»RELATED: Saturday’s high school scoreboard
»RELATED: Catholic Central back in district finals
Graham placed 10 wrestlers in district title matches and won five individual championships. They qualified 11 wrestlers overall to the state championships that start Thursday and end Saturday. It’s a strong contingent that attempts to deliver the Falcons their 19th straight D-II state championship.
“They know what they’re training for and they know what their goals are,” Graham first-year coach Travis McIntosh said. “As Thursday draws closer I’m sure my nerves and their nerves will start to grow a little bit more. They are fully prepared and fully ready to go out and compete.”
Winning district titles for Graham were freshman Nolan Gessler (106-pound division), sophomore Nick Moore (132), sophomore Alek Martin (138), senior Jeffrey Thomas (152) and junior Isaiah Stickley (160). Sophomore Trace Braun (113), senior Dawson Show (120), junior Chris Kelly (126), senior D’artangan Spitler (145) and freshman Nolan Neves (182) all finished second. Senior Johnny Shafer (285) placed third.
The buzz around the state has been Graham is vulnerable this season with a younger and less experienced lineup. The Falcons quieted doubters with their seventh straight team dual state championship on Feb. 10.
“If we go out and compete the way we should – then hey – the chips may fall where they may,” McIntosh said. “I’m not going to be upset with the guys if they go out and compete their hardest. Hopefully we can do what we’ve been doing the past 18 years. It’s a difficult sport. Sometimes it’s very nice to you and sometimes it’s not very nice to you. As long as we go out and compete the way we’re supposed to compete – and these guys to go war – then good things should happen.
“This time next weekend we’ll know for sure a lot of things. I’m excited. It’ll be a long week and a short week all in the same time.”
Graham won the district title with 270 points. Chaminade Julienne finished second with 104.
Shawnee senior Kaleb Ream (106), Urbana freshman Trevor Stewart (170) and Northwestern senior Nathan Snyder (195) also qualified for the D-II state meet.
In the D-III district meet in Troy, Mechanicsburg freshman Jake Hurst (132) and junior Jaron Patterson (170) and Greeneview senior Devan Hendricks (145) qualified for state.
In D-I in Kettering, no area wrestlers made it out of the tough gauntlet that features nationally-ranked LaSalle and the tough Greater Western Ohio Conference competition.
Tecumseh junior Lucas Rodgers came one win away from qualifying for state, but lost his semifinal match 6-4 to LaSalle sophomore Casey Wiles. In the consolation bracket Rodgers dropped a 3-1 decision to Harrison senior Cameron Baird. That means Lucas lost to wrestlers who finished second (Wiles) and third (Baird) by a combined four points.
“His weight class, all the kids that placed ahead of him are ranked pretty high in the state,” Tecumseh coach Scott Herbert said. “He had a good weekend. He wrestled well to get in the semis and we knew that would be a tough one. His blood round match he lost by a takedown. He’s got another year so hopefully learns from it.”
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