November Volume 1, Issue INSIDE THE CIRCLE

Transcription

1 November Volume 1, Issue INSIDE THE CIRCLE The premier source for Central Ohio wrestling! Go INSIDE the CIRCLE Conference Breakdown Spotlight on Top Wrestlers Returning State Place Winners and Qualifiers INSIDE THE CIRCLE - PAGE!1

2 Central Ohio has had an amazing amount of success in terms of athletics as a whole. In regards to wrestling, a vast majority of area schools can claim at least one individual state champion, and a few can even claim a team state championship. A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR As the calendar turns to November, high school wrestlers across the entire nation will begin a four-month routine of early morning jogs, intense practices and extra technique sessions, all in hopes of extending their season one more week; culminating with a state tournament. Within the borders of Ohio, it is no different. In an effort to capture this process, as well as inform the desiring public of relevant information, and, ultimately, celebrate the student-athletes who choose to undergo the rigors and demands of the oldest known sport of the human race, a few Central Ohio residents/fans decided to create Inside The Circle. Table of Contents Central Catholic League... page 3 Columbus City League... page 5 North... page 6 South... page 7 Mid-State League... page 8 Buckeye... page 8 Cardinal... page 11 Ohio... page 13 Ohio Capital Conference... page 16 Capital... page 16 Cardinal... page 19 Central... page 22 Ohio... page 25 Returning State Qualifiers and Place Winners... page 28 Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference... page 31 Blue... page 32 Red... page 33 INSIDE THE CIRCLE - PAGE!2

3 BISHOP READY SILVER KNIGHTS Coach: James Yonushonis (year at school: 1st) 12/08: Highland Invitational 12/15: North Canton Hoover 12/27, 28: The Ready Winter Classic 01/05: Olentangy Orange Invitational 01/19, 20: Catholic Invitational Tournament 01/23: State Duals (location TBD) 01/26: The Cruiser Invitational Central Catholic League 02/02: Central Catholic Tournament 02/05: St. Charles 02/07: Tri w/hartley & Newark Catholic Bishop Ready High School is one of Central Ohio's more storied programs. And with the installment of the Silver Knights, there are two wrestlers who would like to add to that tradition; Dalton Scott and Patrik Garren. Both wrestlers qualified for the OHSAA state tournament last year by winning the Heath district. Dalton Scott Dalton Scott, who qualified at 120 pounds, was able to beat the eventual state champion en route to his district championship. Unfortunately, while at the Schottenstein Center, Scott lost his first two matches and exited the tournament. Patrik Garren was able to qualify for the state tournament at the 285 pound weight class on the strength of a pin, and three decisions at Heath. At "The Schott" Garren was the only sophomore in the 16-man field. He may have been one of the youngest, but on that weekend, he was the 3rd best. The Patrik Garren placement will hopefully instill enough confidence for a push to the finals this season! The Silver Knights welcome new head coach James Yonushonis (yahn/ew/shah/nis). Coach Yonushonis most recently was an Ohio-RTC athlete in pursuit of the 2012 Olympics. Before that, he was a graduate assistant at University of Maryland. As a competitor, he earned NCAA All-American honors for Penn State University (7th in 2006). INSIDE THE CIRCLE - PAGE!3

4 Central Catholic League BISHOP HARTLEY HAWKS Coach: Kevin Patrella (years at school: 4th) Top Returners: Grant Rathburn (junior), Jack Zang (sophomore). Grant Rathburn was a state qualifier for the Hawks last season, after placing 4th at the Heath district tournament. Zang was a district qualifier but was eliminated after two rounds. BISHOP WATTERSON EAGLES Coach: Brian Flynn In the Nest: D-II district qualifier Nicky DiCarllo returns for his senior year after chalking up one win at the Claymont district tournament. Last season, DiCarllo was able tally 26 win at the 138 pound weight class. ST. FRANCIS DeSALES STALLIONS Coach: Nick Preston (years at school: 1st) In the Stable: Senior Ian Ferguson returns after placing 6th as the Claymont district tournament. Ferguson was a sectional champion at 170 pounds, and reached the district semifinals before losing 3 straight. ST. CHARLES CARDINALS Coach: Joe Moyer (years at school: 6th) Top Returners: Tim Rooney (sophomore), Dustin Obergfell (senior), Andrew Kyser (senior). As a freshman last year, Rooney was able to qualify for the state tournament after placing 3rd at the Darby district tournament. Obergfell was able to win a match at Darby before bowing out, while Kyser, now a senior, went 0-2 at the district tournament. The Catholic Invitational Tournament will be hosted by Bishop Hartley but held at Olentangy Liberty High School on January 19th & 20th, The Central Catholic League Tournament will be held on February 2nd, 2013 at Columbus DeSales High School. INSIDE THE CIRCLE - PAGE!4

5 Columbus City League NORTHLAND VIKINGS During the early portion of the season, word on the message boards was circulating about a star in the City League. A large portion of the talk circulated around Briggs' Wehseh Juty, as well as heavyweight Travis Gusan from Walnut Ridge. And then the second half of the season arrived and the name Anthony Alexander came to the forefront. One of the question marks concerning Alexander was the level of his competition. He silenced the critics with two pins en route to a sectional runner-up finish, losing to Marysville's Noah Forrider in the finals. At Darby, Alexander again made a statement by defeating his first two opponents via major and pin, and then outdoing a stout K. McDougle (Gahanna) in the semifinals by a close 8-6 margin. In the district finals, he met up with Forrider and for the second time in as many weeks, was a tournament runner-up. When asked what this season holds for Alexander, Coach Hawk said Alexander will be "better than ever... definitely on a mission with the mat time to prove it." With an endorsement like that, it is not hard to see that Alexander hopes to avenge those losses as well as do more than just qualify for the OHSAA state tournament. Alexander (top) cruises to a major victory in last year's district tournament. Coach: Toby Hawk (Years at school; 10th) Northland Vikings schedule: INSIDE THE CIRCLE - PAGE!5

