A weight-by-weight look at the OHSAA Division I state wrestling tournament

The heck with Christmas.

The second week of March is the best time of the year if you ask some around the state.

The return to Value City Arena should be incredible, especially if the Division I level plays out like many think it will.

While St. Edward should rule the roost again, the Eagles only have one overwhelming favorite this weekend. That said St. Edward should do it in volume with a division-high 12 qualifiers.

Perrysburg and its nine state qualifiers could take that race to a third day, however, and make the Eagles sweat.

DIVISION II PREVIEW: A weight-by-weight look at the OHSAA Division II state wrestling tournament

Don’t worry. We’ve done the leg work.

Here’s a cheat sheet for each weight class in the big school division.

If it’s wrong, don’t blame us. Something whacky always happens at the Schottenstein Center this time of year.

DIVISION III PREVIEW: A weight-by-weight look at the OHSAA Division III state wrestling tournament

One note: The abbreviations before each wrestler indicates the district finish. PB-1, for instance means first place at Perrysburg. “KF” is Kettering Fairmont, “HD” is Hillard Darby and “HO” is Hoover.

106 pounds

Pairings: PB-1 Cole Evans, Perrysburg, fr., 44-4 vs. KF-4 Joey Franz, Springboro, so., 30-15; HD-3 Kurt Mokros, Olentangy, fr., 15-4 vs. HO-2 Emeric McBurney, Perry, fr., 27-16; HD-2 Julien Kleiv, Hilliard Bradley, sr., 40-6 vs. HO-3 Jack Dinwiddie, Wadsworth, fr., 33-1; PB-4 Candio DeLuna, Oregon Clay, jr., 29-17 vs. KF-1 Konner Lambers, Cincinnati Elder, fr., 39-2; HO-1 Brett Stanley, Brecksville, so., 35-5 vs. HD-4 Brock Blankenhorn, Mount Vernon, so., 33-11; 1PB-3 Zachary Bergman, Anthony Wayne, so., 38-12 vs. KF-2 Marsel Sabirdjanov, Mason, so., 31-8; PB-2 Adam Butler, St. Edward, fr., 19-9 vs. KF-3 Nate Hammann, Cincinnati LaSalle, sr., 21-11; 1 HO-4 Becan Hahn, Mentor, jr., 42-11 vs. HD-1 Gunner Havens, Teays Valley, jr., 37-2.

Favorite: Havens. This is the unicorn of the tournament as there really is no clear-cut favorite. The junior placed eighth last season. He goes to the front of the line now.

Who’s in the way: Butler. The Avon resident introduced himself to the world over the summer by heading out to Fargo and finishing 7th in Greco.

Dark horse: Evans. The freshman sits on the other side of the bracket and should clear to the semifinals without much of a problem.

Opening match with teeth: Dinwiddie vs. Kliev. Dinwiddie has certainly turned it on as of late as was evidenced when he took district champion Stanley to overtime in the semifinal at Hoover.

Bring your popcorn for this one: Havens vs. Butler in the quarterfinals. If this one plays out, it should kick off the Saturday morning proceedings with some pop.

113

Pairings: KF-1 Holden Huhn, Cincinnati LaSalle, fr., 29-6 vs. HO-4 Jack DeBoe, Mentor, fr., 32-8; HD-3 Andrew Myers, Upper Arlington, so., 35-7 vs. PB-2 Wyatt Richter, St. Edward, sr., 22-8; HD-2 Toby Hutsler, Lancaster, jr., 36-9 vs. PB-3 Micah Medina, Oregon Clay, jr., 38-9; KF-4 Jake Lentz, Fairfield, jr., 28-15 vs. HO-1 Kevin Grunzweig, Solon, sr., 19-3; HD-1 Jaxson Rosselli, Olentangy Liberty, so., 32-3 vs. PB-4 Kaiyon McKinney, Elyria, fr., 29-8; 1 KF-3 Jared Johnston, Archbishop Moeller, so., 33-10 vs. HO-2 Nate Dulcie, Perry, so., 30-12; KF-2 Joey Thamann, Cincinnati Elder, fr. vs. 33-14; HO-3 Jacob Ferguson, Austintown-Fitch, sr., 40-4; HD-4 Rahul Raghuram, Dublin Coffman, jr., 23-13 vs. PB-1 Marcus Blaze, Perrysburg, fr., 51-0.

