First Posted: 3/12/2015
COLUMBUS — There’s only one path to winning a state wrestling title.
A wrestler has to win their first match at the state tournament to keep their hopes alive for a state championship.
Then, after winning on the first day, the wrestler has to win twice on the second day in order to make it to the championship match on the third and final day of the tournament.
A loss on the first day puts the athlete into the consolation bracket with the best-case scenario, a third-place finish at the three-day tournament.
In Thursday’s first-day action, seven of the area’s 13 state competitors did just that.
Leading the charge Thursday at Ohio State’s Jerome Schottenstein Center was the trio from Wapakoneta.
Longtime Wapakoneta coach Jason Rostorfer brought down three wrestlers to the state tournament. After the smoke cleared Thursday afternoon, all three Wapakoneta wrestlers were still alive in the championship bracket.
Tyler Copeland (132), Heath Newman (170) and Landon Hall (182) all won their respective first-round bouts on Thursday.
Hall (46-5) is the lone Wapakoneta wrestler who competed at last year’s state tournament.
“The biggest thing is that you want to come down here and win the first match,” Rostorfer said. “They look at the brackets and talk about this kid, and this kid. But, we tell them that their state title match is really Thursday afternoon.
“Landon (Hall) is the only one that has experience down here. He came down here last year and lost in the first round; and his goal was not to do that this year. Now, we can take a little break and enjoy it tonight and we don’t have to worry about it until tomorrow.”
Hall, who qualified for last year’s Division II state tournament at 182 pounds, wanted to establish himself on the first day of the tournament.
“It feels good, winning my first match at state. It just puts confidence in myself that I can go further to the state title,” he said.
Newman (33-6) had no trouble in his opening bout, defeating Akron Archbishop Hoban’s Owen Mellon in a major-decision, 19-7.
“It’s really big for me. …It’s my first time to state,” Newman said. “When you win your first match then you know you’re supposed to be here.”
Lima Central Catholic’s duo of Hunter Lucas (113) and Jack Huffman (182) both notched first-round victories on Thursday in Division III.
It’s the second time at the state tournament for both LCC grapplers. Last season, Lucas placed fourth in the 106-pound weight class in Division II, while attending Shawnee. Huffman finished seventh at 195 pounds in 2014.
Lucas (25-2) won his first-round match on Thursday, defeating Hopewell-Loudon’s Chet Swartzmiller by technical fall, 18-2. Huffman
(46-6) recorded a 3-0 decision over Martins Ferry’s Dalton Hoover in his opening match.
“It was a good match to get your feet wet and get ready for tomorrow,”
Huffman said about Thursday’s action. “Tomorrow and Saturday are going to be big-time matches. So, we’ll go back to our room and see what we need to do, and then come back tomorrow. We’re just going to keep taking it one match at a time.”
LCC coach Nick Sanchez broke down the state tournament for his two athletes.
“I tell the boys that 24 minutes (four matches to the state championship) is the only thing in front of your dreams. Now, you have six minutes down and 18 more to go,” Sanchez said.
Delphos St. John’s Wes Buettner, a Division III state-qualifier last season at 170 pounds, won his first match on Thursday in the 195-pound weight class. Buettner (44-4) had no trouble in defeating Tinora’s Alex Hinojosa, 16-1.
“This is my first win at state. Last year, I didn’t win any matches,”
Buettner said. “So, it’s nice to get the first one out of the way and do it in style like that. I’m pretty happy.”
Elida’s Blaine Hunter (113) started things off strong on Thursday, winning his opening match, 4-2 over Urbana’s Jaylin Cameron in Division II action.
Now awaiting Hunter (34-4) in today’s quarterfinal action is Parma Padua Franciscan’s Tony Decesare (44-5).
“My next one is going to be a tough match,” Hunter said. “I feel like if I can get through that, then I can make it to the finals.”
Last season, Hunter placed eighth at 113 pounds at the state tournament.
“I don’t think the nerves were there, like they were last year,” Elida coach Brady Overholt said. “We knew we had to get through this one (the first match) before we worry about the next one.”
Ada’s Austin Windle (170) found himself battling back after a first-round loss on Thursday. Windle (21-3) bounced back after his first-round loss and won his second match over West Salem Northwestern’s Kile Schaefer 7-6, to stay alive in the tournament.
“I did this last year (lose the first match),” Windle said. “Nothing’s changed. …I’m still going to try to get on the podium like last year.”
Other area wrestlers who lost their first match on Thursday, but stayed alive in the tournament by winning their second match, included:
Bluffton’s Blake Sampson (285, D-III) and Paulding’s Adam Deatrick (182, D-III).
Area wrestlers who lost both matches on Thursday and were eliminated from the state tournament, included: Shawnee’s Derek Kuhlman (152, D-II); Delphos St. John’s Brett Vonderwell (160, D-III) and Coldwater’s Jake Schmidt (182, D-III).