6 BEECHCROFT COUGARS BROOKHAVEN BEARCATS CENTENNIAL STARS EAST TIGERS LINDEN McKINLEY PANTHERS MIFFLIN PUNCHERS WHETSTONE BRAVES Columbus City League NORTH Coach: Matt Glorioso Top Returners: Sophomore Tryee Dukes is the only Cougar who has post-season experience from last season. Dukes had 6 wins entering the Licking Heights sectional tournament. Coach: Steve Ayers Top Returners: Juniors Righteous Bridges and Devonte Lewis, along with senior Jalen Bonner, are back after qualifying for the Claymont district tournament. All three wrestlers exceeded the 25 win mark. Look for all three to improve on last season's successes. Coach: Mark Schaffer The Star: Senior Jeff Seymor is back for his senior season. After a first round loss to the eventual district champion (Warner; Indian Valley), Seymor rattled off two consecutive victories before falling to state qualifier Haynes (Buckeye Valley), ultimately finishing one win shy of placing. Coach: Shawn Connors Top Returners: The Tigers have a pair of returning district qualifiers in Bahsir Ali (junior) and Earl Milton (senior). Both finished with above.500 records last season, with the former winning a match at the Claymont district tournament and the latter tallying 20+ wins for the season. Top Returner: Isaiah Turner (senior) was able to win 21 matches last year, 2 of which came en route to placing 5th at the Licking Heights sectional tournament. Top Returners: Senior Alec Mills was a district place winner last season for the Panthers. After dropping his quarterfinal match to the eventual district champion (Rohskopf; Holland), Mills won two straight, only to be upended in the "go-to" match. Add in D-I district qualifier Hannibal Tate, and the Punchers have a dynamic duo. Tate and Mills will hope to lead the march to "The Schott" for the Punchers. Coach: Tom Jones Top Returners: Coach Jones returns 13 of his 14 varsity wrestlers from last season. Seniors Anthony Lehnen, Dylon Smothers, and Kevin Ellison all topped 20 wins last season, and placed at the Watkins Memorial sectional tournament. Lehnen and Norvell Mattson (senior) qualified for the Darby district tournament. INSIDE THE CIRCLE - PAGE!6

7 Columbus City League m j SOUTH AFRICENTRIC NUBIANS Coach: Phil DiSabato --- The Nubians had a very young team last year - young as in zero juniors or seniors. Of the nine returning, two were able to place at the Madison Plains sectional; Gabriel Jackson (sophomore) and Dayrel Billings (junior). BRIGGS BRUINS Coach: Herman Hall --- Senior Wehseh Juty had 34 wins and a sectional runner-up finish at Marysville last season, and even won a match at the Darby district tournament. Juty is hoping to become a state qualifier for the Bruins this season. EASTMOOR WARRIORS The Warriors are looking for a wrestler to emerge as the team leader after graduating Jamal Islam, their leading point scorer at the City League Tournament. INDEPENDENCE 76ers Top Returners: Junior Isaac Keeno placed 6th at the D-II Licking Heights sectional last season, as did fellow junior Darius Carraway. Expect both to lead the way for the 76ers this season. MARION FRANKLIN RED DEVILS Coach: Quinton Ryman Top Returners: A trio of talent returns for the Red Devils; seniors Charles Parkham and Deante Gray, along with junior Jhulyis Monroe.. Both seniors surpassed 30 wins en route to winning at least one match at the Claymont district tournament. Monroe was the Big Walnut sectional champion last season. SOUTH BULLDOGS Coach: Felix Catheline Top Dogs: Stephen Richburg is back for his senior season, after qualifying for the Claymont district tournament and winning 27 matches, one of which was at Claymont. Fellow seniors Paul Pugh and sectional place winner Marcus Solomon will also be leading the Bulldogs. WALNUT RIDGE SCOTS Coach: Charles Stewart Top Returners: The Scots return district alternate Pedro Flores (sophomore) from last year. Junior Breha Moore is back after finishing the regular season at.700, but two quick losses cut his season short. WEST COWBOYS Coach: Scott Nicola --- Coach Nicola sees his Cowboys returning nice talent, particularly in the upper weights. Seniors David Stockton and Bryan Gray qualified at 195 and 285 respectively. Lower weight Marcos Gasca also returns. All three are seniors this year. District alternate Paco Quinonez is also back. Coach Nicola thinks lower weights Aden Abdi and Zach Davis could have breakout seasons. INSIDE THE CIRCLE - PAGE!7

8 Mid-State League BUCKEYE DIVISION Coach: Brian Brison (years at school; 8th) AMANDA CLEARCREEK ACES As the old saying goes,"winning cures everything." And for the Aces, that may be the case. Coach Brison has experienced many highs in his 7 seasons as head coach, but the one that was the elixir for the Aces was the 2008 sectional title. "I feel that was a turning point for our program," Brison said. That title set in motion the winning of last season's sectional tournament as well as a program first: an MSL-Buckeye championship. Top Flight: The Aces qualified 10 wrestlers for last year's district tournament at Heath; 6 of whom return. State qualifiers Billy Shannon (junior) and Jared Dilley (senior) were both able to muster a win at the Schott. Junior Caleb Horn and senior JJ Tipton return as district place winners, taking 6th and 5th respectively. Juniors Nick Hoffman and Devan Boyer, both district qualifiers last year, look to add additional depth to this year's stellar squad of Aces. 12/01 - DeSales Classic 12/12 - Jonathan Alder 12/22 - New Albany Inv. 01/04 Logan Elm Duals 01/05 - Logan Elm Duals 01/10 - Home Tri w/bloom Carroll & Teays Valley 01/12 - Sheridan Inv. "Larry Remmert Memorial" 01/17 - Logan Elm w/ Hamilton Twp ACHS Aces Schedule 01/19 - "The Jeff Arndt AC 01/23 - State Duals (location TBD) 01/26 - Miami Trace Invitational 01/31- Canal Winchester 02/07 - Home Tri w/ Fairfield Union & Circleville 02/09 - St. Charles Inv. 02/16 - Sectional Tournament INSIDE THE CIRCLE - PAGE!8

9 Mid-State League BUCKEYE DIVISION BLOOM CARROLL BULLDOGS Coach: Allen Ankrom Lead Dogs: The Bulldogs return a trio of excellent talent. The first is sophomore Chandler Minnard. As a freshman, he won his sectional and district, and ultimately, finished 7th place in the OHSAA state tournament, racking up 47 victories along the way. Next is junior Zach Gibson, who after qualifying for the state tournament as a freshman, ended up as the state alternate last season by placing 5th at the Heath district. Rounding out the group is junior Alex Sherman, who was able to notch 20 wins and qualify for the district tournament last season.. CANAL WINCHESTER INDIANS Coach: Trent Brooks Tribal Leaders: This will mark the final year for Canal Winchester as a member of the Mid-State League. But before they head to the OCC, wrestlers like senior Max Lacey, junior Emmanuel Barnes, and sophomore Nick Hammond look to leave their mark. Lacey was the only wrestler of the three to qualify for the district meet last year. However, both Barnes and Hammond were able to put up exceptional records last year, winning 25 and 35 respectively. CIRCLEVILLE TIGERS Coach: Tim Geiger Top Returners: Coach Geiger returns five of his seven district qualifiers. Tops in the group is Tyler Knul (junior), who won the district tournament at Goshen on his way to placing 7th in the state at 126 pounds. Knul will be accompanied by returning district qualifiers Daryn Meadows (senior), Tommy Holloway (senior) and John Davis (junior). FAIRFIELD UNION FALCONS Coach: Mike Miller Top Returners: The Falcons were able to qualify three to the district tournament at Goshen last season. Only two are back though. The first is Isaiah Collier, who returns for his junior campaign, hoping to best 27 wins he accomplished last season. The other is senior and state qualifier Stewart Oehlers at 126 pounds. INSIDE THE CIRCLE - PAGE!9

