While the SBAAC awards a team wrestling champion in both the American and National divisions, most coaches will tell you they put being the overall champion as a team goal, not just the division titleholder.
That being the case, Western Brown looks to make it six straight SBAAC championships when competition begins in the conference tournament 10 a.m. Saturday at East Clinton High School.
The doors at ECHS will open at 9 a.m. Saturday for spectators to enter the facility. Wrestling begins at 10 a.m. with the finals set to begin 30 minutes after the consolation semifinals are contested.
Weight class awards will be presented following the championship match in the 285-pound weight class.
The Broncos, under the guidance of Wendel Donathan, are back as the favorite despite losing a large contingent of seniors from last year’s squad.
Blanchester, the top Division III team in the latest Southwest Ohio Wrestling Coaches Association poll, is one of the teams hoping to dethrone Western Brown from atop the SBAAC.
The Wildcats were the last team to win the overall title prior to the Broncos run of five straight. BHS won the overall crown in 2013.
Blanchester is coached by Scott Nicely, Wilmington by Kelly Tolliver, Clinton-Massie by Spencer Running and East Clinton by Doug Stehlin.
According to the SBAAC website, the top wrestlers going in to the tournament are:
• 106: Jacob Hamm (B) 13-5; Grant Moorman (CM) 11-5 with 9 pins
• 113: Josh Asbury (NR) 16-9, Levi St. John (B) 14-3, 9 pins
• 120: Eli Richards (NR) 26-7; Adam Frump (B) 12-4; Donovan Butler (W) 11-6
• 126: Blake Seaman (CM) 18-5, 16 pins; Gage Berwanger (B) 11-5
• 132: Andrew Frump (B) 16-1, 10 pins
• 138: Sam Eastes (W) 22-6; Johnny Schirmer (B) 16-2; Tyler Conley (CNE) 12-2
• 145: Casey Washburn (NR) 31-8, 19 pins; Robby Frederick (CM) 18-5, 12 pins
• 152: Clayton Schirmer (B) 18-0, 12 pins; Trent Holliday (W) 17-10
• 160: Dalton Garrison (W) 14-8; Colt Conover (B) 12-1; Albert Corey (CNE) 11-3
• 170: John Cline (EC) 35-4, 26 pins; Braxton Green (CM) 15-11; Kile Holland (W) 11-8
• 182: Austin Kimmerly (NR) 29-12; Steven Latchford (B) 17-0, 11 pins; Canon Ford (W) 15-9; David Pride (CNE) 12-2
• 195: Trent Felts (NR) 30-7; Colton Doyle (CM) 14-5; Hayden Mattes (CNE) 10-4
• 220: James Peters (B) 16-0, 9 pins; Joe Baughman (CM) 8-2
• 285: Elijah Rockhold (W) 10-6; Jayce Glenn (BT) 5-0, 5 pins
Note that Western Brown did not submit wrestlers and their records for the website at the time this was written.
The SBAAC tournament combines wrestlers from both divisions into one tournament so, to be fair, the overall tournament winner is a true champion. The division champs are merely the top finishers from each division. Theoretically, one division champion could be sixth overall in the tournament but best among its division rivals and be declared the division champ.
