are three of those uncertainties, but look for a surprise qualifier (like Yourkewicz), too, from this district. 

The competition at Galion – as it is at virtually every weight class – will be fierce with at least nine potential qualifiers fighting for only four spots.  Two-time state qualifier McCahan is the veteran of this group with his 4^th place finish in Division III two years ago being a critical component of their team title.  Last year, he grabbed a district 3^rd and just failed to place at Columbus.  However, the inconsistent Rooney beat him by five at the Ironman, where despite the #1 seed, he failed to place.  However, if you look at history, note that he has had 12 losses going into the state meet each of the last two years, so expect him to “come on strong” at tourney time.  Rooney beat both McCahan and Hart at the Ironman and was 5^th at the Powerade.  On a hot weekend, he could be a potential finalist.  The powerful junior Davis, is a returning district qualifier who tested McLemore in the semi-finals at Brecksville (9 – 6) where he finished 4^th.  His unusual strength makes him very dangerous.  Factor in the capable Collier and junior high state champion, Stroh, and you have a solid group – but that ignores four other potential qualifiers from the two western sectionals.  One of the best of that quartet is state alternate, Schaeffer, who won 29 bouts last year.  He lost only to Gardella at North Canton, finishing 3^rd, but failed to place at Brecksville, losing in overtime to Shaft.  Kidwell also has district experience and has dominated in the Northwest, winning easily at Sylvania Southview.  Cubberly was the surprise winner defeating state champ Levi Wyant in the finals.  But the wrestler I really like here is Michaels, a junior high state finalist last year, who won handily at Franklin and beat Duffield to win at Lorain Southview. He could place. Factor in district qualifier Ritzenthaler, and there will be chaos from the first round on at Galion.  Remember the difference between #1 and #15 in these rankings is not great.

Things seem much clearer at Coshocton.  State qualifer, Artmann, Division I state alternate Duffield, and the clever Cormier should dominate this district.  Cormier is very good on top and has thrived on DeSales tough schedule while Duffield is strong and experienced.  Artmann is undefeated at 103#, including a win at the giant GMVWA where he took the title without a close bout.  The fourth berth is wide open with Brown, perhaps the most logical candidate.  Other thoughts might include Miller or McKay.

There is also clear directionality at Goshen.  A trio of excellent freshman-- two-time junior high state finalist, Hart, and junior high placers, Christensen and Penny--should head a relatively thin field.  Hart, a cadet national All-American, will lead the way, but Penny, 1^st at Edgewood and 4^th at the GMVWA is also solid.  Christensen, just down from 112#, won at Xenia and Beavercreek and there is no question that he’ll be a real load at this weight class.  Watch for him the next three years.  Blevins and Harrison would seem to be next best with Reese a possibility out of the Northwest sectional that competes here.

112 #

Projected Champion:  Mike Compton (Willard)

Top Contenders

This is a weight class that has a sharp dividing point between the top contenders and everyone else.  The top eight all have state placement potential, while those below that mark are low probability items.  That is not to say that the brilliant freshmen Keyes, Llanas, and Murton don't have great upset potential.  But most of those on the awards stand on Saturday night will come from that top group.

Now that long-time rival Ryan Smith has been moved to Division I, Mike Compton becomes a clear favorite to win his second state title.  Compton posted a 43-1 mark last year at 103# losing only to Smith (who else?) in the district finals.  But he avenged that loss (and several others, including the junior high state championship bout) with a solid 4-2 win.  Except for Smith, he totally dominated the opposition last year.  The move up one weight class has seemingly had little impact on him as he has won at Wadsworth and the Gorman.  A superior athlete, he’ll face not only many of the excellent 103’s he defeated last year, but a number of returning 112’s, who have already won at the state level at this weight class.  Still a healthy Compton will be very difficult to defeat.