Favorite: Blaze and don’t forget to turn the lights off when you’re done. The freshman is undefeated and basically untouchable.

Who’s in the way: Richter. The senior rose to the occasion last season with a fourth-place finish and should climb higher this time.

Dark horse: Rosselli. Another fourth-place finisher from last season, he should be able to reach at least the round of four.

Opening match with teeth: Thamann vs. Ferguson. Hit the upset alert button. Ferguson showed moxie out of the consolation bracket last week at Hoover and is on a roll heading into Columbus.

Bring your popcorn for this one: Rosselli vs. Blaze. The semifinals, as usual, are where it’s at in D-I and this one would be a round of four match pitting district champions against each other.

120

Pairings: HO-1 Nick Molchak, Solon, sr., 37-2 vs. PB-4 Michael Valerino, Avon Lake, jr., 33-14; HD-3 Kadin Walls, Teays Valley, sr., 34-9 vs. KF-2 Noah Moreland, Vandalia Butler, jr., 37-8; HD-2 Jibreel Smith, Newark, jr., 37-5 vs. KF-3 Tanner Spalding, Cincinnati LaSalle, so., 24-11; HO-4 Austin McBurney, Perry, jr., 36-9 vs. PB-1 Ryan Avalos, Perrysburg, jr., 44-5; HD-1 Joseph Baumann, Dublin Coffman, so., 23-6 vs. KF-4 Bryce Sears, Cincinnati Colerain, so., 26-12; HO-3 Jaxon Joy, Wadsworth, so., 47-5 vs. PB-2 Peyton Fenton, Elyria, sr., 30-6; HO-2 Joey Vazsonyi, Highland, jr., 28-10 vs. PB-3 Kade Brown, St. Edward, so., 24-8; HD-4 Josh Niemann, Watkins Memorial, sr., 34-12 vs. KF-1 Damion Ryan, Centerville, sr., 35-4.

Favorite: Joy. While the third-place finish at Hoover wasn’t optimal, he’s still the best at the weight. He just has a tougher road.

Who’s in the way: Avalos, who did himself a huge favor by winning at Perrysburg as Molchak should be the only one giving him trouble before the finals. Of note, Avalos will have state placer McBurney right off the jump.

Dark horse: Fenton. Can you call a returning state champion a dark horse? He’s never lost at state, so….

Opening match with teeth: Joy vs. Fenton and there may not be a more anticipated opening round match. Fenton won a title in 2019. Joy finished second last season. Fenton either suffers his first loss in Columbus or Joy runs to the finals.

Bring your popcorn for this one: Well. We already said it, but let’s give Molchak vs. Avalos a go as the other one in the semifinals. This entire weight class should be awesome.

126

Pairings: HD-1 Omar Ayoub, Dublin Coffman, so., 25-1 vs. HO-4 Charles Curtis, Perry, so., 26-14; KF-3 Parker Lee, Vandalia Butler, jr., 47-9 vs. PB-2 Cole McKinley, Sylvania Northview, sr., 34-12; KF-2 London Murphy, Archbishop Moeller, fr., 35-11 vs. PB-3 Emilio Arellano, Toledo Whitmer, sr., 26-7; HD-4 Drake Cerny, Marion Harding, sr., 27-5 vs. HO-1 Kaden Jett, Brecksville, jr., 33-4; KF-1 Luke Acuna, Centerville, sr., 35-6 vs. PB-4 Nathan Perry, Avon Lake, jr., 47-5; HD-3 Brennen Cernus, Pickerington Central, sr., 30-3 vs. HO-2 Mason Brugh, Wadsworth, sr., 43-7; HD-2 Colton Spurgeon, Mount Vernon, sr., 42-6 vs. HO-3 Vinnie D'Alessandro, Mayfield, jr., 49-3; 1 KF-4 Eli Marengo, Cincinnati LaSalle, so., 19-13 vs. PB-1 Ryan Bennett, St. Edward, so., 25-7.