10 Mid-State League BUCKEYE DIVISION (con't) HAMILTON TOWNSHIP RANGERS Coach: Joe Kikume (years with program: 1st) Top Returners: Hamilton Township welcomes new head coach Joe Kikume with four returning district qualifiers, and one state qualifier. Junior Mickey Crum was one win away from placing at the OHSAA state tournament last season. Teammate and fellow junior Alonzo Jewell was 2-2 at the district tournament falling a win shy of placement there. Senior Trace Koehl and juniors Dylan Napier and Alex Perez round out the remaining district qualifiers. LOGAN ELM BRAVES Coach: Tracy Barnes Top Returners: Logan Elm returns a pair of sophomores in Dominic Vagnier, a district qualifier who racked up 21 wins, and DJ White. Both wrestlers were able to get at least one win while competing at the Goshen district tournament. TEAYS VALLEY VIKINGS Coach: Todd Nace Top Returners: Todd Nace & Co. are in a unique position as all five of their returning district qualifiers are underclassmen. Junior Luke Nace was a state alternate at 106 pounds, placing 5th at the Hilliard Darby district tournament. Fellow junior CJ Kinzer also placed there, earning 6th place at 220. Kyle Dooley (sophomore) and Austin King (junior) were both able to garner wins at Darby, while Lucas Maynard (sophomore) bowed out with two quick losses. 12/01 - Olentangy Liberty Duals 12/08 - Marysville Duals 12/15 - Pickerington Invite 12/28, 29 - Brecksville Invitational 01/10 - MSL Amanda Clearcreek w/bc 01/12 - Hilliard Bradley Invitational 01/17 - MSL dual at Fairfield Union TVHS Vikings Schedule 01/19 - Teays Valley Duals 01/23 - State Duals (location TBD) 01/26 - The Cruiser Invitational (Groveport) 01/31 - MSL Tri 02/02 - Watkins Memorial Invite 02/07 - Home MSL Tri w/ CW & HT * all dates are subject to change INSIDE THE CIRCLE - PAGE!10

11 Mid-State League WEST JEFFERSON ROUGHRIDERS Coach: Nick Christopher (years at school; 2nd) CARDINAL DIVISION This year's installment of the Roughriders is similar to teams in the past. And that is exactly what Coach Nick Christopher likes about the team! "What I like about them, is that they are a hard working group and fun to be around," Coach Christopher said. And a hard-nosed and hard working bunch is what is needed to navigate through the season's schedule. "Our schedule is pretty solid," Coach Christopher explained, "with the addition of North Canton Hoover and Mechanicsburg to go along with Sally George, West Jefferson Invite, the Jonathan Alder tournament and London." These tournaments will test the entire Roughrider team, even the more seasoned wrestlers like Gennar Feucht (state placer), Corey Ginn (state qualifier), Hayden Fulton (state qualifier), Ricky Ratcliff (state placer), Carter Harris (district placer), Handley Sayer (district qualifier), and Cody Dingess (district qualifier). That is half a line up with serious experience, only to gain more as the season unfolds. Add to this group a host of wrestlers who have worked hard all summer long and it is a recipe for success WJHS Roughriders Schedule Returning state placer Ricky Ratcliff (top) in action last season. 12/05 - Dual v. Franklin Heights 12/08 - London Duals 12/14, 15 - North Canton Hoover 12/19 - Licking Valley 12/27, 28 - West Jefferson Invitational 01/05 - Mechanicsburg Duals 01/09 - Triangular (Home) 01/19 - Jonathan Alder Invite 01/23 - State Duals (location TBD) 01/25, 26 - Sally George (@ Pleasant) 02/02 - MSL Tournament 02/15, 16 - Sectional Tournament INSIDE THE CIRCLE - PAGE!11

12 Mid-State League LIBERTY UNION LIONS Coach: Brett Bressler CARDINAL DIVISION GRANDVIEW HEIGHTS BOBCATS Coach: Chad Davis For the Bobcats, there is only one way to go from last year, and that is up. Coach Davis had three wrestlers at last year's sectional tournament. The good part is all three return. Look for juniors Sam Callison and AJ Pinyerd, along with sophomore Ben Jump, to be the nucleus which starts the next wave of great wrestlers for the Grandview Heights Bobcats. In a league with few teams - few teams which have trouble filling 14 weight classes - the phrase "strength in numbers" holds true. Of the 13 Lions who entered last year's Cardington sectional, 12 return. Numbers and experience could prove to be a excellent combination. Leading the pride will be senior and district alternate Aaron Goodman. Following his lead will be a trio of sophomores in Luke Bressler, district qualifiers Eric Owens and Tyler Makuch. LICKING HEIGHTS HORNETS Coach: Bo Ramsey The Hornets return a trifecta of talent in sophomore Ty Yeager (sectional champion), senior Michael Zaky (district qualifier), and junior AJ Velasquez (district alternate). Zaky was able to win a match at the Claymont district tournament last season before losing a second match. INSIDE THE CIRCLE - PAGE!12

