ASHLAND — Anyone with casual knowledge of Ohio Cardinal Conference wrestling this season assumed Ashland was going to dominate Saturday at the league’s championships.
There came a point, though, when the level of dominance began to creep into the realm of historic.
“By about the semifinals, I was thinking, ‘Are we gonna hit 400 (points)?’” Arrows head coach Tommy Bauer said. “I thought it might be possible.
“We knew we would be a heavy favorite coming in, but we just told the guys to compete, separate yourselves from the field and be as dominant as you can.”
Bauer’s guys obliged.
Ashland put together a likely OCC-record 425.5 points and ran away with the crown by another possible OCC-record margin of 106.5 points over second-place West Holmes (319).
The Knights were the only team to get within 220 points of AHS, as third-place Madison totaled 202.
The Arrows had eight individual champs on the way to their third three-peat of league titles in program history.
Their total points and margin of victory were the most in the OCC Championships dating back to at least 2014. In that time, no other team had even cleared 360 points.
It was an overwhelming effort that featured three-time OCC winners and juniors Mason Bauer and Guardian Miller, and repeat champs Tyson Mateo, Max Ohl, Talon Boyd and Budda Martin.
“I feel like everyone was just trying to bonus as much as they could and put up as many points as they could,” Miller said, “and it just kind of all came together.”
Along the way, the Arrows broke a tie with Lexington for the most OCC wrestling titles since the formation of the conference in 2003-04 (AHS now has nine).
The rest of the team scoring rounded out with New Philadelphia (139.5), Wooster (130), Dover (125), Lexington (99.5) and Mansfield Senior (20).
The only thing that came close to stealing Ashland’s thunder on the day was West Holmes senior Louden Dixon, who was named OCC Wrestler of the Year.
The Ashland University commit — ranked third in Division II at 157 pounds by DubStat — pinned Arrows sophomore Tuff Hutcheson in the finals to win his fourth OCC title.
Beyond that, the league stage was commanded by the Arrows, who didn’t lose a single match until the third round.
Five Arrows went a perfect 5-0 on the day, including Mason Bauer (four pins at 138), Ohl (four pins at 120), Martin (two pins at 215), Kale Durig (pin at 113) and Nick Manges (two pins at 144).
“It was pretty much exactly what I pictured for today,” Mason Bauer said. “… I prepare the same way if I’m wrestling somebody who’s 0-100 or 100-0.”
Finishing 4-0 for AHS were Miller (pin, three technical falls at 150), Boyd (two pins at 175) and Mateo (three pins at 106).
Boyd was one of three Arrows who bumped up a weight to help maximize team points. The other two — Bodie Smith (165) and Tristan Gibson (190) — were runners-up.
“I just had to be quicker on my feet and be faster than the guys that were bigger than me; use my speed against them,” Boyd said.
Before his loss to Dixon in the 157 final, Hutcheson was 4-0 with three pins.
Ashland freshman Paxton Young also nabbed third at 132.
West Holmes had additional champs in Gabe Umstead (126) and Camden McCluggage (190), while the only other team to post multiple OCC winners was Madison.
The Rams received dominant days from both Aiden Proctor (165) and Jaxin Stancombe (285).
Proctor got all five of his wins via pin — all of them in 1:10 or less — and Stancombe had three pins in under 75 seconds.
Madison also had runners-up at 132 (Ashton McGlasson) and 144 (Jase Braden), while Gage Cyrus was third at 215.
New Philadelphia’s Tyler Ulmer (132) was the OCC’s only other champ.
Lexington had a trio of third-place finishers leading its effort, including Brandon Reaves (165), Mason Frost (175) and Nate Taylor (HWT).
Once the gym cleared out a bit, Ashland honored its team members who have reached the 100-win milestone this season.
Ohl’s first victory Saturday made him the fifth one – a record for one team in a single season in Ashland-area history.
The others include Bauer, Miller, Martin and Boyd.
“I never expected to get 100 wins until (coaches Bauer and Wade Miller) came into the program,” Boyd said, “so it feels great.”
Now the Arrows – ranked No. 8 as a team in Division I – turn their attention to next weekend’s sectional tournament at Maple Heights.
“We talked coming into the season as a coaching staff and felt that this year, with the juniors and seniors we have, it was probably going to be one of the best teams that Ashland’s ever put on the mat,” said coach Bauer, who has been named OCC Coach of the Year in all three of his seasons as head coach.
“But the tale of our season really starts next week, so we’re excited to carry this momentum into sectionals.”
“We’re not even peaked yet,” Mason Bauer added, “so we’ve got a lot more to come.”