COLUMBUS — For the first time in three tries, Dakota Blanton walked off Ohio high school wrestling’s biggest stage with a smile on his face.
The Crestview junior earned an 8-6 decision over Northmor’s Gavin Ramos in the Division III 126-pound seventh-place match at the state meet Saturday at Ohio State’s Schottenstein Center. Blanton was a two-time state qualifier for South Central before transferring to Crestview, but finished one win away from reaching the podium in each of his first two trips to Columbus.
“I knew I had to work harder than I did the last two years,” said Blanton, who was 3-2 on the weekend and finished the season 30-8. “This boosts my confidence and gets me ready for (next year’s) title run.”
Blanton and Ramos had split two matches earlier this year. Blanton beat Ramos at the J.C. Gorman Invitational and lost to the sophomore at Marion.
“I knew I had it in me and I showed it this year,” Blanton said.
The news was not all good for the Cougars as Blanton’s drill partner, 120-pounder Clay Eagle, was injured in the closing moments of the third-place match against Oak Harbor’s Cameron Dickman. Eagle (27-6) laid on the mat for several minutes and was helped to the locker room following a controversial 13-1 loss. Eagle was twice penalized for stalling, much to the chagrin of Crestview coach Steve Haverdill.
“I thought Clay wrestled very gutsy,” Haverdill said. “It’s sad it ended that way, but it takes nothing away from Clay’s career. He’s had a great career. He’s battled through so many adversities. Finishing fourth at state is pretty remarkable.”
Shelby senior Brahm Ginter earned a spot in the Division II 170-pound third-place match before falling to Canfield’s Anthony D’Alesio 5-3. It was Ginter’s second loss to D’Alesio on the weekend.
“He’s stronger than I am and bigger,” Ginter (48-9) said. “It’s tough to have to wrestle a guy more than once, especially down here.”
Ginter moved up three places on the podium after finishing seventh at 160 last year.
“I got a couple more wins and a higher place,” Ginter said. “To be in the match for third and fourth was great.
“That was my goal all year long was, to place higher, and I was able to do that. I don’t think I’d change anything. It was a good weekend.”
Ashland’s Josh Bever finished fifth in Division I at 220 pounds. Bever pinned Ashtabula Lakeside’s Parker Meaney in the fifth-place match.
