West Holmes' Dixon secures third at state wrestling

West Holmes senior Louden Dixon (state-ranked third) wrapped up his stellar high school career by placing third at 157 pounds with a fall win at :51 over Wyatt Warren (junior, Gallia Academy, 38-5, 10th) in the third-place match at the Division II state wrestling tournament Sunday, March 15, at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus.

Dixon scored a takedown 15 seconds into the match, then used an arm bar and wrist to turn Warren to his back and get the pin.

Dixon (51-7) is the first West Holmes wrestler to end his career as a state champion (150 pounds in 2025) and two-time state placer (this year's third at 157 and fifth at 144 in 2024). Dixon is only the fifth wrestler at WHHS to become a three-time state placer, joining Colt Sponseller, Max Rohskopf, Cael Woods and Mason Taylor, and the sixth to become a four-time state qualifier, joining Clint Sponseller, Colt Sponseller, Rohskopf, Cole Woods and Cael Woods. Dixon finishes his career at West Holmes with a 181-32 record with 81 falls.

Dixon put himself into the third-place match with a dominant 7-0 decision victory over Ohio Cardinal Conference foe Aiden Proctor (junior, Madison Comprehensive, 46-7, fifth) in the consolation semifinals. After a scoreless first period, Dixon chose bottom to begin period two, where he scored an escape within five seconds and then a takedown 15 seconds later. Dixon nearly had Proctor turned for back points, but the referee stopped the action with a potentially dangerous call. Proctor chose neutral to begin the final period, and Dixon took advantage with another takedown within 20 seconds and controlled Proctor for the remainder of the match for the win.

Dixon’s quest for a second straight state championship fell by the wayside Saturday, March 14, when he lost an intense, hard-fought 5-2 decision to Tommy Rowlands (sophomore, Bishop Watterson, first) in the championship semifinals. The match was a rematch from earlier this season when Dixon dropped a hard-fought 3-1 decision to Rowlands when the Knights tangled with the Eagles at the Div. II state duals.

Earlier in the day, Dixon had no problem with John Beltz (senior, Alliance, 44-9, seventh), pinning Beltz at 2:35 in the championship quarterfinals. In the opening round Friday, March 14, Dixon handled Aidan Keyser (senior, Vermilion, 42-3, eighth) with a 16-1 tech fall victory at 4:00.

Unfortunately for the Knights’ other state qualifiers — seniors Peyton Martin (120) and Gabe Umstead (126) and sophomore Easton Ross (215) — their state tournament runs came to a stop Friday in the consolation first round.

Martin (ninth) dropped a 9-5 decision loss to Nash Finley (senior, Granville, 39-10, fifth) after suffering a 12-5 decision loss in the championship round of 16 to Collin Bartos (sophomore, Buckeye, 30-12, 12th). Martin, an eighth-place state finisher at 120 in 2025, ended his season with a 26-10 record. He finished his career with a 120-38 mark with 71 pins.

Umstead, in his first state trip, lost by a 19-2 tech fall to Carson Schehl (sophomore, Hebron Lakewood, 38-13, ninth) in the first round of the consolation bracket. Umstead (25th) fell to Josh Sheets (sophomore, St. Francis DeSales, 41-7, first) by fall at 1:20 in his first match. Umstead completed his senior campaign with a 39-12 record and wrapped up his career at 81-55 with 35 fall wins.

Ross (15th), after suffering a heartbreaking 6-5 decision loss in the final seconds of his first-round match against Dash Koelker (sophomore, Archbishop Alter, 35-12, 10th), couldn’t bounce back in the consolation first round. Ross lost by fall (2:43) to Joe Zang (junior, Bishop Hartley, 28-15, 25th) to end his season with a 33-18 record and as a first-time state qualifier.