Favorite: Cernus. He holds a state title from Indiana and is a national prep champion. That experience holds weight with eight returning state placers in the weight class, three of which are two-time state placers. Although Ayoub beat Cernus last week.

Who’s in the way: Ayoub. The sophomore is a returning state runner-up and has lost just once this season.

Dark horse: Bennett. It just feels weird calling a returning state champion a dark horse, but he rose to the occasion last season to beat Joy in the state finals, so he’s a gamer.

Opening match with teeth: The answer here is all of them but we’ll give the nod to Brugh vs. Cernus. Brugh is a four-time state qualifier and two-time state placer. Any questions?

Bring your popcorn for this one: The opportunities are endless but will tab D’Alessandro vs. Bennett in the quarterfinals. That’s if the Mayfield product can beat Spurgeon. D’Alessandro was the projected state champion last season and has only lost three times this season.

132

Pairings: KF-1 Jack McCall, Lebanon, jr., 30-7 vs. HD-4 David Backus, Marion Harding, jr., 13-7; HO-3 Chase Pluhar, Brecksville, jr., 38-6 vs. PB-2 Jayden Colon, Parma, sr., 39-4; HO-2 Nick Gerome, Solon, sr., 43-4 vs. PB-3 Allenson Denkins, Perrysburg, sr., 32-6; KF-4 Simon Taylor, Centerville, sr., 36-12 vs. HD-1 Ty Wilson, Dublin Scioto, so., 49-4; PB-1 Jeremy Ginter, Toledo Whitmer, so., 38-2 vs. HO-4 Marshall Geckler, Perry, fr., 29-14; KF-3 David Gelman, Archbishop Moeller, sr., 32-11 vs. HD-2 Evan Butcher, Westerville North, jr., 23-7; KF-2 Drew Magness, Cincinnati Elder, sr., 35-9 vs. HD-3 Wyatt Moore, Hilliard Davidson, jr., 42-9; 1 PB-4 Ty Daugherty, Avon, sr., 42-7 vs. HO-1 Antonio Shelley, Mentor, so., 41-8.

Favorite: Wilson. He’s a returning state champion and that trophy case should grow for the sophomore.

Who’s in the way: Ginter. If the sophomore can clear his side of the board, it should make for a dandy of a final.

Dark horse: McCall. The junior worked his way to a championship at Fairmont and is a returning state placer.

Opening match with teeth: Pluhar vs. Colon. The schedule alone for Brecksville makes this one an upset alert against the Perrysburg District runner-up.

Bring your popcorn for this one: Gerome vs. Wilson in the quarterfinals. Gerome missed winning Hoover by a point. He won’t be intimidated by Wilson and could upset the apple cart early.

138

Pairings: PB-1 Bradley Eaton, St. Edward, fr., 25-8 vs. KF-4 Tannar Beermann, Fairfield, jr., 29-11; HO-3 Landen Johnson, Perry, fr., 34-10 vs. HD-2 Edwin White, Westerville North, sr., 22-3; HO-2 Israel Petite, Nordonia, so., 29-7 vs. HD-3 Ayden Boothby, Upper Arlington, sr., 43-5; PB-4 Mahdi Shoman, North Olmsted, sr., 38-6 vs. KF-1 Jake Niffenegger, Cincinnati LaSalle, sr., 27-4; HO-1 Dyvaire VanDyke, Cuyahoga Walsh Jesuit, jr., 43-3 vs. HD-4 Vince Giordano, Big Walnut, jr., 31-12; KF-3 Conner Kleinberg, Springboro, jr., 43-5 vs. PB-2 Dom Mudry, North Royalton, sr., 47-4; KF-2 Jacob Castillo, Middletown, jr., 32-5 PB-3 vs. Nate Burnett, Elyria, sr., 31-5 HO-4 Chase Crutchley, Highland, so., 39-13 vs. HD-1 Ismael Ayoub, Dublin Coffman, sr., 44-3.

Favorite: Niffenegger. The senior certified at 132, but decided to stay where he was, causing a ripple effect throughout the weight class. He’s reached the finals twice. This time he wins.

