MANSFIELD, Ohio — Matthew Taylor and Sid Ohl earned return trips to next week’s state meet and Ashland’s dynamic duo are bringing four of their teammates along for the ride.
Led by seniors Taylor and Ohl, the Arrows finished second at Saturday’s Division II district meet at Pete Henry Gym with 132 points.
Taylor, Ashland’s 126-pounder, and Ohl (152) won district titles, while Rickey Maffett (145) and Devin Goschinksi (182) were district runners-up. Josh Bever (third at 195) and Landon Plank (fourth at 138) also punched their tickets to the state tournament at Ohio State’s Schottestein Center.
“Three of us made it last year and we doubled it this year,” said Taylor, who placed sixth at state at 120 pounds last year. “We want to wrestle our hardest and try to get onto the podium.”
Taylor won his first district championship with a 4-2 win over Tiffin Columbian’s Caden Blust, avenging a 5-4 loss to Blust in the finals of the J.C. Gorman Invitational in January.
It feels really good to be a district champion,” said Taylor, who was third at last year’s district meet. “It’s a lot more exciting.”
Ohl had little trouble in dispatching Xavier Torres of team champ Wauseon in the finals for his first district crown. Ohl took seventh at state at 145 last year.
Both Madison and Shelby will send a pair of representatives to Columbus. Madison’s Carson Speelman was runner-up at 138, while LeConte Merrell took third at 132.
“This is my first time qualifying for state and it feels good,” said Speelman, who improved to 41-2. “I feel like I wrestled OK. I gave up a couple takedowns I shouldn’t have, but it happens.
“I’d rather lose here then at state.”
A returning state placer, Merrell fell in the winner’s bracket semifinals to Wauseon’s Hunter Yackee, but bounced back with a 3-0 win over Wapakoneta’s Jayden Hefner in the consolation finals. He will be making his third state appearance.
“I’ll definitely do better next week,” Merrell said. “My main goal is the end of the season.”
Shelby 285-pounder Devin Williams ran into an old nemesis in the finals, falling to Sandusky’s Jamez Young 2-1 in overtime. Williams and Young have met five times this season and eight times in their careers. Williams is 3-2 against Young this season and 5-3 lifetime.
Shelby’s Brahm Ginter took third at 160, pinning Norwalk’s Ethan Hernandez in the consolation finals.
“It’s the first time I’ve (qualified) to state, so it’s going to be pretty exciting,” Ginter said. “I don’t know exactly what it’s going to be like.”
