Spirited Brookfield reigns

The sectional champ will have 10 wrestlers at Mentor.
By MARK W. MILLER
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
BROOKFIELD -- In the midst of what already has been one of the most successful seasons in its history, Brookfield High will send a school-record 10 wrestlers to the Division III district tournament at Mentor on Friday and Saturday.
Scott Thompson, who started the Brookfield youth wrestling program in 1991 and is in his first year as varsity coach, said, "I knew we were going to be good when we won the 30-team Division III tournament at Richmond Heights the middle of December."
The Warriors also won the 12-team Crestview Tournament, near Columbus, early in the season, the six-team Girard High duals and the 10-team Howland Invitational for the first time.
"That meant a lot to us, winning at Howland, because we were the only Division III team there," said Thompson.
Taking over top spot
The Warriors won their first regular season Eastern Ohio Wrestling League Div. III crown, ending Jackson-Milton's 10-year reign as champions.
"We finished seventh [of 15 teams] in the Eastern Ohio Wrestling League tournament and that was a big wake-up call for us," Thompson said. "We were feeling a bit high. Our coaches and kids thought we should have been in the top five."
Last week the Warriors won their first Div. III sectional tournament.
Freshman Bob Harnett (25-10, 125 pounds) exemplifies the team's spirited determination, said Thompson. He had a cast removed from a broken hand so he could compete in the sectional and finished fourth.
Freshman Tristan Thompson (32-10, 103 pounds), a sectional champ and son of the coach, was a surprise throughout the season.
"Seniors Ed Thompson, J.D. Underwood, Richard Baum, all sectional champs, and Sean Wilster, have been our leaders during the season," said Scott Thompson.
Ed Thompson has a 25-6 record at 145 pounds, while Underwood is 29-10 at 189 pounds and Baum is 29-10 at 275 pounds.
Moving on
The other qualifiers were Ross Tice (29-7, 135); Randy Hogue (29-11, 130); Dave Dillon (28-7, 140); Anthony Policastro (26-12, 160) and Justin Miller (21-13, 112).
"All these kids have been around since the first grade and came through our youth program where they learned everything there is to know about wrestling," said Scott Thompson.
"They come to practice and work hard during two-hour sessions. We don't get into real fancy stuff, just master the basics," he added. "The kids are just brute, hard-nosed wrestlers.
"The kids, without being arrogant, are very confident about how they wrestle and that usually means wins."
miller@vindy.com