Who’s in the way: Burnett. He’s already beaten a state champion twice this season in Legacy Christian’s Cameron Lacure. Burnetts don’t back down.

Dark horse: VanDyke. Next season is now for the junior, who finished third last season.

Opening match with teeth: Kleinberg vs. Mudry. The Bears senior reached the finals at Perrysburg and that should help against a Springboro junior who finished eighth last season.

Bring your popcorn for this one: Burnett vs. Ayoub in the quarterfinals. The two have a combined three fifth-place finishes at state. Saturday morning will be fantastic.

144

Pairings: HO-1 Manny Scordos, Brecksville, sr., 38-5 vs. HD-4 Brody Chase, Lancaster, sr., 38-9; PB-3 Timmy Putka, St. Ignatius, sr., 22-4 vs. KF-2 Maclain Morency, Cincinnati Anderson, jr., 37-4; PB-2 Connor Holm, Elyria, so., 31-9 vs. KF-3 Matthew Szczepaniak, West Chester Lakota West, jr., 40-7; HO-4 Christian Giltz, Perry, jr., 24-14 vs. HD-1 Ethan Birden, Dublin Coffman, so., 44-6; KF-1 Eugene Harney, Cincinnati Sycamore, so., 36-3 vs. PB-4 Carson Atkins, Olmsted Falls, sr., 13-6; HO-3 Nick Humphrys, Wadsworth, jr., 38-11 vs. HD-2 Joshua Melms, Marysville, sr., 29-8; HO-2 Creed Hill, Highland, jr., 36-13 vs. HD-3 Zander Graham, Teays Valley, sr., 28-4; KF-4 Wyatt Brock, Cincinnati LaSalle, fr., 18-13 vs. PB-1 Joey Blaze, Perrysburg, jr., 50-2.

Favorite: Blaze. He’s a returning state champion as well as a Super 32 and Ironman All-American. The weight begins and ends here.

Who’s in the way: Birden. He finished fifth last season and should rise higher than that. He’s gained steam since and should clear the top half of the bracket.

Dark horse: Harney, although he’s going to have to figure out a way to beat Blaze in the semifinals.

Opening match with teeth: Holm vs. Szczepaniak. The Lakota West junior was a state alternate last season and was a Delaware Hayes runner-up this season. He’s hungry for more.

Bring your popcorn for this one: Scordos vs. Birden in the semifinals. The mullet has been on a tear for Brecksville and could throw everything out of whack if he beats Morency in the quarterfinals.

150

Pairings: KF-1 Tim Smith, Cincinnati Colerain, sr., 30-3 vs. HO-4 Michael Frenk, Solon, jr., 22-5; PB-3 Anthony Grecol, Strongsville, sr., 34-8 vs. HD-2 Logan Smalley, Reynoldsburg, jr., 36-5; PB-2 Tyrel Miller, St. Edward, fr., 28-12 vs. HD-3 Jack Golla, Marysville, sr., 47-7; KF-4 Miles Moyer, Northmont, sr., 45-8 vs. HO-1 Chris Earnest, Wadsworth, jr., 45-5; PB-1 Wynton Denkins, Perrysburg, jr., 48-3 vs. HD-4 Iain Escobar, Worthington Kilbourne, sr., 42-4; KF-3 Flint Guerra, Lebanon, jr., 43-8 vs. HO-2 Ethan Smith, Eastlake North, sr., 31-1; KF-2 Jack Willen, Cincinnati LaSalle, so., 16-8 vs. HO-3 Sam Thompson, Perry, sr., 20-9; PB-4 Izzak Pedraza, Elyria, sr., 26-9 vs. HD-1 Keegan Knapp, Olentangy Orange, sr., 38-2.

Favorite: Earnest. His finals match with Smith last week was fantastic. The Ironman All-American has upped the ante all season.

Who’s in the way: Denkins. Sitting on the other side of the bracket, he’ll likely have to figure out a way to beat both Ethan Smith and Knapp.