Some of Compton’s most vigorous opposition will emanate from the Goshen District.  Franklin, a senior, was state runner-up two years ago at 103# when Compton finished 5^th.  Last year, at 112#, he was a district finalist losing (again) to Schlatter by some enormous score.  Injured at the state meet, he was never a factor, despite 40 wins.  This year, he has been at both 125# and 119# until dropping here.  I’m guessing this is a tough cut, but he won at 112# at Coffman.  Essentially even with him is the athletic Penny, who was a surprising 3^rd at this weight class in Columbus after placing 4^th at the district level.  He and Franklin battled to the 30-second tiebreaker at the district with Franklin prevailing.  Doggett, a transfer from Tecumseh, joins his cousin at Graham and he should be a factor.  He beat Wyant the first week of the season, but was injured at the Ironman and has not wrestled since.  He will not suffer for a lack of excellent workout partners at Graham.  The improving Land and the state qualifiers Shearer and Pleiman are left fighting for the last ticket to Columbus.  Land was 4^th at Medina after finishing 2^nd at Edgewood -- where Penny tech falled him.  Pleiman and Shearer share an interesting bond.  Last year, Pleiman was 4^th at the district, while Shearer wrestled his heart out to win the 5^th place bout 17–12.  When Pleiman couldn’t wrestle, Shearer went to Columbus.  It could come down to the two of them again this year.

Compton’s toughest foe may well be 112# state qualifier Horne, who should dominate the relatively weak Firestone District.  He went 1-2 at Columbus, losing two narrow decisions to experienced seniors.  This year, he has been crushing most opponents, losing only to the exceptional Federico 6-5.  As a district champ, he should get an excellent pairing, but with each of the other districts having two high quality wrestlers, he’s bound to have difficult opponents from the quarterfinals onward.  The freshman, Murton, won handily at Kenston and is a strong pinner.  But the other two state spots are wide open.  However, I believe Bartley has the inside track based on his record at 119#, which included a 2^nd at the Wayne Invitational.

Compton is not alone at Galion.  Two-time placer, Laughlin, is very good, but Compton pinned him in 84 seconds last year.  This year Laughlin has won at Canton South and Wadsworth -- both at 119#.  However, I see him at 112# rather than the super tough 119#.  He’ll be away from Compton at Columbus and he certainly has the ability to defeat anyone else in this field.  The two freshmen, Keyes and Llanas, are both junior high state place winners, and have a go-for-broke attitude.  Llanas gave Compton his toughest battle before succumbing 10-7.  Should any of them falter, the little known Best may be in line for a state berth.  He was a district semi-finalist last year.  Otherwise, Aona, Pusateri (Perkins), and Hall (Genoa) will get the fourth berth.

There are three excellent contenders at Coshocton, any of whom could be a finalist.  The high scoring Bowers has just moved down to 112#, where he beat Franklin and he has put together 2 ½ great regular seasons.  As a freshman, he came to Columbus as a district champ at 45-1, but narrowly failed to place.  Then last year, as a sophomore, he repeated as district champ and entered the state tourney with a 42-0 record-- and again, failed to place.  He needs to prove that he can win at the state level, which is why I rated him between Franklin and Penny.  I think Pizzurro has looked vastly improved this year, and is wrestling with more confidence.  He was a semi-finalist at both the Ironman and Brecksville, losing tough matches to the eventual winner each time.  A two-time state qualifier, he has posted wins over Laughlin and Jackson and dropped a one-pointer to Franklin.  He is excellent on top and doesn’t let bouts get away from him.  State placer Jackson, was 5^th at Medina and won at Brecksville.  Both Pizzurro and Laughlin defeated him last year at tournament, but he was the only one of that trio to place.  There are a number of solid wrestlers battling for the last two slots.

119 #

Projected Champion:  cameron doggett (graham)

Top Contenders

This weight class features the kinds of match-ups that wrestling fans dream about.  We have two past state champions battling one of the finest sophomores in the country and all of this amidst a very strong supporting cast!  Let’s take a look at the top trio.

Doggett, only a sophomore, is something of a prodigy.  A two-time state junior high champion, he wrestles year round and was a Cadet National Champion.  Last year, as one of the quartet of fabulous Graham freshmen, he competed in the unbelievably brutal 119# class.  He was a district 3^rd after being upset by Conger and then lost at Columbus once again (in overtime), and failed to place.   This year, he has taken it to the next level winning two of the toughest tourneys in the country – the Ironman and the Beast of the East – in back to back weeks.  He has been brilliant.

Doggett’s closest bout this year was with former state champ Ricky Deubel in the Ironman semi-finals.  Deubel, now a junior, posted an undefeated freshman season culminating in an easily won state title.  He, too, was at the brutal 119# class last year, and like Doggett, failed to place after a tough overtime loss.  This year, he was 3^rd at the Ironman and 1^st at Kenston.  In the latter tourney, he beat state runner up Keyes and state champion Lipp by a combined 34-2 score in the final two rounds.  Interestingly, he also lost to Doggett at the junior high states three years ago.  He is nearly as fast as Doggett, and should he get the first takedown, he’ll be difficult to defeat.

