Knights take sectional title; 4 champs, 8 others advance

For the 11th time in school history, the West Holmes High School wrestling team is sectional champion after downing 10 other schools on Saturday, Feb. 26 at the 2022 Ohio High School Athletic Association DII East Sectional Championship Tournament at Claymont High School in Uhrichsville. The Knights earned a 38-point victory over runner-up Minerva, 225-187. But more importantly, the Knights qualified a school record tying 12 wrestlers to this coming weekend’s OHSAA DII East/Southeast District Tournament.

“What a tournament for this team,” Knights wrestling head coach Scott Vaughn said. “They took the momentum from the OCC tournament (won last weekend by WHHS) and rolled it right into this weekend. They had a great week of practice, and I think it showed today at sectionals. So proud of this team winning their second sectional title in three years, also tying the school record for qualifying 12 wrestlers to the district tournament.”

Brady Smith (senior, 106 pounds), Mason Taylor (junior, 113), Dylan Strouse (senior, 138) and Tucker Kaufman (senior, 144) were all crowned sectional champions. Smith and Taylor scored their second sectional crowns and second trip to districts. Strouse earned his first sectional title and third district appearance while Kaufman made his fourth straight district trip and scored his first sectional title.

With only three competitors at 106, Smith (1-0) earned the No. 1 seed and an automatic berth to the championship bout where he posted a dominating 19-4 tech fall win over Minerva sophomore Mark Mueller. Taylor (3-1, one fall) pinned Minerva sophomore Conner Norris at the 4:57 mark for his title while Strouse (3-0, two falls) eked out a hard-fought 1-0 decision over Dover junior Egidio DiFazio in their championship bout. Kaufman stopped Tri-Valley senior Isaiah Armstrong at the 4:33 mark to finish 3-0 with three falls.

The Knights had five wrestlers snare third-place finishes — Morgan Smith (freshman, 132), Conner Varnes (senior, 150), Grant Miller (sophomore, 190), Elisha Baldridge (junior, 215) and Collin Gardner (junior, heavyweight) — while Grady Toye (sophomore, 120), Noah Tish (senior, 126) and Cole Porter (freshman, 157) posted fourth-place finishes. All earned district trips.

Morgan Smith (3-1, three falls) lost his quarterfinal match, then roared back through the consolation rounds, sticking Cambridge freshman Clayton Myers at 3:17 for his third-place medal. Varnes (3-1, two falls) earned a forfeit win over Tri-Valley junior Jake McIntire for his third place while Miller (3-1, two falls) posted a tight 7-6 decision win over New Philadelphia junior Konnor Teztloff in their third-place match. Baldridge (2-1, two falls) decked Philo senior Steel Hambel at 2:00, and Gardner (3-1, three falls) nailed Claymont junior Cole McCabe at 4:25 for the Knights final third-place finishes.

Toye (2-2, one fall) lost to River View senior Tucker Mounts by major decision, Tish (2-2) lost by decision to Tri-Valley freshman Slade Armstrong and Porter (2-2, one fall) dropped a major decision loss to Philo junior Payson Day in their third-place bouts.

“Morgan was the most impressive on the day,” Vaughn said when asked who stood out to him. “This kid keeps getting better every time he steps on the mat. His mat awareness is unbelievable for how long he's been in the sport. He came in unseeded and pinned the second-, fourth- and fifth-seeded kids. Mason avenged previous losses to Norris (Conner) from Minerva (a state qualifier) in dominant fashion. He controlled the pace and action and ended the match with a fall. Great for Mason going into districts. Dylan had a great finals match versus a very good DiFazio from Dover. Dylan had some calls during the match go against him, but he kept his head and continued to wrestle great.

“I didn't like seeing Tish and Kaufman get banged up in their finals matches but loved seeing their toughness battling through the match. Tucker especially battled back to get the fall and the sectional championship.”

Placing sixth but not advancing was Hunter Eberhard (senior, 165, 1-3, one fall) while Dakota Patterson (junior, 175) posted an 0-2 mark.

The district tournament will be held Friday and Saturday, March 4 and 5 at Gallia Academy in Gallipolis, Ohio. A top-four finish advances a wrestler to the following week’s state championship tournament.

Correction

Last week the caption on Cylie Couch’s photo stated she was the first West Holmes female to make it to the girls state wrestling tournament. That was incorrect. She became the fourth female wrestler to accomplish that feat, joining Samantha "Sammi" (Collett)-Weaver, Irene (Hummel)-Burgett and Tessa (Baker)-Miller.

Collett-Weaver was a four-time girls state champion in 1999-2003, an All-Ohioan and a four-time girls national tournament placer, placing 10th in '99, ninth in '00, fourth in '01 and third in '02, earning high school All-American honors. Worth noting is she was in eighth grade in 1999, and because there was no junior high girls wrestling at that time, she wrestled high school-age girls.

Hummel-Burgett was an All-Ohioan after placing third in 1999 as a freshman. That was the only season she competed in the girls state tournament.

Baker-Miller was a two-time girls All-Ohio honoree, posting a third-place finish in 2011, her freshman year, and as a sophomore she earned a state title in 2012. Tessa did not wrestle her final two years of high school.

Congratulations to Cylie Couch in joining this illustrious group of Knights wrestlers.