By AARON LABATT
FOR THE EXAMINER
COLUMBUS — Benjamin Logan’s wrestling team came out firing on all cylinders Friday at the OHSAA Division II state wrestling tournament.
The Raider trio of senior Owen Jordan and sophomores Owen Weaks and Ethan Carpenter all won their first-round matches here inside the Jerome Schottenstein Center. All three now compete in today’s championship quarterfinals. A win will advance them to the championship semifinals and guarantee a top six finish. A loss means they would need to win one more match to place in the top eight.
“They definitely showed up today,” said Ben Logan head coach Kyle Seeley. “They wrestled extremely well. I was super impressed with how they carried themselves from weigh-ins all the way to the mat. I didn’t see any nerves or anything like that. They just took care of business and it showed by going 3-0.”
Weaks got Ben Logan’s win streak going at 144 pounds with a 7-4 victory over Chardon’s Caden Foley. Weaks led 6-1 after two periods and then had to fend off Foley in the third period to hang on for the victory.
“Owen struggles to finish matches at times,” said Seeley. “I think we could have majored that kid on our feet, but we kind of put it in neutral and that is sort of Owen’s style. That is something we’ll discuss tonight and go over.
“His head-hands defense, though, in the third period was phenomenal just like we practice it.”
Weaks improves his record to 52-8 and takes on Bellevue’s Ben Jacobs (43-3) in the championship quarterfinals.
Carpenter (175) built an early lead against Miami Trace’s Ethynn Munro and also held on to secure an 11-6 victory in the opening round.
“We had wrestled this kid before earlier in the season and won,” said Seeley. “Going into this weekend we had the confidence and we knew we had the edge.
The Raider scored a takedown to end the first period ahead 3-0. Carpenter chose down in the second period, reversed Munro and then got near fall points to jump ahead 8-0. Munro took third in the third period, but Carpenter scored another takedown to build an 11-0 cushion. Munro was able to get a reversal and near fall points in the closing seconds, but Carpenter was able to avoid the pin and hang on for the win.
“For him to get that first takedown was huge,” said Seeley. “Ethan is a hammer on top. He gets better each and every week. It got a little hairy at the end, but we were well enough ahead and Ethan is comfortable in those positions.”
Carpenter has amassed a 53-7 record and faces Wauseon’s Kale Waxler (55-3) in the championship quarterfinals.
(Examiner Photo | Aaron LaBatt)
Jordan (190) had a back-and-forth battle to start his match before pulling ahead for a 15-7 win over Philo’s Gibson Swartz in the first round.
Jordan and Swartz each scored a takedown and gave up an escape to end the opening period tied at 4. The Ben Logan star took down in the second period, scored an escape and added two more takedowns, along with giving up an escape to build an 11-5 lead. Swartz took down in the third period, but Jordan managed to tilt him for near fall points and finish with a 15-7 score.
“It is hard to keep Owen Jordan down,” said Seeley. “They got in quick on us and we got an escape. Then we got to our offense. Owen was able to take care of everything from his feet and even got a turn toward the end of the match.”
In the championship quarterfinals, Jordan (44-6) will square off with Canfield’s Gabe Miller (30-2).
Wrestling action continues today for Division II at 9:30 a.m. with the championship quarterfinals. Live results can be followed at www.ohsaa.org.