Photos by Mark Huber and Elizabeth Clark
Photos by Mark Huber and Elizabeth Clark
Photos by Mark Huber and Elizabeth Clark
Photos by Mark Huber and Elizabeth Clark
Photos by Mark Huber and Elizabeth Clark
Photos by Mark Huber and Elizabeth Clark
Photos by Mark Huber and Elizabeth Clark
Photos by Mark Huber and Elizabeth Clark
Photos by Mark Huber and Elizabeth Clark
Photos by Mark Huber and Elizabeth Clark
Photos by Mark Huber and Elizabeth Clark
Photos by Mark Huber and Elizabeth Clark
Photos by Mark Huber and Elizabeth Clark
Photos by Mark Huber and Elizabeth Clark
Photos by Mark Huber and Elizabeth Clark
Photos by Mark Huber and Elizabeth Clark
Photos by Mark Huber and Elizabeth Clark
Photos by Mark Huber and Elizabeth Clark
Photos by Mark Huber and Elizabeth Clark
Photos by Mark Huber and Elizabeth Clark
Photos by Mark Huber and Elizabeth Clark
Photos by Mark Huber and Elizabeth Clark
Photos by Mark Huber and Elizabeth Clark
Photos by Mark Huber and Elizabeth Clark
Photos by Mark Huber and Elizabeth Clark
Photos by Mark Huber and Elizabeth Clark
Photos by Mark Huber and Elizabeth Clark
Photos by Mark Huber and Elizabeth Clark
Photos by Mark Huber and Elizabeth Clark
Photos by Mark Huber and Elizabeth Clark
Photos by Mark Huber and Elizabeth Clark
Photos by Mark Huber and Elizabeth Clark
Photos by Mark Huber and Elizabeth Clark
COLUMBUS — Elijah Groh and Kaylee Ramsey both won their opening matches Friday in the state wrestling tournament at Ohio State’s Schottenstein Center.
Groh, the senior 215-pounder from Clinton-Massie, dominated Phillip Malone of Bedford with a pinfall in 1:45.
Groh (37-4 for the year) will face Jace Knous of Wapakoneta in the second round Saturday morning. Knous was 7th at 190 pounds last season.
Ramsey (37-5), a senior who qualified for state a season ago, was equally dominant in a pinfall victory at 1:18 of the opening period over Jaiden Long of Fremont Ross.
Ramsey will wrestle Addison Rudolph of Central Crossing in the second round Saturday morning. Rudolph is a three-time state placer, twice finishing third and once finishing fifth.
Wilmington freshman Josiah Puller was a surprising two and out. He was the first-ever freshman from WHS to advance to the OHSAA state tournament.
“You’re lying to yourself if you’re not intimidated the first time you get here,” WHS coach Kelly Tolliver said.
Puller (43-7 for the year) was never able to get in a rhythm in his opening match. The WHS freshman lost to Carrollton senior Levi Pidgeon 4-1.
“Jo let the guy control the tempo,” Tolliver said.
Puller trailed 2-0 after one period and never came close to scoring on his feet. He let Pidgeon go on a mid-second restart to fall back 3-0, which is how the second period ended.
In the third, both wrestlers scored off penalty points as Puller dropped to the consolation bracket where he faced Devion Coffin of Cleveland Benedictine.
Puller started slow again. The first period was scoreless and Puller led just 2-1 after two. But in the third, the pace picked up considerably. After Coffin tied the match 2-2, Puller went up 7-2 and led 8-4 late. But Coffin posted a five-point move to take the lead before Puller rallied for a 10-10 tie with 10 seconds to go.
But Coffin scored a takedown with five seconds remaining and pulled out the win.
Coach Isaac Bray said Puller has beaten better kids than he faced at state, defending state champion Joe Curry of Watterson in last week’s district championship match, but the state tournament provides an atmosphere unlike any other.
“This setting is different than any other setting, plus the emotion,” said Tolliver.
Puller, who came in to the tournament with a gaudy youth wrestling resume, was clearly disappointed.
“I could’ve wrestled a lot better,” he said. “I felt I wrestled way different than I’ve wrestled all year.
“I thought this would be big, but not too big. I just have to go out there and wrestle, doesn’t matter who is across from me. I can’t take anything for granted. You have to think of it (every match) as your last and wrestle with everything you’ve got.”
Groh had no trouble in his first appearance at the state tournament. He used advance given to him by Massie head coach Spencer Running.
“Just keep your head down,” Groh said of the walk from the warmup area to the mat. “I didn’t even look up. I was watching the heels of the guy in front of me.”
As soon as the match was complete, Groh quickly scanned the Schott’s crowd and found familiar faces.
“I found my parents right off the get, gave them a thumbs up,” Groh said.
Groh said Knous is a strong wrestler on his feet and will look to pile up plenty of points.
Ramsey was the aggressor in her match, leading from start to finish.
“I knew what to expect this time,” she said. “I had a good mindset. It’s a big stadium. I think it’s really cool to wrestle at a really big arena.”
Despite the dominant performance, Ramsey did have one uneasy moment when she was turned to her back by Long. But the powerfully built Falcon was quick to regain control.
“You just try to get out of it as soon as possible,” she said. “Then after you’re out … it’s ‘whoa, that was close’.”