13 Head coach Steve Pennington has entered each of the past three seasons extremely optimistic about his squad's chances of being atop the Mid-State League Ohio division when the dust settled. And each of those season's has ended with unreached team goals. OHIO DIVISION Usually standing in the way is the juggernaut of Licking Valley. And this year will be no different. But that does not change the fact that once again, CoachPennington has high hopes for the Whitehall Yearling Rams. The installment boasts not one; not two; but three returning state qualifiers; juniors Noah Jay and Ashden Gibson, along with senior Alex Farrow. But that is not all. Mid-State League Additionally, the Rams also have three returning district qualifiers in seniors Ifa Abduljelil, Noah Whitehall Yearling RAMS 12/08 - Dan Gartner Duals (H) Jonathan Alder 12/20 - Marysville (w/d. Coffman) 12/27, 28 - Ready Winter Classic 01/4, 5 Logan Elm Invitational Young, and Bryce Hortz. As an added benefit, the Rams return an additional senior in Josh Delgadillo, who returns after missing the remainder of the post-season process, beginning with the sectional tournament. All are talented wrestlers and should be able to contribute to the team in both dual meets as well as tournaments. It goes without saying that veterans like these justify Coach Pennington's optimistic tone. But when you factor in a Junior High state qualifiers of Ana Abduljelil, a new level of hope arises for the season. In order for the Rams to overcome the reigning MSL-Ohio champion Licking Valley Panthers, it will take a concerted effort by the entire flock of Rams WYHS Rams Schedule 01/11, 12 Licking Heights Invitational 01/19 - Teays Valley (w/tri Valley) 01/23 - State Duals (location TBD) 01/26 The Cruiser Invitational (Groveport) 02/09 - MSL-Ohio Tournament * All dates are subject to change INSIDE THE CIRCLE - PAGE!13

14 Mid-State League BEXLEY LIONS Coach: Ed Cruz OHIO DIVISION Junior Sam Shorr is back after racking up 19 wins last season. Shorr was able to qualify for the Claymont District tournament after finishing 3rd at the Licking Heights sectional. Junior Daniel Lee was the district alternate last year and will look to add leadership to a team that graduated 8 seniors. COLUMBUS ACADEMY VIKINGS Coach: Paul Bukky Tim Leathery (sophomore) had an excellent freshman season, compiling 24 wins, and qualifying for the district tournament at Heath. Teammate and fellow sophomore Dan Jones also qualified for the Heath district tournament, and finished the season with 29 wins. These two Vikings are looking to lead their team on a quest for the best. GRANVILLE BLUE ACES Coach: Marvin Bright The Blue Aces are set up nicely for this season as they return 5 district qualifiers, four of whom had more than 25 wins apiece. The one wrestler of the group who did not have 25 wins "only" qualified for the state tournament. Returning state qualifier Dain Steffeny is a junior and will have his sights set on the podium this year. Teammates, and returning district qualifiers, Alex Marcum and Caleb Sims (both seniors), along with junior William Navin and sophomore Christian Price will look to take the Blue Aces to new heights. HEATH BULLDOGS Coach: Roger Morgan Top Dogs: Every single Bulldog wrestler who participated in the Madison Plains sectional will return for Coach Morgan. Leading the pack will be seniors Seth Newell and Gunner Loughmen. Both were able to qualify for the Heath district as well as win a match. INSIDE THE CIRCLE - PAGE!14

15 Mid-State League LAKEWOOD LANCERS Coach: Rob Englert Coach: Jason Boucher NEWARK CATHOLIC GREEN WAVE OHIO DIVISION (cont'd) The dynamic duo of seniors John Gershom and Jr. King has to have Coach Englert smiling. Both were district place winners, with Gershom qualifying for the state tournament after earning runner-up at Claymont, and King finishing as the state alternate at 5th. Gershom racked up 47 wins last season, with one of those coming at the Schott. LICKING VALLEY PANTHERS Coach: Jeremy Tate For the last four years the MSL-Ohio has been won by Licking Valley. Coach Tate would like to keep that streak alive. Returning for the Panthers will be the quartet of seniors in Steven Nethers, Caleb Nethers, Tommy Wogan and state qualifier Nate McCown. Junior and district place winner Blake Owens (6th) also returns, as does junior Logan Johnson. The Green Wave have gone about their business in workman-like fashion, placing 5th at the Heath district, in which they qualified four for the state tournament. Three of those four return; they are juniors Caleb Ohl, Evan Hansel, and senior DJ DeVito. Not to mention sophomore Jake Smith, who was a match away from placing at Heath. INSIDE THE CIRCLE - PAGE!15

16 Ohio Capital Conference CAPITAL MOUNT VERNON YELLOW JACKETS Coach: John Brown (year at school: 18th) MVHS Yellow Jackets Schedule 12/01: The Wazie Classic 12/15 & 16: Cincinnati Harrison HS 12/20: OCC Dual v. Olentangy Orange 12/28 & 29: Brecksville Holiday Tournament 01/05: Troy Invitational Tournament 01/10: OCC Franklin Heights HS 01/17: OCC Delaware HS 01/18 & 19: Maumee Bay Clay HS 01/23: State Duals (location TBD) 01/31: OCC Dual v. Olentangy 02/02: All-North D. Jerome HS 02/07: OCC Big Walnut HS Mount Vernon senior and returning state placer Dakota Riley (top) attempts to hold down Taleb Rahmani (Marysville) in the district tournament finals last season. As the curtain was drawn on the Mount Vernon Yellow Jackets last season, the stage was set for another year of success. Coach John Brown has had a multitude of talented wrestlers come though his program through the years. But as talented as they are and have been, none have brought home the coveted individual state championship. In the entire history of Mount Vernon's tradition, no Yellow Jacket wrestler has done so. This season, that could change. Dakota Riley, coming off last season's 3rd place finish at 106 pounds, has his sights set on being the first Mount Vernon wrestler to win it all. To be sure, he will have some stiff competition along the way, be it local or statewide. Teammates, and returning state qualifiers, sophomore Lucas Staten and junior Matt Lybarger are looking to qualify again, but this time just being there will not satisfy. Upper-weight Kyle Daniels will look to improve on his 2012 district tournament, as he bowed out after back-to-back losses, finishing the season with a mark. As a team, Mount Vernon was able to place 14th in the 2012 district tournament. INSIDE THE CIRCLE - PAGE!16

17 Ohio Capital Conference CAPITAL BIG WALNUT EAGLES Coach: Luke Moore The Big Walnut Eagles return just one of their four district qualifiers from last year. Sophomore Donny Didion won 29 matches last season, but bowed out of the Claymont district tournament with two early losses. If the Eagles can return junior Alec Eisnnicher, who defaulted out of last year's sectional tournament after reaching the semifinals, that would be an added bonus. 12/08: Big Walnut Duals 12/13: Olentangy 12/15: Wolfpack Classic (W. Kilbourne) 12/19: Triangular w/desales & West Jeff 12/28, Marion Harding 01/10: OCC 2x4 w/new Albany & Hayes BWHS Eagles Schedule 01/17: OCC 2x4 w/f. Heights & Watkins Mem. 01/23: State Duals (location TBD) 01/31: OCC Olentangy Orange 02/02: Watkins Memorial Invitational 02/07: OCC Dual v. Mt. Vernon *All dates are subject to change DELAWARE HAYES PACERS Coach: Josh Heffernan After investing many years in an area youth program, as well as setting in place a strong emphasis for junior high competition, Coach Heffernan and the Pacer program are beginning to see a payoff. The Pacers will welcome back four district qualifiers in juniors Nick Beyer, Andrew Sierawski and Shawn Johnson, along with sophomore Cody Wooten. This is a strong core of wrestlers who will be around for at least two more years. Be sure to check out for all your Pacer wrestling needs! FRANKLIN HEIGHTS FALCONS Coach: Joe Dimel The top returners for the Falcons are seniors Brad Kakos and Keith Canterbury. Kakos returns after compiling 40 wins and earning the state alternate spot at 120 pounds last season. Canterbury was a district qualifier as well, and will be looking to top his 17 wins from last season. INSIDE THE CIRCLE - PAGE!17

