COLUMBUS — North central Ohio wrestlers showed out on opening day of the state tournament.
Of the 22 area wrestlers in action Friday at Ohio State’s Schottenstein Center, 14 won their first-round matches and advanced to Saturday’s championship quarterfinals. Four others dropped their opening match, but rebounded with victories in the opening round of consolation matches.
Division I
Ashland 157-pounder Jon Metzger survived opening day.
Metzger fell 9-0 to Medina’s Andrew Supers in his opening match before stopping Pickerington North’s Donavyn Watts 7-3 in the consolation opener.
Teammate Cadyn Spotts was 0-2 at 215.
Division III
All six of the area’s Division III state qualifiers made it through the opening day.
Crestview 144-pounder Hayden Kuhn and 215-pounder Caleb Cunningham both opened with wins. Kuhn beat Amanda-Clearcreek’s Bodie Martin 8-1, while Cunningham topped Columbus Grove’s A.J. Schafer 4-1.
“I got a takedown in the first period and kind of controlled the match from there,” said Kuhn, who placed third at 126 in 2021 and fourth at 132 last year. “I have high expectations, but I’ve just got to take it one match at a time.”
Mapleton’s Brock Durbin, a two-time state placer, opened with a 9-2 win over Delta’s Evan Hanfield.
Bucyrus 138-pounder Grant Dowell, Loudonville’s 190-pounder Caleb Gregory and Plymouth 190-pounder Colton Sparks are all still alive after dropping their first-round matches.
Dowell fell to Legacy Christian’s Brayden Brown 23-8 in his opener. The senior bounced back with an 8-2 win over Cleveland Central Catholic’s Leon Harrison.
Gregory was pinned by Ayersville’s Abe DeLano in his first-round match. But the senior beat Miami East’s Drake Gennett 8-6 in the consolation opener.
Sparks was pinned in overtime of his first-round match against Rootstown’s Lane McKenzie. He bounced back by pinning Spencerville’s Maddox Jurek in 2:33.
Division II
Ontario sent an area-high four wrestlers to the state meet and three of them opened with victories. Jacob Ohl, a 120-pound junior and last year’s state runner-up at 106, posted the most emphatic win with a 19-6 major decision over Fairfield Union’s James Worthington.
Always his own toughest critic, Ohl wasn’t especially pleased with his performance Friday.
“I didn’t move my feet like I should have. It was first-match jitters,” Ohl said. “It happened to me last year in the first round, too.
“Nobody wrestles their best match in the first round.”
Ohl’s younger brother, 106-pound Aiden, battled to a 4-1 victory over Canton South’s Dom Prosperi. Ontario 138-pound Mason Turnbaugh had an easier go of it, cruising to an 8-3 win over Benedictine’s Jacob Dolan.
Two of Clear Fork’s three state qualifiers claimed their openers. Luke Schlosser beat Marlington’s Phoenix Porter 8-5 at 165, while Eric Hicks pulled off one of the bigger upsets in Division II with a 5-4 win over Dayton Chaminade-Julienne’s Jeffery Blair at 285. Blair was ranked eighth by Ohio high school wrestling analyst Billy Schaefer, while Hicks was ranked 40th.
Galion’s two state qualifiers, 120-pound Gradey Harding and heavyweight Alex Griffith, both looked like podium candidates during opening-round wins. Harding had his way with West Holmes’ Grady Toye in a 17-5 major decision, while Griffith pinned New Richmond’s Billy Foster in 1:51.
“It feels good to get that first one out of the way,” said Harding, a freshman making his state tournament debut. “It’s a little overwhelming when you walk out here for the first time.”
A junior, Griffith is a three-time state qualifier. He dropped his opening-round matches the past two years before breaking through Friday.
“I told myself I was going to win in the first round because the past two years I haven’t and I had to wrestle in the (consolation round) the same day,” Griffith said. “It’s huge to win your first match down here. If you win your first-round match, you’re done for the day.”
Mansfield Senior’s two state qualifiers, 175-pound Leo Hess and 215-pound Mekhi Bradley, both opened with narrow victories. Hess beat Minerva’s Hunter Dietrich 5-3, while Bradley held on for an 8-6 victory over Dayton Oakwood’s Carter Stack.
“I wrestled poorly. I think I warmed up a little too early and didn’t have enough water,” Hess said. “That said, mission accomplished. Any win at the state meet is a good win. It’s nice to get that first one out of the way.”
Hess inadvertently elbowed Bradley during warm-ups, opening a cut over Bradley’s right eye that required stitches.
“They stitched me up right here,” said Bradley, who placed seventh at 215 during last year’s state meet. “It feels good to get that first win, but the match didn’t go the way I wanted it to.”
Madison’s 190-pound senior Hunter Hutcheson took care of business in a hurry in his opener. Hutcheson pinned St. Paris Graham’s Chett Mannier in 1:29.
“I came out a little slow and I wasn’t moving my feet,“said Hutcheson, who placed fourth at 190 last year. “I’ve just got to go out and wrestle.”
Madison’s Mike Thomas, Clear Fork’s Peyton Hoskins and Ontario’s Julian McGinty were 0-2 Friday.
Girls
Hillsdale 120-pounder Lauryn Davis won her first-round match in the inaugural Ohio High School Athletic Association-sponsored girls state tournament.
Davis beat Clinton-Massie’s Kaylee Ramsey 5-1.
“She was a lot stronger than I thought she would be and that made me re-work my approach,” Davis said. “Now I can go rest and focus on tomorrow.”