LaFollette surprised everyone two years ago winning the Division I state title including pins in the last two rounds.  Than, to prove it was no fluke, he made it to the finals last year before getting thumped by Schlatter.  That was a bout where dubious strategy possibly impacted the outcome.  Devastating on top, LaFollette chose down on his choice negating his greatest strength.  As it turned out, he never got the top position, as Schlatter was superior on his feet.  His only loss this year was an overtime thriller to Perez at Brecksville.

Hamed, 3^rd in Division III last year, also certified at this weight class, but somehow I think he’ll end up at 125#.  At this weight class, he’s only, in my opinion, at best, fourth rated--and possibly lower.  At 125#, if he wins his district, he’ll be away from Schlatter and very likely a finalist --plus he gets to eat.  That’s why I rated him at the next weight class.  Of course, he and his coach may see it differently. 

Deubel and LaFollette exit the same district (and sectional) and so Doggett will have to defeat both of them to take home the title.  The likely scenario is that the Firestone District champion will be away from the other two, so that bout takes on added significance.  State alternate, Jones, should be the third Firestone qualifier, and he is no easy mark.  A tough competitor, he lost to state placer Sandy in his go-to-state bout last year.  This year, his only loss has been to state champion Jordan Lipp 3-1.  The fourth berth should go to the excellent Jastal, although Small, Buchholz, Bowers (Lake Catholic), who defeated Cradlebaugh, and Soeder (Holy Name) could play a role here.

Doggett also emerges from what looks like a two-man district.  Browning is already a three-time state qualifier who has won two state bouts and lost two state bouts each of the last three years.  He has had five bouts where a win would have meant a state place and has, unfortunately, lost them all--several times by narrow margins.  A perennial winner in the Southwest--he won handily at the GMVWA--he is clearly due to make it to the awards stand this year.  The last two spots should feature a wide-open battle with Szczubewski and Sells a slight favorite over Quiqley, Hodge, and Potter (Goshen).  I particularly like Szczubewski (except for having to spell his name) as he came close to qualifying after losing a first round battle to Conger. 

The question at Galion is whether state placer Sandy will compete here or at 125#.  My guess is that we’ll see him at 125#, and he is accordingly ranked there.  Given that assumption, qualification should be relatively straightforward.  State qualifier Smith and Ysaguirre are old rivals--Smith last beat him in overtime to qualify for state action-- while state qualifer Albaugh and Zeller are both solid.  This makes Sabatino the dark horse and people like Shroyer (Eastwood) having a chance.  For Sandy, the choice is interesting.  Should he go at 119# with an easier district, but brutal state competition or compete at 125# with a more difficult district, but a somewhat easier state bracket.

The district at Coshocton will be very, very competitive.  Two-time state place winner, Reichman, heads the field, looking to qualify once more and improve on his 6^th and 4^th place finishes.  That will be a large assignment, but, possibly doable.  He won easily at Barnesville this year, but was truly outstanding at Medina.  He had four first period falls (and one decision) including ones in both the semis and finals (over Riggs).  State qualifier, Scurry, wrestles a non-descript schedule, but has put up some big numbers.  Undefeated, he has excellent low placement potential.  Now that Jenkins has moved to 112#, two spots are open for folks like state qualifier Woods, the fast improving Schneider, Bates, and Cradlebaugh.  Factor in the excellent freshman Saxton and Coshocton will really rock.

125 #

Projected Champion:  Dustin Schlatter (Graham)

Top Contenders

I’ve been somewhat perplexed by the articles and commentary that suggest that Dustin Schlatter has lost his confidence after a couple of upset losses at the Ironman.  You have to figure that someone as good and as successful as Schlatter has to be mentally tough--extremely mentally tough.  It is beyond far-fetched to suggest that somehow Schlatter will no longer be as sensational as in the past.  Sure, he won’t be the first four- year wrestler to go totally undefeated, but I’m betting that he’ll be a four-time champ--and I’ll give odds on that.  With a resume that includes innumerable national titles and an undefeated freshman year where he was never challenged, Schlatter is a huge favorite to win--even though he may be a little small for the weight class.  I’m seeing Zupancic competing at 130# and, most likely, Conger doing the same thing, which tells me that they like the odds far better at that higher weight class.