18 Ohio Capital Conference NEW ALBANY EAGLES Coach: Marc Cofer The Eagles lost a large contingent of wrestlers to graduation, but still have some good returners for this year's squad. The top returner will be Nic Fluty, a senior who racked up 38 wins, a 3rd place finish at the Westland sectional, and even won a match at the Darby district tournament. Joining Fluty will be fellow seniors Corey Mulvey and Gabe Sheets. CAPITAL (cont'd) OLENTANGY ORANGE PIONEERS Coach: Brian Nicola The Pioneers have a good thing going for the season. The return of 2x state place winner Artem Timchenko (senior) is one of those good things. Also, state alternate Michael Hines (junior) will be wearing the blue and orange singlet after transferring in from Westerville Central. District qualifiers Ben Heilman (senior) and Lenn's Kamba (junior) are added to the list of good things. Keep an eye out for this list of seniors: Dane Rini, Waylen Simpson, Evan Saloom, Ben Dodson and Hayden Fath as they look to add to the Pioneers point totals in dual meets and tournaments. With depth like that, the talented Alec Farmer (junior) will have to fight to earn his starting spot! OLENTANGY BRAVES Coach: Dennis Lybarger The Olentangy Braves had an excellent post-season run last year, qualifying 13 weight classes for the Darby district tournament. Unfortunately, only four of those return. The plus side is that those four are quite competitive. Former state alternate Andrew Torti returns for his senior year, as does fellow senior Brandon Sheppard. Both fell one win shy of placing at the Darby district. Junior Adam Henderson returns after racking up 22 varsity wins as a sophomore. Add in junior Cody Pollitt and returning state alternate Nate Hall (sophomore), and a solid line-up begins to take shape. WATKINS MEMORIAL WARRIORS Coach: Mark Kurth Watkins Memorial is in its last year as a member of the Ohio Capital Conference. Before they move on to the Licking County League, teammates like seniors Nick Lancia and Noah Holter, along with standout sophomore Andrew Lieb look to leave their mark. Last year at the Darby district, all three wrestlers went 2 and 2, ending up a match from placing. Coach Kurth and Company are looking to make the breakthrough to the state tournament. Add to this trio the return of Dylan Scott and a the Warriors are beginning to assemble a solid line-up. INSIDE THE CIRCLE - PAGE!18

19 Ohio Capital Conference CARDINAL Motivational posters have a way of communicating inspiring ideas with only a few words. For the Westerville North Warriors, the quote is: "Put all of your excuses aside and remember this: You are capable." - Zig Ziglar. Nine years ago, when head coach David Grant took over the wrestling program, those words donned the first poster he put up. From that point on every student-athlete who stepped in the room knew there was no room for excuse making, be it on the mat or in life. And while in the wrestling room, Coach Grant made sure that his wrestlers knew that they were capable of reaching the top. And it's still the same today. Over the past decade, the Warriors have produced 4 individual state championships; a total Coach Grant would like to add to. This year's installment of the team is led by junior Santino DiSabato, who won 30+ WESTERVILLE NORTH WARRIORS matches last season before being upended in the Darby district tournament. Fellow junior Nick Duriex returns after being both the district alternate, and, through a circumstance of events that got him into the tournament, the state alternate. Additionally, the Warriors return four other district qualifiers: seniors Connor Kline and Jeremiah Ferguson, sophomores Jacob Herrera and Kevin Diaz. Coach Grant also points out that "senior leadership provided by Shane Coulter and Nick Perrotti should helps us as well." Coach Grant expects freshmen, like Mike Kline, to rotate into the varsity line-up during various events -----of the season. Currently, it is uncertain what weight classes they will compete in but Coach Grant says,"they are talented though." In order to win the OCC Cardinal, key victories will be against Hilliards Bradley and Darby WNHS Warriors Schedule INSIDE THE CIRCLE - PAGE!19

20 Ohio Capital Conference CARDINAL DUBLIN JEROME CELTICS Coach: Adam Huddle Top Returners: Leading the charge for the Celtics (KEL/tix) will be returning state qualifier, senior Brett Mowery. After finishing 3rd at the Darby district tournament, Mowery fell one match from All-State honors, but not before racking up his 40th win of the season. Assisting Mowery will be fellow seniors John Comfort and Andrew Pearson. Both were able to garner 20+ victories throughout last year. One last bright spot for the Celtics is district qualifier, Josh Transue (junior). And I would be remiss if I left out that the Celtics mascot was an excellent show of spirit and welcomed attendee at last year's district tournament. DUBLIN SCIOTO IRISH Coach: Aaron McKenzie Top Returners: Senior Yoshi Akutsu returns for the season as a state alternate. Fellow senior Brian Arumugam will look to add leadership for the young Irish. HILLIARD BRADLEY JAGUARS Coach: John Riggs Top Returners: Sophomore Keegan Driscoll had a fantastic freshman campaign in which he tallied 33 wins, and placed 6th at the Darby district in the 126 pound weight class. Junior Rob McGrath was able to notch two victories at Darby, falling one win shy of placing. Senior Sam Riggs and junior Jake Stratton - both district qualifiers - also return. HILLIARD DARBY PANTHERS Coach: Brendan Moody The Panthers return a superb group of wrestlers from last year. Seniors Sam Valenti, Jake Donatelli, and Matt Walker, all finished last year with 30+ wins. Valenti and Walker qualified for the state tournament, and Donatelli was the state alternate. Junior Sean Black was a win shy from placing at the Darby district tournament. All four wrestlers look to lead Darby to an OCC title, as well as extend their seasons until March. INSIDE THE CIRCLE - PAGE!20

