State wrestling: Maysville's Samson one step away from a title
COLUMBUS — Agony and ecstasy.
Those three-syllable words all but describe the state wrestling tournament, where one minute you're pulling a first-round upset and the next you're on your back fighting for your life.
The Muskingum Valley League rode that roller coaster until the rails flew off on Saturday at Ohio State's Value City Arena.
The high was Maysville's Gauge Samson, the 285-pound wrecking ball, who improved to 50-0 with his continued wrath in Division II. He recorded two more wins on Saturday, including a 3-2 win against London's Thadd Huff in the semifinals that earned him a berth in the finals.
The low came in the form of Sheridan's Alexander Crane, whose bid for the finals at 120 pounds fell one step short after falling in the semifinals. Crane, 51-1 entering Saturday after winning his opener, saw his shot at a title disappear with a 9-2 loss to Ohio State-bound Brendan McCrone.
Four others who won first-round matches, Maysville's Colton Smitley (126), Sheridan's Coltyn Reedy (132) and John Glenn's Cohen Bunting (138) in Division II and West Muskingum's Kaleb McFee at 157 in Division III, dropped their quarterfinal matches and fell into the consolation bracket.
Smitley and McFee rebounded with consolation wins and remained alive for seventh place today. Consolation semifinal and placing matches begin at 10 a.m., while finals matches in all divisions will begin at 5 p.m.
Samson aiming to make history
It has been 50 matches and Samson, in the state for the second straight year, has yet to yield a takedown. It is one of the most dominant runs in league history from the two-sport standout headed to Marshall this fall to play football.
Now he's a win against old nemesis Nolan Neves, of St. Paris Graham, from bringing home the school's first state wrestling title. Neves is the last person to defeat Samson, which occurred almost a year ago to the day at the state tournament at Marengo Highland High School.
Samson led the match before losing by a point in the final 30 seconds. It kept him from placing.
The stakes this time are much higher.
"I've got something to earn," Samson said. "It's not over yet. It's the last time I'll ever see a mat, so I am going to give it everything that's in me."
Like Huff, a smaller heavyweight with solid footwork, Neves is a good shooter. He earned a 5-2 win against No. 1 seed Alistair Larson in the semifinals and recorded two first-period pins in his first two matches.
"He's a lot like the guy I just beat," Samson said. "I wrestled him last year and if I was the athlete then that I am now he would have gotten pinned. (Huff) was the first shooter that I've seen all season."
Samson admittedly dealt with nerves before Saturday's proceedings, but it didn't show in his performance. Prior to his win against Huff, whom he took down with a snatch single-leg in the second period to build a 3-2 lead, he dominated Louisville senior Cameron Brazek, 6-1.
Assistant coach Devin King, a Sheridan grad who wrestled and starred as a long snapper at Ohio University, credited Samson for sticking with the game plan against Brazek and Huff.
"We knew going that (Huff) was a phenomenal athlete and he was really strong as well," King said. "He picked up the returning state champ, who weighs every bit of 285, on that high crotch when they wrestled. He took him straight up in the air. He wrestles like a 190 pounder, really quick, really strong. That was a good wrestler he faced in the semis."
Crane ready to bounce back
Crane knew he had an uphill battle on his hands against the nationally-ranked McCrone, a senior from Mentor Lake Catholic, who took a 4-2 lead and built on his lead after a period after Crane tied the match at 2 with a first-period reversal.
The loss dropped Crane into the consolation semifinals, where he needs a win against Ruben Pina-Lorenzana, of Oberlin Firelands, to wrestle for third place. Crane handed Pina-Lorenzana a 4-2 defeat in the quarterfinals earlier on Saturday.
Crane said McCrone went against his usual approach.
"I wasn't ready for how he came out in the first period," Crane said. "I watched his other matches throughout this tournament and he stayed at a moderate pace. Then he came out and went super hard and I wasn't ready for it. I normally like to slow the match down and wrestle at my pace."
Crane said he will be ready on Sunday.
"I'll be sad about it for a little bit and then get over it, get ready to get the next match," Crane said. "Now I've got to get third."
Crane's father and coach, Scott Crane, said Alex wrestled two technically sound matches entering the clash with McCrone, the projected state champion. McCrone was simply at a higher level on Saturday.
"McCrone kind of wrestled on a different level," Scott Crane said. "There is a reason he is ranked 15th (in the country) and going to Ohio State."
Crane reached the semifinals with a 4-2 win against North Bend Taylor's Jimmy Lalezas in the quarterfinals. Lazelas won two quarterfinals matches on Saturday and faces Cincinnati Wyoming's Malachi O'Leary. That winner faces the survivor of Crane's match for third.
Maysville's Smitley, West M's McFee stay alive
Smitley lost a tough 3-2 decision to Orange’s TeAndre Allen in his opener, but he effectively bounced back with a 5-3 win against Louisville's Dylan Rhoads in the consolation bracket that clinched a spot on the podium. He lost, 4-1, to Batavia's Brandon Sauter to fall into the seventh place match against Cleveland Central Catholic's Rubyn Semedo, whom he defeated by major decision in the first round.
McFee lost by a 15-0 technical fall to Mechanicsburg’s Westyn Moyer, who reached the finals in dominant fashion, but responded with a 4-1 win over Amanda-Clearcreek's Grant Guiler to guarantee state placement. He trailed 5-4 to Waterford's Lane Cline in the consolation quarterfinals, then almost took Cline to his back in the second period, but was pinned in 4:11 to drop to the seventh place match.
He will face Defiance Tinora freshman Aiden Helmke today.
Reedy shut out his two previous opponents entering Saturday, but fell 4-1 to Licking Valley’s Alijah Stevens, the defending state runner-up, in the quarterfinals. He then dropped a 7-1 decision to Copley senior Zane Van Voorhis to fall one win short of placing. Van Voorhis remains alive for third place.
Scott Crane said Reedy's future is one with plenty of promise, potentially atop the podium. Saturday was a matter of having difficult matchups.
"For being a freshman he didn't seem overwhelmed by what was going on," Scott Crane said. "He just needs some more experience."
Bunting picked up his biggest win of his career in a first-round upset of No. 1 seed Conner Roback, but he couldn't maintain the momentum. He lost by a 16-0 technical fall to Lousiville’s Dominic Hoffrath in the quarterfinals, then was pinned by Wauseon's Dylan Strouse in the third period of his consolation match.
New Lexington's Ethan Burkhart dropped a 3-2 decision in the second round consolation to West Holmes' Brady Smith, while Philo junior Drew Lincicome suffered a 12-8 loss to Peninsula Woodridge's Steven Duffy.
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This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Maysville's Samson one step away from a state wrestling title
