Awards cap season for West Holmes wrestling

A nearly packed house filled The Commons at West Holmes High School as wrestlers from high school down to the elementary ranks received awards and accolades at the annual awards ceremony on Wednesday, March 23, closing the curtain on a very successful 2021-22 wrestling campaign.

A record-setting year for the Knights varsity and JV teams was capped off with news from Knights wrestling head coach Scott Vaughn that for the sixth consecutive year the team was lauded by the Ohio High School Athletic Association with Team Academic All-Ohio honors for maintaining a greater than 3.3 GPA. In addition, two Knights, senior Brady Smith and junior Mason Taylor, each were honored by the OHSAA with Academic All-Ohio laurels for a greater than 3.5 GPA.

“I’m more proud of those awards than any other,” Vaughn said. “The team has earned that award every year since I’ve been head coach, and that’s the way it will stay under my watch. Just proves that wrestlers aren’t a bunch of muscle heads. And congrats to Brady and Mason for their individual honors. That’s two years in a row for them.”

Vaughn also recognized the team for the school records set or tied during the season: most dual meet wins (20), most matches won (499), most falls (308), most escapes (429), most state placers in a season (four), tied second for most state qualifiers (five), tied second for highest state finish (eighth), and district runner-ups and sectional champions.

The Knights four state placers including junior Mason Taylor (second, 113) and seniors Brady Smith (seventh, 106), Dylan Strouse (eighth,138) and Tucker Kaufman (eighth, 144), along with girls state championship placer junior Cylie Couch (sixth, 106), also were given recognition for their outstanding seasons.

Varsity awards or recognition honors were bestowed upon the following:

—Four-year letter winners Tucker Kaufman (senior), Dylan Strouse (senior) and Conner Varnes (senior).

—Three-year letter winners Collin Gardner (junior) and Mason Taylor (junior).

—Two-year letter winners Elisha Baldridge (junior), Grant Miller (sophomore), Dakota Patterson (junior), Brady Smith (senior), Noah Tish (senior) and Grady Toye (sophomore).

—One-year letter winners Gabe Averbukh (sophomore), Cylie Couch (junior), Hunter Eberhard (senior), Caleb Larimore (junior), Hunter McCluggage (freshman), Blake Norman (junior), Cole Porter (freshman), AAJ Roberts (freshman) and Morgan Smith (freshman).

Individual honors were given to the following: Most Takedowns, Mason Taylor (102); Most Near Falls, Mason Taylor (130), Most Tech Falls, Brady Smith (nine); Most Falls, Tucker Kaufman (33), Most Improved, Elisha Baldridge; Coaches Award, Brady Smith; and Most Valuable Wrestler, Mason Taylor.

OHSAA boys state placers include Mason Taylor (junior, second, 113), Brady Smith (senior, seventh, 106), Dylan Strouse (senior, eighth, 138) and Tucker Kaufman (senior, eighth, 144).

OHSAA boys state qualifiers include Brady Smith (senior, 106), Mason Taylor (junior, 113), Dylan Strouse (senior, 138), Tucker Kaufman (senior, 144) and Elisha Baldridge (junior, 215).

OWCA girls state placers include Cylie Couch (junior, sixth, 106).

OWCA girls state qualifiers include Couch.

Junior varsity wrestlers honored were as follows:

—Certificates of recognition: Darren Gallion (sophomore), Garrett McCluggage (freshman), Braylen McKinney (freshman), Mac Miller (freshman), Macin Miller (freshman), Rome Thomas (freshman) and Logan Van Sickle (sophomore).

The Junior Varsity Wrestler of the Year honor went to Hunter McCluggage.

The middle school wrestlers also saw plenty of success. Head coach Jeremy Dombrady gave a season review for his middle school team, which finished the season 2-5 in dual meets but did have a team championship at the Chippewa Tournament and a third-place finish at the Ohio Cardinal Conference championship tournament.

Dombrady individually recognized four WHMS eighth-grade wrestlers who qualified for the Ohio Athletic Committee Junior High state tournament including Peyton Martin (96 pounds), Louden Dixon (132), Dylan Sours (154) and Grady Hawkins (164). Dixon earned his second state podium finish (fourth) while Martin just missed the podium by one win but still finished top 12 in the state.

Individual awards or recognition went as follows: Most Falls, Peyton Martin (23); Most Improved, Grady Hawkins; Coaches Award, Dylan Sours; and Most Valuable Wrestler, Louden Dixon.

OAC state placers include Louden Dixon (eighth grade, fourth, 132).

OAC state qualifiers include Peyton Martin (eighth grade, 96), Louden Dixon (eighth grade, 132), Dylan Sours (eighth grade, 154) and Grady Hawkins (eighth grade, 164).

Holmes Area Wrestling Club Elementary Attack Team volunteer head coach Jarret Mathie was proud of his young team, which started the year slow and progressed throughout the season.

“I am unbelievably proud of the troops this year,” Mathie said. “I wasn’t sure what to expect after losing last season to COVID. However, this group came in ready to work and have fun, and the growth throughout the season was incredible.”

Ending the year 9-7 in duals, the Attack Team advanced 15 wrestlers to the Ohio Youth Wrestling Association district tournament with five of those wrestlers — Jackson Vaughn (third grade), Rowand Mathie (fourth grade), Noah Workman (sixth grade), Logan Leyda (fifth grade) and Easton Ross (sixth grade) — all qualifying for the OYWA state championship tournament.

“I can’t remember the last time we sent five youth wrestlers to state,” Vaughn said. “That’s a major credit to all the hard work these boys put in during practice.”

Since the inception of the Attack Team in the early 1990s, the team dual meet record is 195-38.

Individual awards or recognitions are as follows:

—Twenty-plus win season: Dawson Miller (second grade), Jackson Vaughn (third grade) and Rowand Mathie (fourth grade).

—Fifteen-plus win season: Chansen Hart (second grade), Noah Workman (sixth grade), Logan Leyda (fifth grade) and Eason Ross (sixth grade).

—Coaches Award: Easton Ross.

—Leadership Award: Noah Workman.

OYWA district qualifiers include Jack Lloyd (first grade), Dawson Miller (second grade), Bronson Taylor (second grade), Jackson Vaughn (third grade), Rowand Mathie (fourth grade), Colt Garver (fifth grade), Weston Rogers (fourth grade), Carter Kick (fourth grade), Hudson Ross (third grade), Noah Workman (sixth grade), Lane Burgett (fifth grade), Logan Leyda (fifth grade), Oliver Hiller (sixth grade), Finn McClintock (fifth grade) and Easton Ross (sixth grade).

OYWA state qualifiers include Vaughn, Mathie, Workman, Leyda and Easton Ross.