Crawford, Sharp capture state championships

March 12, 2017 at 12:10a.m.

• Poullas ends prep wrestling career with 176 wins

By Brian dzenis

COLUMBUS

Two Mahoning Valley wrestlers emphatically responded to falling short in previous state tournament appearances.

It’s hard to tell who had the more painful time: Canfield junior David Crawford (170) falling short in the semifinals twice or West Branch senior Ian Sharp (285) entering last year’s tournament ranked No. 1 in the state and failing to place.

Both silenced any questions that they can’t get it done in the postseason by winning Division II titles in their respective weight classes on Saturday night at Ohio State’s Schottenstein Center.

They did it in exciting fashions, with Crawford taking down New Lexington’s Dmitri Williams in overtime, 3-1. Sharp was an immovable object, never allowing a single point in any of his matches. He defeated Canfield’s Mason Giordano, 1-0.

“I never thought that would come close to happening,” Sharp said. “The feeling is surreal.”

Both wrestlers were fueled by their previous failures.

“For all the success and hugs that were given to [David], no one remembers his third-place match that he lost,” Canfield coach Dean Conley said. “He was absolutely devastated, so we’re celebrating this. That’s for sure.”

Sharp’s father, Roger, never saw his youngest son at a lower point than a year ago.

“That’s one of the only times in my life I’ve seen him break down,” Roger said. “He never breaks down and he’s mentally strong.”

Crawford used a front headlock to handle Williams in overtime.

“I wasn’t getting my stuff as I should have been. I should have been attacking him way more in regular time,” Crawford said. “He took a bad shot in overtime and I took advantage of it and scored right there on the edge.

“I never stopped wrestling and he stopped there right on the end and I finished.”

The 225-pound Giordano made Sharp sweat it out for three periods. Girdano got him up on one leg twice, but couldn’t bring the 6-foot-6, 280-pound Sharp down.

“I was deathly afraid,” Sharp said. I’ve been waiting my entire life for this. Ever since I was little, my parents told me, ‘It’s in your blood. You’re going to go do it,’ ever since my uncle got [his titles], it’s been my dream to do so.”

Ian — the youngest of Roger’s four wrestler sons — brings home the family’s third state title. Ian’s uncle Nathan won two.

“I won it with a humble attitude, so I’m not holding it over their heads,” Ian said of his brothers. “I believe the main reason I lost last year is because I was too arrogant.”

Crawford had to put teammate and sparring partner Georgio Poullas’ championship loss aside to win the title.

“I had to worry about my own match, I couldn’t get caught up on his,” Crawford said. “It’s something I’ve learned in wrestling. In big tournaments, you can’t focus on other guys. You have to wrestle, too.”

Ian will be “king of the house” when he returns to Beloit, but the Sharps are too competitive to let him rest on his laurels.

“If it can be scored, it can be won,” Roger said. “That’s our motto.”

It’s now on Crawford to become the Cardinals’ first wrestler to win two state titles.

“It’s a stepping stone to winning another one,” Crawford said. “I want to go to Fargo [N.D.] and get on that podium [in an offseason tournament]. I want to go to college and wrestle. It’s a lot and this is the first step.”