Schlatter exits a crowded and rather demanding district.  Lee, a state qualifier two years ago, looked good winning at Edgewood and should return to Columbus this year.  Grant, something of a forgotten guy, missed going to State by one win last year at this weight class.  He should be very tough after campaigning at 130# most of the year.  Niswonger, a district runner-up and state qualifier at 103# last year, started the season at 119#, but, clearly is growing.  He already has seven losses to date--Kozusek and Klofta both have past district experience and good current results.  Hinton and Fetters are two other possibilities with, maybe somebody like Wilhelm (Paulding) as a real long shot. 

The deepest district is clearly at Galion.  Assuming Sandy competes at this weight class, I count at least six legitimate state qualifiers for four spots.  Hamed was 3^rd in Division III last year and this year won at the D-3 Classic and was a semi finalist at Medina.  Still, I don’t think he has looked quite as good as he did last year though it is still early.  Naso, the hard nosed state qualifier from Canal Fulton Northwest, lost to Hamed in overtime at Medina, but won in overtime over Huss to take the title at North Canton.  Again, I don’t sense the same positive energy as last year.  Sandy, of course, would be the district favorite after placing last year, and except for a crushing loss to Doggett, looked good at the Ironman.  French defeated Naso at Medina and won at the Wayne Invitational over Sponseller.  Spitalieri, Rando and Yaros are good, and would qualify at the other districts.  Nuhfer may be even better and that gives us eight wrestlers for four berths.  Some are going to be disappointed while others may consider migrating to the slightly easier 130# weight class.

I’ve had trouble locating solid contenders at the Firestone District.  State placer, Colby Turchetta, is one obvious choice as he continues to perform at a high level.  He was 3^rd at Brecksville (losing only to very tough West Virginia star, Shane Grogg) and 2^nd at Solon to Caruso.  The outstanding sophomore Protz is up three weight classes this year and has had to make some adjustments.  He didn’t place at the Ironman, losing to state champions Zupancic and Schlatter and was runner up to Caruso at Kenston.  After this duo, however, I’m struggling to identify viable contenders.  I’ve listed Lamancusa, Scott and Munn, but maybe the young Rendinell will pull a very mild upset.  At any rate, there is great opportunity for someone with the hot hand at district time.

It’s an interesting cast of participants at Coshocton with lots of different strengths.  I’ve always liked the two-time state qualifier, Sponseller, but he has only one win at the state level--though admittedly, his two losses last year were to Zupancic and Doggett.  He won easily at West Holmes, but failed to place at Medina--though, again, his losses were to state runners-up Jonnstone and Horne.  Based on this, his biggest need might be better bracketing luck.  That should happen if he wins this district.  Thress was probably the smallest 140-pounder in the state last year, but still had a district win.  He should be a bear at this weight.  State qualifiers Cain, Turnbull and Dailey will be battling for the last two state tickets, but there is a lot of depth here.  Williams is very dangerous and his explosiveness could create huge upsets.  Melnichenko won a district bout last year and has moved back down from 130#.  And, of course, there is state qualifier, Kempf, up three weight classes and stuck in a very crowded district.  The freshman, Triplett, was a junior high state finalist last year and he can do nothing but get better at Claymont.  Hoover (Beaver Local), Webb (Circleville), and Espervoa (Ham.Twp.) are other possibilities.

130 #

Projected Champion:  Josh Zupancic (Walsh)

Top Contenders

Has there ever been a wrestler as under appreciated and unrecognized as Josh Zupancic?  This is a wrestler who could well be a four time state finalist and two time state champion who still garners few accolades.  Last year, he took the title at arguably the toughest of all 42 weight classes contested, defeated the brilliant all-everything Mark Moos, and snapped Ricky Deubel’s high school unbeaten string and scarcely raised a ripple on the consciousness of most wrestling fans.  This year, he has had his usual slow start wrestling at 125# and 130#, but I expect him to be fully prepared by tournament time.  After all, he has defeated probable four-time champ Jaggers and did anyone doubt that this Stanford recruit would beat Freirichs the second time they met.  I also like his newfound aggressiveness, which means more back points and more falls (like six in a row at the Ironman).  This is a very difficult weight class augmented by some 125’s looking to avoid Schlatter, but Zupancic has to be accorded the favorite’s role.

