Carrollton grapplers take flight at Alliance’s Top Gun tourney

The 2026 Top Gun Wrestling Tournament, hosted by Alliance High School Jan. 16-17, is no joke. For proof, look at the depth and breadth of the field: More than 50 schools from Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and even California competed.

Carrollton’s wrestling team was no joke, either. Against powerful competition, the Warriors acquitted themselves admirably, placing 12th overall with 94 points. Clovis North traveled from California, and the trip proved worthwhile as the Broncos won the team title with 290 points, comfortably ahead of Brecksville’s 217.

Carrollton fielded 11 wrestlers, and at the end of the first day’s bouts, six Warriors were still standing: senior John Childs (144 pounds); juniors Cohen Little (106), Sawyer Broadwater (113), Cael Lowdermilk (138) and Jayden Sutton (150); and sophomore Ja’Waye Richardson (157). All suffered losses Friday but earned opportunities to wrestle back onto the podium from the consolation bracket.

Of the six to survive to Saturday, two navigated the minefield and finished with a spot on the podium assured. Sutton, at 150, dropped his final match Friday to eventual runner-up Blake Trellis of Clovis North, then worked his way back to a fourth-place finish — the highest placement earned by any Carrollton wrestler.

Little followed a similar route, rolling through his Friday byes before losing to eventual fourth-place finisher Angelo Boni of Central Valley. That sent Little into the consolation bracket, where he fought his way back into the seventh-place bout. Little made the most of his chance, pinning Newcomerstown’s Chase Norman in 3:23.

Boys basketball

Carrollton kept to its winning ways, picking up two more Eastern Buckeye Conference victories over the past week.

First up was a Jan. 13 visit to Minerva. The Warriors blitzed the Lions, racing to a 34-16 halftime lead. Minerva refused to roll over, outscoring Carrollton 23-12 in the third quarter to cut the Warriors’ lead to seven. The comeback ran out of steam as Carrollton held the Lions at bay for a 60-51 win.

Jayven Johnson scored 20 points to lead Carrollton, while Tayvian Johnson finished with 18, including four 3-pointers. For Minerva (6-6, 2-3), Rowen Hoffee scored 14 points and Isaak Morckel added 10.

Three days later, the Warriors hosted Marlington for another EBC showdown. Carrollton used a big third quarter to roll to a 71-57 win over the Dukes.

The Warriors started fast and took a 24-17 first-quarter lead. Marlington hung tough and kept pace in the second period, and the Dukes trailed by six at halftime.

That changed when Carrollton outscored Marlington 20-11 in the third quarter to take a 56-41 lead. Jayven Johnson led Carrollton (9-3, 3-2) with 14 points, while Marcus Brooks logged a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. In the loss, Cameron Evanich led Marlington (3-9, 1-4) with 19 points, 15 rebounds and four assists. Cole Jones added 16 points and five rebounds.

Girls basketball

The Lady Warriors had a busy week with three games on the docket: a nonconference home game, an EBC road game against Alliance and an appearance at Berlin Hiland’s Classic in the Country Challenge Jan. 17.

First up was a home game against Indian Creek, and the Redskins wasted no time jumping to a 5-1 lead. Carrollton responded. Trailing 11-5, the Warriors went on a 10-1 run to take a 15-12 lead.

Indian Creek (13-2) hung tough, and the teams traded the lead several times before Carrollton pulled away for a 44-39 win. The victory snapped Indian Creek’s seven-game winning streak.

Two days later, Carrollton visited Alliance and picked up a 60-17 league win. Complete results were not available, but Kylie Ujcich scored 20 points while Brae Roudebush added 12 for the Warriors, who improved to 6-1 in the EBC. Kimara Chance scored nine points to pace Alliance (4-11, 0-7).

Carrollton’s week ended with a showcase game against Wadsworth, the second-ranked team in the state in Division I. The Grizzlies lived up to their billing, downing the Warriors 63-26 in a game that featured a shot clock.

Wadsworth went on a 24-3 run from the middle of the first quarter to the middle of the second to take a 30-9 lead. Carrollton closed within 33-17 by halftime, but an 18-2 third-quarter run by Wadsworth slammed the door shut as the Grizzlies converted 29 Carrollton turnovers into 36 points.

Emma Shafer scored 10 points for Carrollton (11-5), while Ivy Bishop added seven. Wadsworth (14-1) was led by Lauren Decker, who scored 16 points.