Wilmington will face Jonathan Alder Saturday in the opening round of the Ohio High School Wrestling Coaches Association State Duals tournament at Graham High School.
The Hurricane competes in the upper bracket of the Division II Wilmington District at GHS. Wrestling is set to begin at 10 a.m. with No. 9 Tippecanoe against No. 8 Granville. The winner faces top seed Graham.
Wilmington is the No. 5 seed while Alder is the No. 4 seed. The winner faces Granville, Tippecanoe or Graham in the upper bracket championship.
“This is the ultimate test on the ‘team’ side of things in the state, so we take this seriously,” WHS head coach Kelly Tolliver said. “It’s a great opportunity because each wrestler has a stake in the outcome and this showcases it. Each point matters. How big you win, how small you lose, each action matters and can determine who comes out on top.”
Win or lose in its opening match, Wilmington will have two matches on the day with each bracket having a consolation match.
“We know they (Alder) are going to be a tough team to beat,” Tolliver said of the Pioneers. “They do match up with us at several weight classes. It should be a great match. They have some middle weights that are going to be tough to beat.”
As the season progresses, the Hurricane continues to collect hardware. They’ve won three tournaments this season despite having multiple distractions that could easily derail another team.
“A lesson we preach constantly is that you have to prepare and focus on the task at hand by dealing with what IS in your control,” said Tolliver. “One match at a time, one point at a time, one step at a time until you have completed the goal. Then the important part, learn from the loss or win and move on to the next. Being able to lay the negative aside after you learn from it and immediately focus on the next goal.”
Regardless of the outcome of Saturday’s competition, Wilmington will enter the Feb. 18 SBAAC Wrestling Championship tournament at Western Brown as the clear favorite.
Said Tolliver, “The team understands the goal. I think they are mentally prepared for the challenge. Now we focus on execution, staying on wieght, and staying healthy.”
