Some of the best high school wrestlers in Ohio will be in Wilmington Friday and Saturday for the Div. II Southwest District tournament at the Rodger O. Borror Middle School gym.
Doors will open 2 p.m. Friday with the first session scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. The second session Friday, which will be the quarterfinal round and round one consolations, is set to start at 6:30 p.m.
On Saturday, doors will open 9 a.m. with the round two consolation matches in session three scheduled to start at 10:30 a.m. The fifth-place matches will be wrestled during this round.
The gym will then be cleared with the championship and consolation finals slated to begin at 4:30 p.m.
Admission is $12 Friday for both rounds, $22 for all sessions, $6 for session three and $7 for the championship round.
Wrestlers from Wilmington and Clinton-Massie will be participating in the tournament. The top four finishers in each of the 14 weight classes will advance to the state tournament next week in Columbus.
Wrestlers from Wilmington who will be competing are Cameron Smart (18-7) at 106, Jacob Boldman (30-2) at 132, Isaac Allen (32-9) at 145, Bryant Bergefurd (24-17) at 160, RJ Tolliver (22-14) at 195, Gage Smith (18-15) at 220 and Wesley Lunsford (2-8) at 285.
Wrestlers from Clinton-Massie who will be competing are Nathan Allgyer (22-13) at 106, Matt Asher (21-11) at 113, Bryson Mills (17-8) at 132, Zack Dillow (18-14) at 138, Christian Poynter (17-15) at 145, Davey Tunon (37-1) at 152, Ross Lennon (28-12) at 160, Anthony Tissandier (22-6) at 170.
Boldman has a loaded weight class at 132 with the projected champion and runnerup here. But Billy Schaefer of BoroFanOhio.net projects Boldman to advance to state with a third-place finish.
Allen has a shot at advancing. Schaefer believes Rocky Jordan of St. Paris Graham is the clear favorite but after that says “this isn’t a very tough district when looking at overall depth.”
Tunon, who finished third at Div. III 152 last season, moves up a division but is still projected to be a champion here and ultimately state runnerup, according to Schaefer.
Mills was an alternate for the districts but the fourth-place finish is not on the bracket so Mills gets his chance.
Schaefer projects Asher to advance to state with a fourth-place finish at 113.
Among the top wrestlers outside the county are:
• 106: Dawson Carter (40-2) from Hillsboro; Jordan Crace (33-4) from St. Paris Graham. Crace is a projected state champion by Billy Schaefer of BoroFanOhio.net.
• 113: Nate Keaton (45-0) from Circleville; Drew Price from Middletown Madison (36-1).
• 120: Justin Stickley (35-3) from St. Paris Graham.
• 126: Mitch Moore (39-1) from St. Paris Graham, the projected state champion by Schaefer.
• 132: Ryan Thomas (33-6) from St. Paris Graham, the projected state champion by Schaefer. Hunter Bray of Franklin (34-2), who is projected state runnerup.
• 138: Brent Moore (42-1) from St. Paris Graham, the projected state champion by Schaefer.
• 145: Rocky Jordan (40-3) from St. Paris Graham, the projected state champion by Schaefer.
• 152: Jack Peura (23-3) from Tippecanoe, projected fifth-place finisher. Ethan Fessler (50-6) from Bishop Fenwick.
• 160: Garrett Jordan (38-4) from St. Paris Graham, projected state champion by Schaefer.
• 170: Alex Marinelli (40-) from St. Paris Graham, projected state champion by Schaefer. Chase Sayers (36-6) from Ross, projected eighth-place finisher by Schaefer.
• 182: Tyler Wiederholt (35-2) from Bellbrook, projected state champion by Schaefer. Mason McCane (45-4) from Washington, projected eighth-place finisher by Schaefer.
• 195: Jack Harris (29-1) from Urbana, projected state champion by Schaefer. Kavan Sarver (34-5) from St. Paris Graham, projected state runnerup by Schaefer.
• 220: Nick Svarda (37-0) from Middletown Madison, projected state runnerup by Schaefer.
• 285: Logan Ferrell (36-5) from Tippecanoe.
