By Josh Lowe
Full article at https://www.ohsaa.org/news-media/articles/2023-boys-wrestling-state-tour...
March 6, 2023--There are 14 individual weight classes contested in each division of the state tournament, and that has been the case since 1995. Before then there were 13 weight classes, an era that started in 1971, which was the first year of the boys’ state wrestling tournament having multiple divisions (Class AAA and Class A-AA).
In that 1995 season, Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit became the first team to crack the 200-point barrier, as the Warriors had 203 points on the strength of five state champions. Since then, the mark has been exceeded 13 times, four by Lakewood St. Edward (2005-2007, 2012) and nine by St. Paris Graham Local (2007-2011, 2015-2018). It should be noted the first 50 editions of the state tournament never saw a team even exceed 100 points, as Akron Coventry was the first to do so with their 158.5 points in the 1978 Class AA tournament.
However, only twice prior to this year has a team advanced all 14 of its wrestlers to the state tournament. St. Edward did so with its most recent national title team in 2007, along with their 2012 team that finished second in the country. This year an Eagles lineup that has zero seniors advanced its full complement of wrestlers to the state tournament, overcoming the absence of returning state placer Zach Delsanter (215) due to a season-ending injury sustained in mid-December.
With the cancellation of the 2020 state tournament, no wrestler can possibly be in position to win their fourth state title. Three seniors could possibly win a third this weekend: Joey Blaze (Perrysburg) in Division I at 165 pounds, Dylan Russo (Powell Olentangy Liberty) in Division I at 215, and Max Hermes (Milan Edison) in Division III at 120. Also seeking a third state title are a pair of juniors, Ty Wilson (Dublin Scioto) in Division I at 144 and Dillon Campbell (Xenia Legacy Christian Academy) in Division III at 126.
Twelve additional wrestlers will seek to repeat as state champion. Five in Division I: Marcus Blaze (Perrysburg) at 120, Jaxon Joy (Wadsworth) and Cole Evans (Perrysburg) at 132, Omar Ayoub (Dublin Coffman) at 138, and Chris Earnest (Wadsworth) at 157; another five in Division II, all in consecutive weight classes: Bryce Skinner (Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary) at 126, Brogan Tucker (St. Paris Graham) at 132, David McClelland (Columbus St. Francis DeSales) at 138, Mitchell Younger (Columbus Bishop Watterson) at 144, and Dominic Hoffarth (Louisville) at 150; and two in Division III: Casper Caizzo (Norwalk St. Paul) at 126 along with Connor Havill (Troy Christian) at 175.
Three others won state titles in 2021, and seek to regain that distinction this weekend: Ryan Bennett (St. Edward) in Division I at 138, along with Kyle Snider (Cuyahoga Falls CVCA) and Todd Allen (Medina Buckeye) in Division II at 190 and 285, respectively.
Also, in a bit of history, after 85 years of wrestling being a boys-only sport in terms of OHSAA sponsorship, the OHSAA is sponsoring a girls’ state tournament, which will take place concurrently with the boys event at The Jerome Schottenstein Center on the campus of The Ohio State University.