In fact, both finalists could be competitors who started the year at 125#.  The ferocious Conger was 3^rd last year after beating Doggett at both the district and state level (Doggett has twice defeated Zupancic), and generally, terrorizing most of the field.  I don’t receive all of his scores, but I don’t think he has been challenged this year (not always a good thing).  Assuming both are district champs, they’ll be apart in the state bracketing setting up a possible confrontation in the finals.  Two years ago, they met in the first round with Zupancic winning handily--but things can change in 24 months.

Conger exits a rather difficult district lead by the talented Brown.  Like Conger, he, too, was 3^rd last year winning a succession of close bouts (his four wins were by a total of eight points) including one over Hoffman.  He was a strong 4^th at the Ironman--defeating Freirichs--but was only 5^th at Brecksville including a consolation loss to Smith.  I think that was an anomaly.  Right behind them is state qualifier Hawk, who beat the older Pizzurro at Columbus last year.  A fine competitor, he lost a first round district bout, then came back to face the same wrestler in his go-to-state bout and won 10-4.  There is a wide gap between this duo and the rest of the Coshocton district.  Johnson and state qualifer, Trawinski, are back, but both will be challenged by Worley, Kerr, and Neil (Vincent Warren).

The best district is at Galion.  Zupancic will not have it easy.  State qualifiers Hoffman and Lashaway return as does state alternate Smith.  Smith was 1^st at Avon Lake and 2^nd (to Sheehan) at Bellevue, while finishing a strong 4^th at Brecksville.  Last year, he lost to Lashaway in his go-to-state bout.  With Hoffman and Lashaway exiting the same sectional, I foresee potential bracketing issues at the district level.  If so, one of this quartet could be eliminated with folks like Huss (Fairless), Yaros or Doughty, having a golden opportunity.  Two other candidates to watch are Johnson (Minerva) and Hudak (Lexington).  The wild card, here, is the sensational freshman Rohler.  I’m not sure where this state junior high champ fits in, but he is a dynamite kid.  I may have him too low here.   

There is also solid strength at Firestone.  State qualifier, Hurley, is now down to 130#, and will build off his successes at 135#.  He was 4^th at the Ironman and won at Kenston.  Sheehan had a very tough draw at Columbus last year--especially for a district champion--getting state runner up Budd and Turchetta early on.  This year, he has looked very good winning at Southview, for example, where he had a technical fall in the finals.  Both of them have definite placement potential, but are unlikely finalists.  Factor in Kemble, Dreger, and Murton and this is a good, solid, representative district.

The Goshen district, and, in fact, the entire 130# bracket got a whole lot tougher when Midlam moved down to this weight class.  A two time state qualifier and 4^th last year, he escapes the trio of excellent 135’s, but he’ll find this weight class nearly as tough.  Zupancic, by the way, beat him 6-3 two years ago at Columbus.  West Virginia state runner up, Freirichs, was a felicitous move-in for Graham, and the tall, lanky junior is very good.  He was a semi-finalist at the Ironman and ended up 5^th there and at the Beast of the East.  He has split two bouts with Zupancic.  He and Midlam make a great 1-2 punch, but the rest of this district lacks strength.

135 #

Projected Champion:  Anthony Constantino (Lake Catholic)

Top Contenders

This is just a sensational weight class--even better, I think--than at 119#.  It should be one of the best and most exciting competitions of the last decade.  Just writing about it is exciting.  We have five runner-up trophies among these participants and there are a host of other state placers and qualifiers.  Even at the district level, the competition will be fierce with outstanding wrestlers in every area failing to qualify.  This class could use a 32-man state bracket, just to accommodate those who deserve to go.

My choice is two time runner-up and three-time placer Tony Constantino.  Loser to Ott in the finals two years ago, he was upset by Thompson in last year’s final round after having defeated him the previous week.  He defeated Blunk to win at Medina this year and beat Vince in last year’s state semi-finals.  He is the most consistent wrestler at this weight class and, perhaps, the most talented.

Blunk, in an almost a bizarre coincidence, is also a two time state runner-up losing last year in a mild upset to Chris Seta.  He is a scoring machine in the top position, where he is nearly unstoppable.  His only loss this year was to Constantino at Medina, where he outscored his four other opponents 59-8.  Last year, he had 40 consecutive wins before losing to Seta--after outscoring his other state opponents 44-1.  He and Constantino emerge from the same district, so that winner will be away from both the loser and Vince at State. 