21 WESTERVILLE CENTRAL WARHAWKS Coach: Bob Fresch Top Returners: Seniors Marc Navejar and Alex Krasovec had a certain level of success last year, with the latter placing 5th at the Watkins sectional. Emerging for the Warhawks as well is junior Adam Lowe; a district qualifier last year, finishing just shy of 20 wins. Jared Drake (junior) transferred in from Upper Arlington. He was 2-2 at the Darby district last year, finishing the year with 27 wins. Coach: Brett Shaut Coach: Kerry Burton WESTERVILLE SOUTH WILDCATS Ohio Capital Conference CARDINAL (cont'd) Top Returners: The Wildcats return a quartet from last year's squad; juniors Caleb Llaneza, Hunter Dietz, Evan Trainer, and Mike Thesing. The latter three were all able to place at the Watkins sectional with Trainer qualifying for the Darby district tournament. WORTHINGTON KILBOURNE WOLVES Top Returners: The Wolves return six of their nine district qualifiers from last year. Seniors Kyle Wahl, James Gundling, and Jude McCullough look to improve on last year's performances at Darby. All three won a match, but bowed out before placing. Juniors Austin Oberly, and Alex Meehan also return, who, combined, averaged 23 wins last year WKHS Wolves Schedule 12/01: Upper Arlington Tournament 12/08: Xenia Tournament 12/15: Kilbourne Wolfpack Classic 12/19: v. Beechcroft 12/20: v. Westerville South 12/28 & 29: Lorain Tournament 01/03: v. Thomas Worthington 01/17: OCC Darby 01/19: Jonathon Alder Tournament 01/23: State Duals (location TBD) 01/24: OCC Westerville Central 01/26: The Cruiser Invitational 01/31: Dual Westerville Central 02/07: Dual Dublin Jerome INSIDE THE CIRCLE - PAGE!21

22 Ohio Capital Conference CENTRAL MARYSVILLE MONARCHS Taleb Rahmani For the second time in just a few short years, the Monarchs return not one, not two, but three state place winners. In 2010, the Monarchs returned McCombs, Marsh, and Weeks. This year, they return Taleb Rahmani (4th), Noah Forrider (4th), and Chase Boyd (8th). And quite honestly, that is just the start of the Monarchs' talent and depth. Aside from those three state place winners, the Monarchs return three other state qualifiers. A pair of juniors in David Sparks and Austin Pfarr are hoping to do more than qualify for "The Big Show" as well as 2011 district champion Morgan Miller. (Miller missed the entire season with an injury sustained in football.) Altogether, that is nearly half a line-up with state tournament experience. The Monarchs also have four returning district qualifiers in sophomore Alex Sepeda, as well as the three seniors in Austin Garza, Cody Barney, and Alex Roberts. While the first three on the list bowed out of the district tournament without a win, Roberts came one win away from placing. Chase Boyd Noah Forrider MHS Monarchs Schedule h 12/01 - Moeller Duals 12/08 - Marysville Duals Clyde 12/20 - OCC Dual/2x4 v. Coffman (Whitehall & South) 12/28, 29 - Brecksville 01/05-2x4 w/oregon Clay, Mt. Vernon & Loveland 01/11 - OCC Upper Arlington 01/17 - OCC Central Crossing 01/18, 19 - Alliance Top Gun 01/23 - State Duals (location TBD) 01/31 - OCC v. Davidson 02/02 St. Eds Quad w/blair & Steubenville 02/07 - Liberty 02/16 - Sectionals INSIDE THE CIRCLE - PAGE!22

23 Ohio Capital Conference CENTRAL CENTRAL CROSSING COMETS Coach: Jamie Ramirez Top Returner: The Comets return junior Josh Wimer. Last season, Wimer was the Westland sectional champion, finished 3rd at the Darby district tournament, and followed that up with a 5th place finish at the Schott, compiling 40+ wins along the way. DUBLIN COFFMAN SHAMROCKS Coach: Chance VanGundy Top Returner: After graduating five stellar seniors, senior Markell Wooden is the lone district qualifier for the Rocks. Wooden was actually the state alternate at the 152 pound weight class last year, after falling to former state champion Delande (HDav) and Zoller (HB), both by a point. HILLIARD DAVIDSON WILDCATS Coach: Dominic DiSabato Top Returners: As usual, Coach DiSabato returns a good group of wrestlers. This year, state qualifier Lee Wilson is back, looking to build on his 35 wins form last season. Fellow senior Nick Lawler also returns after falling a win shy of placing at the Darby district tournament. Junior, and returning district qualifier, Trent Gill is working for more success this year. Two other wrestlers who look to make immediate impacts for the Wildcats are Bobby Smith (5th in the state in 2011; state qualifier in 2012 for Ready) and Travis Gusan (2nd in the state last year for Walnut Ridge). Hilliard Davidson will travel to Marysville on January 31st, That dual meet could very well decide the champion of the OCC Central division. INSIDE THE CIRCLE - PAGE!23

24 Ohio Capital Conference CENTRAL (cont'd) OLENTANGY LIBERTY PATRIOTS Coach: Mark Marinelli Top Returners: The Patriots laid claim to the lone state champion of 2012 in Roy Daniels. Unfortunately for them, he graduated. However, the Patriots will march on with returning state place winner Jake Ryan (senior) and state qualifier Giuseppe Penzone (junior). District qualifier Nick Thrasher (junior) also returns, as does the scrappy sophomore, John Furnas. THOMAS WORTHINGTON CARDINALS Coach: Mark Gundling Top Returners: For the Cardinals, they return five district qualifiers. The three seniors are Kasey Ackley, Andrew Shackelford, and Brooks Gilmore. Of those three, Shackelford had the best showing at the Darby district by placing 5th, earning the state alternate spot. Juniors Will Coleman and Noah Messerall also return. The former won a match at the Darby district last year, while the latter was able to notch 23 victories. UPPER ARLINGTON GOLDEN BEARS Coach: Matt Stout Top Returners: The Golden Bears return all but one of their nine district qualifiers from last year. Seniors Emelio DiBenedetto, Danny Watson, and Cameron Gardner all saw action at Darby last year, with DiBenedetto having the most success, placing 6th. Junior Blake Reid returns along with sophomores Thomas Cooper and Keith Neely, who were both able to win a match at Darby, as well as tally over 20 wins for the season. This line-up is starting to take shape, putting the Golden Bears on the map in the OCC Central. WESTLAND COUGARS Coach: Bret Busby Top Returners: Senior Tommy Delgado hopes to be the leader for a young Cougar team. Junior Dorrian Newton will also help to lead the team. Newton finished 2nd at the Westland sectional last year, but was unable to compete in the Darby district tournament due to injury. INSIDE THE CIRCLE - PAGE!24