Dark horse: Ethan Smith. It really wouldn’t be that much of a surprise to see the Hoover District final repeat on the biggest stage. Earnest won that match, 5-3 to hand the Eastlake North senior his first loss of the season.

Opening match with teeth: Honestly, this weight is pretty much chalk in the first round, but we’ll give this match the nod with Grecol and Smalley as the closest to must-see TV.

Bring your popcorn for this one: Denkins vs. Ethan Smith. Denkins split matches with Earnest this season. The quarterfinal winner should clear to the finals.

157

Pairings: HD-1 Connor Euton, Westerville North, sr., 33-2 vs. KF-4 Fletcher Rose, Miamisburg, so., 39-7; HO-3 Mason Valencia, Barberton, sr., 46-3 vs. PB-2 Erich Trinski, Elyria, jr., 16-4; HO-2 Tyler Lintner, Austintown-Fitch, jr., 46-4 vs. PB-3 Noah Ewen, Perrysburg, sr., 36-6; HD-4 Donavyn Watts, Pickerington North, so., 44-8 vs. KF-1 Luke Marsh, Lebanon, sr., 35-7; PB-1 Jarrel Miller, St. Edward, fr., 33-5 vs. HO-4 A.J. Dolph, Hoover, fr., 39-10; HD-3 Devin Halliday, Delaware Hayes, jr., 40-7 vs. KF-2 Carson Thomas, Cincinnati LaSalle, fr., 22-11; HD-2 Erryl Will, Marysville, sr., 28-6 vs. KF-3 Brad Hornback, Archbishop Moeller, sr., 35-10; PB-4 Aiden Ashburn, Westlake, sr., 43-5 vs. HO-1 James Scavuzzo, Highland, sr., 40-3.

Favorite: Euton. This cat hasn’t lost since March 8, 2019. There’s little to think that will change before he heads to Iowa State in the fall.

Who’s in the way: Scavuzzo. The senior and three-time state qualifier rolled through the Hoover District and is crushing it this season.

Dark horse: Miller. He just missed placing at Powerade and has wrestled a schedule that is unlike any other in the state.

Opening match with teeth: Ewen vs. Lintner. Ewen was as a sixth-place finisher in 0 at 152. Lintner won two matches by a combined three points last week. He won’t crumble under the pressure.

Bring your popcorn for this one: Will vs. Scavuzzo in the quarterfinals is a battle between two state placers. Will’s only loss last week came to Euton.

165

Pairings: HO-1 Jeremy Olszko, Nordonia, jr., 44-6 vs. HD-4 Gabe Pence, Olentangy Liberty, jr., 24-11; KF-3 Matt Kowalski, Springboro, fr., 29-13 vs. PB-2 Evan Bennett, St. Edward, sr., 16-6; KF-2 Aydan George, Centerville, so., 35-7 vs. PB-3 Dominico Migliori, Oregon Clay, sr., 41-11; HO-4 Aidan McStay, Hudson, sr., 37-6 vs. PB-5 Cole Yuhas, Westlake, sr., 38-3; PB-1 Myles Takats, Perrysburg, jr., 45-5 vs. KF-4 Evan Thompson, Kettering Fairmont, sr., 10-6; HD-3 Brady Seger, Marysville, jr., 23-13 vs. HO-2 J.R. Reed, Stow-Munroe Falls, sr., 40-6; HD-2 Jakob Hurley, Galloway Westland, sr., 35-5 vs. HO-3 Ronald Dimmerling, GlenOak, sr., 43-4; PB-4 Isaiah Schlegel, Toledo Whitmer, jr., 29-11 vs. KF-1 Lane Abrams, Fairfield, sr., 40-1.

Favorite: Takats. He has shut out Bennett twice this season so he's more than capable of winning this weight class. The junior knows how to rise to the occasion.

Who’s in the way: Bennett. He was a runner-up last season and could find his way back to the finals once again.

Dark horse: Abrams. The senior pinned his way to the finals last week at Fairmont and should see Takats in the semifinals.

Opening match with teeth: Hurley vs. Dimmerling. Hurley finished sixth at 152 last season. Dimmerling was sixth at 170. This is worth the price of admission.

