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State Wrestling: Round 1 More from Columbus
Division I
Austintown Fitch: Andrew Fairbanks (138) picked up his school record 50th win after pinning Dublin Coffman’s Brandon Yost.
“Andrew came out with a gameplan. Get tough on top. Pressure, pressure, pressure and he got the pin in the second period.” Fitch coach John Burd said.
Michael Feree (160) went two and out.
Division II
Beaver Local: Beavers freshman Cole McComas (106) is the lone wrestler from his school still in the champions bracket after beating Germantown Valley View’s Joey Dima, 5-2. Quinton Bookman lost, 9-6, to Danny Assaf Defiance, but responded with a major decision against Circleville Logan’s Issace Bennett. After losing to Girard’s Dakota McCloskey, Skyler Lasure (120) is still alive after a 5-3 win against Dayton Chaminade Julienne’s Isaiah Wortham. Beau Smith (152) went two and out.
Howland: Brandon Matlock (285) dropped a 6-3 decision to Shelby’s Devin Williams in the opener. He remains alive after a 4-1 tiebreaker victory against Germantown Valley View’s Trent Wilson.
West Branch: Asked if he received his daily reminder of his failure to place last year, Ian Sharp (285) replied in the affirmative. His father and Indians’ assistant coach, Roger Sharp, held up his cell phone, showing a picture of New Lexington wrestler Matt Adams, which he texts to his son. The photo of Adams celebrating his win over Sharp last year has been on the OHSAA’s website for a year as well and it still makes him mad.
“After that little incident, I’m not losing here again,” Sharp said. “I thought they were going to put that picture on the cover of the program and at that point, I would think the tournament is taunting me.”
He got off to a good start with a 4-0 win against Elida’s Noah Meeker. Christian Wayt (106) and Dylan Miller (145) also picked up opening round victories.
“That was our goal coming in. We want to get these first three and put ourselves in a nice position for (this morning),” West Branch coach Jason Brown said.
Division III
Columbiana: Tim Davin (285) opened the tournament by beating a familiar face, Harrison Central’s Brenton Stull. When the pair met in the state duals in January, Davin pinned Stull in the third period. Thursday’s meeting didn’t take that long. In the first period, Davin pinned Stull after his first takedown. The referee appeared to take his time calling the pin, which was enough for Davin to look up at him as he held Stull on the mat.
“His left shoulder wasn’t touching the mat entirely. I had to keep applying pressure or he wasn’t going to call it,” Davin said.
He faces No. 1 seed Cameron Coffman from New Lebanon Dixie in the quarterfinals today. Coffman is undefeated on the year.
South Range: Kyle Keenan (106) was eliminated from the tournament after a 9-4 decision to West Lafayette Ridgewood’s Colton Bethel and a loss by pin to Milan Edison’s Ray Adams.