25 OHIO CAPITAL CONFERENCE Pickerington Central Tigers OHIO Head coach Jason Allen embarks on his 4th season with the Pickerington Central Tigers. Last season's team came very close to winning the league, and placed 3rd at the Pickerington Central sectional tournament while qualifying 11 of its 14 starters for the Darby district tournament. Unfortunately for the Tigers, they only return six of them. As a matter of fact, the five who graduated filled the last five weight classes pounds to heavyweight. But if past outcomes are an indicator of future results, then the Tigers should be just fine. Before heading up the Tigers, Coach Allen built a powerhouse just up the road at Reynoldsburg High School. His run of three consecutive district tournament championships is a rarity around these parts. In an ironic twist, the last team to win back-to-back-to-back Central District championships was... the Pickerington Tigers! ( ) How long before Coach Allen has the Tigers on top of the leader's board at Darby? Only time will tell. But it appears with this current group, the pieces are being assembled. Returning state qualifier Ason Sunkle (senior) will look to lead the way. After a late season drop to 145 pounds, Sunkle placed 4th at the Darby district tournament to qualify him for the state tournament. Unfortunately for Sunkle, he was unable to compete in the tournament because of an skin issue. Joining Sunkle as a leader will be fellow senior AJ Bondurant, who was able to win 25 matches last season; one of them at the district tournament before losing two straight. James Peasron, also a senior and returning district qualifier, will help shoulder the load of leadership. Looking to assist the seniors will be a trio of juniors: Tyler Hogue, Aaron Yarger, and Jordan Piecynski, All three are returning district qualifiers, with Hogue finishing a win shy of placement, and Yarger finishing 6th. Another contributor for the Tigers is sophomore Ryan McEllwee. Although he did miss qualifying for the district tournament, he was able to rack up 23 wins PHSC Tigers Schedule Ason Sunkle has high hopes for this season, after qualifying for the state tournament last year at 145 pounds. INSIDE THE CIRCLE - PAGE!25

26 OHIO CAPITAL CONFERENCE GAHANNA LINCOLN LIONS Coach: Kyle Bentley OHIO Top Returners: Twin brothers Drew and Kasee McDougle are two stars for Gahanna. Drew is a 2x state qualifier, once in 2010 and, after winning the district tournament, in Kasee was able to qualify last year, after placing 4th at the Darby district tournament. It would be a great feeling for the whole lot of McDougle's and Lions alike if both could qualify again for the state tournament in this final year of high school competition. Another bright spot for Coach Bentley is senior Collin Blaney, who placed 6th at the Pickerington Central sectional last year. GROVE CITY GREYHOUNDS Coach: Jay Dimasso Top Returners: The Greyhounds graduated three of their five district qualifiers from last season. The remaining two are senior Zane Chappelear, who amassed over 30 wins last season, and junior heavyweight Chandler Evanichko, who was able to win one match before being put out of the Darby district tournament GCHS Greyhounds Schedule 12/08 Westland "Joe Stora Duals" 12/15 Pickerington North "Panther Invitational" 12/20 - OCC Pickerington North 01/10 - OCC 2x4 v. Newark & Lancaster 01/12 Hilliard Bradley "Porter Memorial" 01/17 - OCC Pickerington Central GROVEPORT MADISON CRUISERS Coach: Mark Niemann 01/18, Oregon Clay "Maumee Bay Invitational" 01/23 - State Duals (location TBD) 01/31 - OCC Pickerington Central 02/02 Dublin Jerome HS 02/07 - OCC Dual v. Gahanna Home meets are in bold Top Returner: The positive for Coach Niemann and the Cruisers is that they return 100% of their district qualifiers. The negative is that there was only one. Sophomore Shakur Laney racked up 25 wins last season and, after an excellent summer of wrestling, hopes to add to that total. INSIDE THE CIRCLE - PAGE!26

27 OHIO CAPITAL CONFERENCE OHIO (cont'd) LANCASTER GOLDEN GALES Coach: Jon Spires The returning OCC - Ohio champions have an excellent core in their effort to repeat. The Gales have two returning state qualifiers in seniors Ethan Bond and RJ Funk. Both had excellent junior seasons, amassing a combined 70 wins. Add to the seniors the pair of underclassmen of junior Scott Deluse, who was one win shy of placing at the Darby district tournament, and sophomore - and returning state alternate - Tanner Miller, and the possibility of 4 state qualifiers is within reach. NEWARK WILDCATS Coach: Jose Martinez Top Returner: Dan Pastorious (junior) returns for the Wildcats after putting up 29 wins as a sophomore. Pastorious was able to qualify for the district tournament by placing 4th at the Pickerington Central sectional. PICKERINGTON NORTH PANTHERS Coach: Brad Harris Top Returners: The Panthers return seniors Payton Gutierrez and Josh Snyder. The former placed 6th in the state at 106 pounds last year, while the latter was able to qualify for, and win a match at, the district tournament. Sophomore twin brothers Nick and Cody Notestine return after successful freshmen seasons. The twins averaged 20 wins between themselves, and both qualified for the Darby district tournament. REYNOLDSBURG RAIDERS Coach: Jared Ball Top Returners: Senior Jordan Reed is a 2x district qualifier. Last season, he had 23 wins, but bowed out of the district tournament after only one victory. Two additional Raiders to keep an eye on will be senior Nick Johnston and junior James Love. Both had over 20 victories last season, and placed 5th at the Watkins Memorial sectional. INSIDE THE CIRCLE - PAGE!27

28 Returning State Place Winners and Qualifiers Division Three Seniors DJ Devito (Newark Catholic), 113 Adam Reed (Cardington Lincoln), 120 Gennar Feucht (West Jefferson), 126 Jared Dilley (Amanda Clearcreek), 132 Thomas Williams (Johnstown Northridge), 138 Colin Visconti (Northmor), 152 Tyler Beck (Northmor), 195 Corey Ginn (West Jefferson), 220 Anthoney Verhovec (Johnstown Northridge), 285 Juniors Caleb Ohl (Newark Catholic), 106 Billy Shannon (Amanda Clearcreek), 113 Dalton Scott (Bishop Ready), 120 Grant Rathburn (Bishop Hartley), 126 Hayden Fulton (West Jefferson), 132 Evan Hansel (Newark Catholic), 138 Ricky Ratcliff (West Jefferson), 145 Sophomores Patrik Garren (Bishop Ready), 285 Jake Adkins (Northridge), Chandler Minnard (Bloom Carroll), 113 INSIDE THE CIRCLE - PAGE!28