Vince was 2^nd two years ago--losing to Schlatter in the finals--and then was 3^rd last year after losing to Constantino in the semis.  He, too, likes to score points by the bushel basket and a bout with Blunk could well burn out the scoreboard.  He wrestles a much weaker schedule than the other two, and that could cost him at the state level.

Each district is loaded.  At Galion, there are six outstanding candidates for four spots.  Blackburn missed much of the early season, but returns at this weight, where he was 6^th last year.  He came back with a crushing win at Southview and will be a factor here.  State alternate, Spurlock, lost his bid for Columbus to Blackburn last year, but won at both Avon Lake and Bellevue this year.  He was 7^th at Brecksville, losing to Division I state runner up Flake and Morgan.  I’ve liked state qualifier Fee for several years, but it’s time for him to step it up a notch or two.  At this difficult district, he’ll have to be in top form to qualify.  Right behind him are Escober--whom he defeated in overtime-- Johnson, and Bodnar.  Seven potential qualifiers and there are only four openings. I’m thinking, maybe, some of these folks might opt for the far easier 140 # class at this district.

Constantino and Blunk should dominate at Firestone, but there is other talent as well.  Hazlett recently dropped from 145# and will be a factor.  He won at Kenston and might be third best at this district.  State qualifier, Maston, is “on the bubble” with Kissinger, Wright, England (Aurora) and Wiles (Perry) as the potential fourth qualifier of this group.  I think England has the best chance--although being in the same sectional as Blunk and Hazlett could hurt his district bracketing.

There are five wrestlers with previous state experience at the Coshocton District, but I think Aaron Martin is the best of this quintet.  They wrestle at lots of different weight classes at Watkins Memorial, but Martin is good wherever they put him.  He was a dominating district champ last year at 130#, but then lost a narrow quarter-final bout to Vince and ended up 6^th.  Morgan has moved up from 119#, where he drew Deubel and Perez in his first two bouts, and has rebounded with good success this year.  He was 3^rd at Brecksville, including wins over Spurlock and state runner-up Young.  Miller has been a mainstay at Carrolltown and was a state quarter-finalist last year.  Hoppel and Apperson both went 0-2 last year at Columbus, but they’re much better this year.  Hoppel won three bouts at Medina and was champion at Beaver Local.  Apperson, only a junior, is up two weight classes.  But remember, his brother is a 160 pounder so there is room to grow.  Pairings, as is so often the case, will be critical with Apperson looking to be the odd man out.  Other possibilities are Wheeler, Bennett (Fairfield Union), and Wilson (Claymont).  Some of these folks might end up at 140#.

With Midlam dropping to 130#, the field is not quite so crowded at Goshen. The best of this group might be the totally unheralded Tyler Schlater.  Frankly, I was stunned that he made it to State last year and even more when he won two bouts.  This year, he was a semi-finalist at the Ironman and gave Lang his best bout of the tourney.  He gets overlooked with the star-studded cast that Graham puts on the mat, but he has become a very good performer. State qualifiers Kanta and Robinson are both good, but they’re likely to get lost in the cauldron of competition at Columbus.  The last qualifying spot is a puzzle.  Slonaker, Gray and Deeter (Valley View) are top contenders.

140 #

Projected Champion:  Kalen Knull (Graham)                           

Top Contenders

This would appear to be pretty much a two-man competition, especially now that Gross has had health problems that make it uncertain the he will participate.  The only fly in the ointment is Davis, who can be brilliant one day and not much more than ordinary the next.  Since Knull and Turchetta are both state runners-up, they should be apart in the bracketing to set up what should be an exciting final.

I favor Knull, but I’m not sure why.  He was 2^nd at the Ironman and 4^th at the Beast of the East after losing to Hurley in last year’s state final.  A solid, intelligent performer, he doesn’t let any bout get totally away from him.  He was 3^rd as a sophomore, 2^nd as a junior, and will climb that last step this year.  Turchetta is also very good.  He won at Solon and Hudson and lost in overtime in the finals at Brecksville to Pietropinto.  He was a surprise state finalist last year at 135# and went the full six minutes with Schlatter.  His coach, Dave Mariola, has an uncanny knack for developing effective game plans that give his wrestler an edge (see Haring vs Cianciola), and that may help even the playing field against Knull.

Turchetta should dominate his district unless, by some chance, Gross not only returns, but is in top form as well.  Gross, twice a state qualifier, lost to eventual champ Thompson in the quarterfinals 3-2, and then failed to place.  He crushed the Avon La