Bring your popcorn for this one: Bennett vs. Takats. This rematch of the Perrysburg final was 1-0 last week. The third time could be the charm for Bennett.

175

Pairings: PB-1 Luke Geog, St. Edward, sr., 33-3 vs. HO-4 Matt Hamula, Medina, sr., 44-8; HD-3 Brady Quillen, Olentangy Liberty, so., 20-6 vs. KF-2 Kurt Thompson, Archbishop Moeller, sr., 30-5; HD-2 Colton Powers, Marysville, jr., 28-5 vs. KF-3 Aidan Weimer, Springboro, fr., 29-8; PB-4 Jackson Hawker, Perrysburg, sr., 30-20 vs. HO-1 Luke Vanadia, Brecksville, jr., 29-2; HD-1 Mitchell Broskie, Dublin Coffman, sr., 43-4 vs. KF-4 Payton Lupton, Northmont, jr., 40-5; PB-3 Jarell Young, Cleveland St. Ignatius, jr., 23-4 vs. HO-2 Sean O'Horo, Youngstown Boardman, sr., 43-1; PB-2 Kyle Sandborn, North Royalton, jr., 39-11 vs. HO-3 Brandon Batson, GlenOak, jr., 26-2; HD-4 Jake Badgeley, Upper Arlington, sr., 29-6 vs. KF-1 Chase Stein, Cincinnati LaSalle, sr., 28-9.

Favorite: Geog. What? Did you think we forgot about St. Edward? Geog is headed to Ohio State and is a two-time Fargo All-American and returning state finalist.

Who’s in the way: Vanadia, although Geog has already beaten him by technical fall. This would be a semifinal Saturday night.

Dark horse: Broskie. The senior did himself a gigantic favor by winning the Darby District and staying a way from Geog until the finals.

Opening match with teeth: Again, this one should go chalk in the first round. Expect O’Horo to right the ship against Young in the first round.

Bring your popcorn for this one: O’Horo vs. Broskie. This quarterfinal should be a barnburner. Vanadia pinned O’Horo last week to hand the senior his only loss of the season.

190

Pairings: HD-1 Camden McDanel, Teays Valley, jr., 38-3 vs. PB-4 Joseph Roesch, Avon, sr., 34-11; KF-3 Myles Johnson, Springboro, jr., 44-7 vs. HO-2 Domonic Konopka, Highland, sr., 33-13; KF-2 Jonathon Sanchez, Archbishop Moeller, sr., 38-7 vs. HO-3 Caleb Jenkins, Barberton, sr., 37-9; HD-4 Ben Bickerstaff, Marysville, sr., 32-10 vs. PB-1 Jonny Slaper, St. Edward, so., 20-3 ; KF-1 Brentan Simmerman, Little Miami, jr., 43-3 vs. HO-4 Will Edmondson, Stow-Munroe Falls, sr., 29-14; HD-3 Ajay Locke, Lancaster, sr., 25-3 vs. PB-2 Gavin Beasley, North Olmsted, jr., 34-4; HD-2 Seth Shumate, Dublin Coffman, sr., 43-3 vs. PB-3 Trent Thomas, Bedford, jr., 39-5; KF-4 Kamarrie Harden, Cincinnati Northwest, sr., 36-9 vs. HO-1 Coen Grimm, Wadsworth, jr., 29-5.

Favorite: Shumate will join Geog at Ohio State. He’s not only a two-time state champion, but also a two-time Fargo national champion and three-time finalist.

Who’s in the way: McDanel. The Teays Valley junior finished second to Nordonia’s Sal Perrine by a point last season in the state final. The junior beat Shumate last weekend.

Dark horse: Slaper. The sophomore was sixth as a freshman but will have to get through McDanel in the semifinals.

Opening match with teeth: Again, a weight class that really should go as planned, but we’ll look at Johnson vs. Konopka. The Highland senior just committed to UConn football and was tough in the final against Grimm.

Bring your popcorn for this one: Slaper vs. McDanel. The wrestler that benefits most is Shumate, who won’t be as beat up if he reaches the finals.