29 Returning State Place Winners and Qualifiers Division Two Seniors Stewart Oehlers (Fairfield Union), Sr., 126 John Gershom (Lakewood), Sr., 138 Nate McCown (Licking Valley), Sr., 195 Alex Farrow (Whitehall Yearling), Sr., 220 Dustin Kuhlwein (Jonathan Alder), Sr., 285 Juniors Noah Jay (Whitehall Yearling), Jr., 106 Dashawn Haynes (Buckeye Valley), Jr., 126 Tyler Knul (Circleville), Jr., 126 Ashden Gibson (Whitehall Yearling), Jr., 132 Mickey Crum (Hamilton Township), Jr., 195 INSIDE THE CIRCLE - PAGE!29

30 Returning State Place Winners and Qualifiers Division One Seniors Dakota Riley (Mt. Vernon); 106 Payton Gutierrez (Pickerington North); 106 Sam Valenti (Hilliard Darby); 113 Bobby Smith (Hilliard Davidson); 126 (Division III) Lee Wilson (Hilliard Davidson); 126 Drew McDougle (Gahanna Lincoln); 132 Noah Forrider (Marysville); 138 Jake Ryan (Olentangy Liberty); 138 Anthony Alexander (Northland); 138 Kasee McDougle (Gahanna Lincoln); 138 Chase Boyd (Marysville); 145 Ason Sunkle (Pickerington Central); Skin 145 Ethan Bond (Lancaster); 160 Matt Walker (Hilliard Darby); 160 RJ Funk (Lancaster); 170 Travis Gusan (Hilliard Davidson); 285 (Division II) Juniors Josh Wimer (Central Crossing); 106 David Sparks (Marysville); 113 Giuseppe Penzone (Olentangy Liberty); 120 Matt Lybarger (Mt. Vernon); 182 Sophomores Taleb Rahmani (Marysville); 106 Tim Rooney (St. Charles); 120 Lucas Staten (Mt. Vernon); 152 Austin Pfarr (Marysville); 182 Former Artem Timchenko (Olentangy Orange); th, th Morgan Miller (Marysville); 2011, 189 INSIDE THE CIRCLE - PAGE!30

31 MID-OHIO ATHLETIC CONFERENCE BLUE Cardington Lincoln Pirates Last season, the Pirates sent long-time coach Tony Watson out on a positive note by finishing 2nd at the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference wrestling tournament. While last year's finish was a plus for the program, it sets the bar awfully high for incoming coach John Hinton. Coach Hinton comes to the Pirate program after spending time with the Northmor and Centerburg programs. Last year, he was the varsity assistant to Coach Watson. This year, Coach Hinton will take the controls, but hopes to keep the ship moving in the right direction. Coach Hinton sees two challenges in doing this. The first is replacing the senior leadership from last year. Secondly, it will be wrestling as the defending MOAC Blue division champions. "Last year, I don't think anyone expected us to win our half of the conference," Coach Hinton stated. "Coach Watson and I both thought all last year that we would win it." Hinton continued, "The kids will have to learn to wrestle with a bullseye on their back anytime we face another MOAC school." Coach Hinton will be looking for the leadership role to be filled by senior Adam Reed, along with juniors Crew Cochran and Colton Jenkins. Reed returns after qualifying for the state tournament by finishing 2nd at the Heath district tournament. While at the state tournament, Reed was able to tally another win, but fell one victory shy of placing in the top 8. Jenkins, a district qualifier last year, amassed 30+ wins last season, one of which came in the first round of the Heath district tournament. Fellow junior Cochran also returns after finishing last season with 26 wins. Coach Hinton has recognized each of the wrestlers off-season routines, and thinks that it will serve to "improve their chances at reaching the state tournament." Coach Hinton sees both Northmor and Pleasant as their toughest competition to repeat as MOAC Blue champions. 12/01 12/08 12/ CLHS Pirates Schedule INSIDE THE CIRCLE - PAGE!31

32 MID-OHIO ATHLETIC CONFERENCE BLUE MOUNT GLIEAD INDIANS Coach: Top Returners: Senior Tyler Bashaw returns after compiling nearly 20 wins last season. Bashaw was a win from placing at the Cardington sectional. Teammate Luke Hutchinson (junior) returns after earning the district alternate spot in the 126 pound weight class. MARION PLEASANT SPARTANS Coach: Doug Short Among the 300: Seniors Ty Barlow and Drake Colbree will look to lead the Spartans this season. Both suffered the same fate by falling a win shy of placing at the Heath district tournament. Fellow Spartans Taylor Young (junior) and Ethan Ice (sophomore) also return. Young finished the season with 24 wins, while Ice was able to finished 6th at the Heath district. NORTHMOR GOLDEN KNIGHTS Coach: Scott Carr Top Returners: The Golden Knights return two state qualifiers from last year's squad. Seniors Colin Visconti and Tyler Beck, both of whom were district finalists, are looking to do more than qualify at this season's state tournament. Junior Jamie Baldridge will look to join them at the Schott. Baldridge placed 6th as the Heath district tournament last season. INSIDE THE CIRCLE - PAGE!32

33 MID-OHIO ATHLETIC CONFERENCE RED RIVER VALLEY VIKINGS Welcome to the season, where it matters little who won the 2012 Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference. As the returning MOAC champions, River Valley knows resting on last year's laurels will not advance the team or individuals very far this season, and often times gives an opponent added motivation. Head coach Mark McGuire will rely on team leaders Ben Crabtree and Steven Workman, both of whom were 2-2 at last season's Claymont district tournament, to avoid any lull of intensity. Crabtree and Workman were both able to win the Licking Heights sectional. Ben Crabtree earns back points during last season's district tournament Another wrestler returning who had success throughout last season was Raymond Raimo. At the 113 pound weight class, Raimo was able to tally 32 wins on his way to becoming a district semifinalist, before falling to 6th place. Teammate and fellow district qualifier Collin Rollison returns for his junior season. Rollison racked up 25 wins last year and placed 4th in the Licking Heights sectional. With the goal of a repeat as the MOAC champions, look for River Valley's stiffest competition to come from Highland. Steven Workman in action against his Tri-Valley opponent RVHS Vikings Schedule Olentangy Liberty Tournament Clearfork w/crestview Tri 12/12: Marion County Tri 01/23: State Duals (Location TBD) Northmor w/ashland Tri 01/29: Upper Sandusky/Kenton Tri Cardington Duals 02/02: MOAC Championships (@ Highland HS) Nelsonville York Invitational 02/09: Bender Duals 01/11, Marion County Tournament 02/15, 16: Sectional Tournament 01/18, 19: Chuck Forward Duals (@ Archbold HS) * Events in bold are home INSIDE THE CIRCLE - PAGE!33