Highland wrestlers place three on state podium

State titles are tough to come by in high school wrestling. Twins Brandon and Austin Bickerton already knew that. Niko Giatis probably had a good idea but learned this past weekend just how hard it is to ascend the podium.

Brandon Bickerton and Giatis each left the Schottenstein Center in Columbus as runners-up in Division I, Bickerton at 113 pounds and Giatis at 165. Austin Bickerton finished fifth at 120.

Bickerton, a junior, was looking for his second state title in three years but fell just short, losing to Rylan Seacrist of Brecksville 4-3 in the 113-pound championship bout. Bickerton, who won state as a freshman at 106 pounds and placed third last year at 113, started his quest with a pair of relatively easy victories before stopping Dublin Coffman’s Loc Webber 7-5 in the semifinals.

Giatis came within an eyelash of the 165-pound title, losing the final in gut-wrenching fashion. The senior capped his career by making it to the final match, where he lost 4-1 in sudden victory to Zack Aquila of Brecksville. Giatis finished his year 43-7.

Austin Bickerton, a fourth-place finisher last year at 120 and sixth in 2024 at 113, this time rolled into the semifinals but lost a 1-0 heartbreaker to Oliver Lester of Dublin Coffman. Bickerton then lost his consolation semifinal 5-2 to Ayden Dodd of Perrysburg before stopping Asilbek Anvaroz of Mayfield in the fifth-place match to finish his year at 38-5.

With seven wrestlers at state in 14 weight classes, Highland proved all year to be one of the best teams in Ohio. The Hornets proved that in the state tournament, totaling 54 points to finish in seventh place behind a lineup of annual powerhouse teams.

Perrysburg won with 173.5 points, edging perennial champion Lakewood St. Edward by 5 points.

Sophomore 132-pounder Kyle Scavuzzo went 2-2 over the weekend and finished in eighth place, good for All-Ohio status. Scavuzzo finished his season 38-10. Junior Brennon Kicker also went 2-2 and finished eighth at 150. He ran his season mark to 41-11.

Senior Kallen Whitling qualified at 215 but couldn’t get anything going and finished his season with two losses and a record of 17-11. Senior Cody Bendau had similar results, losing to eventual runner-up Jake Earnest of Wadsworth, then bowing out with a sudden-victory loss in the first consolation round.

For Highland’s girls team, freshman Kelsey Denholm didn’t have the trip to the state wrestling tournament that she wanted, but the 140-pounder still finished her season on the sport’s biggest stage. Denholm went 0-2 at the girls state tournament, falling first to Logan’s Brooklyn Whited, who eventually placed fourth, before finishing her year in the first consolation round with a loss to Cincinnati Princeton senior Kimore Carpenter. Denholm finished her rookie year 34-15.