Graham wrestling eyes 19th straight state wrestling championship

Falcons are the favorites once again in Division II after qualifying 11 wrestlers to state

Qualifying for the high school state tournament is the pinnacle for wrestlers. But the floor of the Schottenstein Center – with 10 mats in action and as many as 12,000 spectators in a session peering down – can be as tough and intimidating as the competition.

Sharing the experience with a teammate or two can ease the nerves. Or in Graham’s case, 11.

The Falcons enter the Division II state wrestling tournament almost at full force. The team qualified wrestlers in 11 of the 14 weight classes in pursuit of the program’s 19th straight individual team championship. Graham won its seventh straight team dual state championship in February just down the street at St. John Arena.

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Graham is the only team in D-II with double-digit qualifiers. Lisbon Beaver and Menton Lake Catholic each qualified eight. Aurora and Steubenville advanced seven each.

It’s no surprised Billy Schaefer, founder of borofanohio.net, projects Graham as the state champs. The Falcons are coming off a district championship that saw the team go 5-5 in individual district title matches.

“It’s not that we made mistakes. It’s just that maybe we didn’t capitalize on situations,” Graham first-year coach Travis McIntosh said. “These guys are so tuned into what they’re doing. The guys that lost – and the guys that won – said after matches they knew what they needed to work on. It’s little things. There’s nothing big to be changed. There’s nothing crucial that needs to be changed. It’s just fine tuning little points in their wrestling to change the outcome.”

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Competing for Graham at state are freshman Nolan Gessler (106-pound weight class), sophomore Trace Braun (113), senior Dawson Show (120), junior Chris Kelly (126), sophomore Nick Moore (132), sophomore Alek Martin (138), senior D’artangan Spitler (145), senior Jeffrey Thomas (152), junior Isaiah Stickley (160), freshman Nolan Neves (182) and senior Johnny Shafer (285).

The three-day tournament starts Thursday and concludes Saturday on the campus of Ohio State University.

Mechanicsburg: The Indians join Graham as the other area team with multiple state qualifiers. Junior Jaron Patterson (170) and freshman Jake Hurst (132) are both first-time qualifiers in D-III.

“We all feel that they can place at state,” Mechanicsburg coach Cameron Doggett said. “We are proud of their accomplishments so far. … We are sticking to our game plan of doing what we know. Often in the postseason, many people will try to add to their style and wrestle differently. I have found that sticking to your bread and butter is crucial into reaching goals you have. I know what Jake and Jaron want to accomplish. This week we are focused on sticking to what we know and executing those moves to reach their respective goals.”

Jaron (29-14) and Hurst (36-6) enter as fourth-place finishers at the district. Their first match will come against a district champion.

“We are trying to take nerves out of the equation by going through what its like to walk through the tunnel and onto the Schottenstein floor for the first time,” Doggett said. “We are trying to minimize outside pressures, thoughts, and keeping focused. My goal is to make sure each of them are relaxed, confident, and focused on one match at a time.”

Greeneview: Rams senior Devan Hendricks qualified for the D-III meet at 145, making him a three-time qualifier at three different weights. Hendricks finished sixth at 106 as a sophomore and fifth at 126 as a junior. Hendricks will finish his career with more than 150 career wins placing him among the top five in program history.

Northwestern: Senior 195-pounder Nathan Snyder (42-4) attempts to become the Warriors' first state champion. Northwestern has had 15 state placers in program history.

Shawnee: Senior Kaleb Ream returns to state after going 1-2 last season at 106. Ream (19-9) sits at 112 wins in his career.

Urbana: Trevor Stewart (34-2) is the first Hillclimbers freshman to qualify for state since Jack Harris won the state title in 2013. He'll try to make it two in a row as he competes in the 170 bracket.

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