Photo credit: Vanessa Cercone
(This story only contains results from the boys tournament. A separate story will be published on www.jordanmiller.news/sports that contains girls wrestling results.)
Many area boy wrestlers from the Stark, Carroll and Tuscarawas county schools have advanced to day two of the OHSAA state tournament.
Note: wrestlers who won their first round of the tournament advanced to Saturday’s championship quarterfinal round. Wrestlers who lost their first round of the tournament dropped to the consolation bracket and wrestled a second time Friday evening. If they lost the second match, their run at the tournament came to an end Friday.
CARROLLTON (DII)
Carrollton is sending all five of their state qualifiers to Saturday.
At 106 lbs., Carrollton junior Landon Jenkins defeated St. Paris Graham’s Jake Landis with a 5-2 decision to advance to Saturday’s championship quarterfinal round against Copley’s Javaan Yarbrough who defeated his first opponent of the tournament by second-period pin.
At 113 lbs., Carrollton junior Kail Snair entered the tournament as the 4-seed from the Steubenville district. Snair defeated Jadon Gyan from Butler with a 6-3 decision to advance to the quarterfinals.
At 138 lbs., Carrollton’s Josh Carman, a two-time state placer, dominated Gage Murphy from Reading with an 11-0 major decision.
At 126 lbs., Carrollton’s Levi Pidgeon lost his first round to sophomore Tyler Scharrer of Canfield by a 9-5 decision. He rebounded with a 6-0 decision in the consolation round to advance to Saturday’s wrestling.
At 190 lbs., Carrollton senior Ben Zinda lost to Trent Thomas from Bedford with an 11-4 decision. Zinda was pinned in the consolation round, ending his career as a Carrollton Warrior.
MINERVA (DII)
Minerva sent four to the state tournament.
Senior Kaiden Haines won his opening round with a 9-4 decision over Kenston’s Ben DiMarco. Haines will wrestle Bloom-Carroll senior Collin Willet.
Connor Norris (120 lbs.) Andrew Strader (126 lbs.) and Hunter Dietrich (175 lbs.) each lost their first round of the tournament.
Dietrich stayed alive in the tournament with a 6-4 decision in his second match.
Norris lost by tech-fall in the consolation match to end his season. Strader lost his consolation match by 3-1 sudden victory.
MALVERN (DIII)
Malvern qualified three wrestlers to the state tournament.
Tyson Clear (157 lbs.) was the lone Hornet to win his first round match to advance to Saturday’s quarterfinals match. Clear defeated Tinora’s Aiden Helmke with a 7-5 decision. He’ll wrestle Legacy Christian’s Ethan Cooper in Saturday’s quarterfinal.
Xaiver Watson (175 lbs.) and Zach Babiczuk (215 lbs.) both lost their opening rounds.
Watson faced Owen Berner in the 175 lb. consolation round Friday night. Watson’s season ended with a decision (9-2) loss to Berner.
Babiczuk’s season came to an end as well after being pinned by Brookville’s Bronson Stacy in the consolation match.
LOUISVILLE (DII)
All three of Louisville’s state qualifiers won their first round of the tournament.
At 126 lbs., Kolten Barker defeated Minerva’s Andrew Strader with an 11-0 major decision.
At 132 lbs., senior Dylan Rhoads defeated Franklin’s Tucker Campbell with a pin :38 into the second period.
At 150 lbs., Dominic Hoffarth looks to defend his state title from last season. He defeated West Holmes Blake Norman with a pin in the second period.
CANTON SOUTH (DII)
Canton South’s lone state qualifier Dom Prosperi lost his first round of the tournament, dropping him to the 106 lbs. consolation match.
Prosperi won his consolation with a pin over Bexley’s Marius Garcia to advance to Saturday.
INDIAN VALLEY (DII)
The Indian Valley Braves sent five wrestlers to the state tournament.
Remmington Myers won his first round match by major decision to advance to Saturday’s quarterfinal round at 157 lbs.
Leroy Steagall (126 lbs.), Quake Beatty (144 lbs.), Easton Cook (165 lbs.) and Jaxon Burcher (215 lbs.) all lost their first rounds of the tournament.
Beatty, Burcher and Steagall all won their consolation rounds and will wrestle Saturday morning.
SANDY VALLEY (DIII)
The Cardinals are represented at the state tournament by senior Branden Boggs (113 lbs.) and Evan Natale (120 lbs.). Both fell in the first round of the tournament.
Boggs faced Will McEwuen from Rootstown in the consolation match. Boggs advanced to Saturday’s action with a 13-3 major decision over the junior.
Natale, a junior, lost his consolation round when he was pinned by Nolan Earles in the first period, ending his run at the state tournament.
CLAYMONT (DII)
Three Mustangs punched their tickets to the state tournament.
Wyatt Shaw (285 lbs.) won his first round of the tournament with a pin in 1:16 over Hubbard’s Nick Bowser.
Claymont’s Elijah Parrish (132 lbs.) and Thayne Mahaffey (157 lbs.) both lost their first rounds Friday. They were both knocked out of the tournament with consolation losses.
UNITED LOCAL (DIII)
The United Eagles sent one down to the tournament.
United junior Dallas McCracken (285 lbs.) will wrestle in Saturday morning’s quarterfinal match after defeating Tinora’s Javen Gaines with a 2-1 victory in the opening round.
WEST BRANCH (DII)
West Branch senior Hudson Brink lost his opening round of the tournament at 156 lbs. He bounced back with a 7-2 decision over Wilmington’s Gage Davis.
NEW PHILADELPHIA (DII)
New Philadelphia junior Ezekiel Williams lost his opening championship round to Mitchell Younger of Watterson. His season ended with a 15-9 loss in the consolation round.
HARRISON CENTRAL (DIII)
Harrison Central is being represented at the state tournament by two brothers who were both victorious Friday.
Lucas Thomas (215 lbs.) won his first round of the tournament with a 10-6 decision over Black River’s Charlie Wells.
Landen Thomas (285 lbs.) also won his first round of the tournament with a 6-5 decision over Cohen Hickman from Greeneview.
ALLIANCE (DII)
Junior wrestler Aiden Mozden defeated McClain’s Ethan Hill in the 215 lb. match with a 16-5 major decision to move to Saturday’s championship quarterfinal round.