215

Pairings: HD-1 Matthew Howard, Dublin Scioto, sr., 33-4 vs. PB-4 Clay Broadhurst, Avon Lake, so., 33-11; HO-3 Max Vanadia, Brecksville, jr., 34-8 vs. KF-2 Jamell Smith, Xenia, jr., 34-5; HO-2 Roosevelt Andrews, Barberton, jr., 40-2 vs. KF-3 Will Adkins, Archbishop Moeller, fr., 39-11; HD-4 Brayden Jamison, Worthington Thomas Worthington, sr., 33-7 vs. PB-1 Ty Cobb, Oregon Clay, sr., 46-3; KF-1 Wyatt Walker, Trenton Edgewood, so., 45-1 vs. HO-4 Antonio Bottiggi, Painesville Riverside, so., 29-6; PB-3 Gage Yackee, Toledo St. John's Jesuit, so., 34-5 vs. HD-2 Dylan Russo, Olentangy Liberty, jr., 30-6; PB-2 Zachary Delsanter, St. Edward, jr., 23-10 vs. HD-3 Cole Dickerson, Lancaster, so., 41-4; KF-4 Tavier Lugo-Flowers, Cincinnati Princeton, sr., 35-7 vs. HO-1 Logan Shephard, Perry, sr., 43-3.

Favorite: Shephard. He hasn’t forgotten his loss to Russo last season in the semifinals and backed up that drive by beating CVCA state champion Kyle Snider in January.

Who’s in the way: Russo. The junior beat Shephard last season in overtime to turn the 220-pound weight class on its ear en route to his state title.

Dark horse: Andrews. It’s his first trip to state, but the junior has already beaten Fargo All-American Vanadia in consecutive weeks this season.

Opening match with teeth: Delsanter vs. Dickerson. Don’t be surprised to see the junior knock off the four-loss Dickerson to open things up for St. Edward.

Bring your popcorn for this one: Russo vs. Shephard could happen again in the semifinals if Russo figures away around one-loss Walker in the quarterfinals. The script writes itself.

285

Pairings: PB-1 Ethan Green, Fremont Ross, sr., 21-1 vs. HD-4 Tyler O`Reilly, Westerville South, sr., 30-8; HO-3 Aaron Ries, Wadsworth, so., 43-9 vs. KF-2 Radical Rothermel, Trenton Edgewood, sr., 43-4 vs. HO-2 Maliek Williams, Lyndhurst Brush, sr., 30-4 vs. KF-3 Makarrie Harden, Cincinnati Northwest, sr., 32-5; PB-4 Austin Dye, Grafton Midview, so., 31-8 vs. HD-1 Riley Ucker, Dublin Coffman, sr., 41-5; HO-1 Aidan Fockler, Perry, so., 36-7 vs. KF-4 Skyler Horn, Mason, sr., 34-6; PB-3 Logan Moody, Toledo Whitmer, sr., 37-9 vs. HD-2 Joey Thurston, Teays Valley, jr., 36-3; PB-2 Michael Kilbane, St. Edward, jr., 15-1 vs. HD-3 Nate Stradley, Mount Vernon, sr., 35-13; 1 HO-4 Joey Scally, Highland, sr., 31-14 vs. KF-1 Joshua Padilla, Huber Heights Wayne, jr., 29-1.

Favorite: Fockler. Perry was the Cinderella story last week, but Fockler and Shephard were not. Both are expected to win state titles for the Panthers and have been all season.

Who’s in the way: Padilla. The Wayne junior and Ohio State football pledge has just one loss this season and placed eighth last year.

Dark horse: Ries. The sophomore owns a win over Fockler and has split the season with him. They should have met last week, but Williams put a fork in that plan.

Opening match with teeth: Ries vs. Rothermel. This closeout of the big division is a doozy. Rothermel was a quarterfinalist last season and missed placing by a match. Ries is a projected runner-up.

Bring your popcorn for this one: Green vs. Ries. If Ries wins his opening match, Green likely stands in the way next. The senior was third last season and is a Cincinnati football signee.

Contact Brad Bournival at bbournival@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @bbournival.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Weight-by-weight look at OHSAA Division I state wrestling tournament