DaytonDailyNews.com

COLUMBUS — Finally!

Miamisburg junior Shawn Fayette snapped a five-year title drought for the area in Division I with a dominating performance in the 130 pound title match of the 72nd annual OHSAA state wrestling tournament at the Jerome Schottenstein Center on the campus of Ohio State University on Saturday night, March 7.

Fayette not only became Miamisburg's first state champ, but also won the first big-school title by an area wrestler since Sidney's Brandon Luce and Carroll's Pat Barrentine in 2003.

"You want to think you know how it feels, but you have no idea how it feels until the ref raises your hand and turns you around to face the other side of the arena and you hear everyone," Fayette said after defeating Lakota West's Ty Davis, 9-4. "Then, I saw my father ... everyone is looking at you. It is a wild feeling.

"I had so many things running through my head. It all rolled into one big excitement. I have dreamed about it."

Fayette wasn't the only area wrestler to reach the top.

Graham got titles from Nick Brascetta (103), Zach Neibert (125), Felipe Martinez (130), David Taylor (135), Brian Stephens (145), Kyle Ryan (160) and Max Thomusseit (189) to break Cleveland West's 58-year-old record for most state champs in a season (6); the Falcons also smashed St. Edwards' record for points in the tournament (229) by amassing 282 points as they won their ninth straight Division II title by 201 points.

"It is a real privilege to be the coach of this team," Graham coach Jeff Jordan said. "I never thought we would break the record, then looked and knew we had a legitimate shot to do this.

"They are the ones who go out and perform, and man did we perform."

Troy Christian grabbed its third straight title, but made it exciting.

Senior Zach Toal had to not only claim his third state title, but he had to win the 160 title by a major decision. Toal came through with a 15-5 win, and the Eagles – with the help of titles from Zac Hancock (140) and Chris Burns (145) — held off Monroeville 113-112 in the end.

"When everything is on the line, he is the guy I want stepping up on the mat," Troy Christian coach Steve Goudy said. "Zach knew what we had to do, and he got it done for us."

Tecumseh's T.J. Rigel just missed in his second straight trip to the state finals. Rigel got caught in a scramble early in his D-I 145 pound final match with David Habat of St. Ignatius for a 4-0 deficit before battling back to cut the final to 4-3.

"I had a mental lapse and that is what cost me," Rigel said. "If I got the reversal (during the scramble) it would have made it easier for me to score.

"I froze up. It's scary out there. It was scarier because it was my last chance."

Dixie's Ethan Hayes also just missed. The Greyhounds' 215 pound sophomore gave returning state runner up Stuart Miller of Delphos Jefferson all he could handle before falling late in the match 7-1.

"He deserves it," Hayes said. "There are a lot of people here (at finals), you just go out and try not to get overwhelmed."