Attack Team duo places at OYWA state tournament
Holmes Area Wrestling Club Elementary Attack Team members Rowand Mathie and Silas Baker both finished fifth at the Ohio Youth Wrestling Association State Championship Tournament at GlenOak High School on Sunday, Feb. 19.
With their accomplishments, Mathie (fifth grade, 73 pounds) and Baker (sixth, 132) became the first Attack Team wrestlers to stand on the OYWA state tournament podium since the 2017 season when current West Holmes senior Elisha Baldridge finished fourth.
“Rowand and Silas both ended their day and tournament with a W in the finals, which was great,” Attack Team coach Jarret Mathie said. “Wrestling six matches in one day is tough, and they both did so with a winning record. I could not be happier or more proud of them.”
Mathie (4-2, three falls) defeated Madden Gargano of Medina Highland Black in the fifth-place match with a pin at 1:00 to wrap up his state podium finish. Mathie won his opening-round bout with a fall win at 29 seconds over Conneaut’s Rynael Hodges, then dropped a 10-2 major decision to eventual state runner-up Henry Hodermarsky of Solon to fall into the consolation bracket.
Rebounding with a 2:46 fall win over Bowen Irwin of Malvern, Mathie then sewed up a podium spot by topping Syyion Davis of Akron Buchtel with a 9-4 decision triumph. In the consolation semifinals, Mathie came out on the losing side of a 9-2 score to Brecksville’s Kerrigan Davis, who placed fourth.
Baker (4-2, two) had to fight his way back through the consolation brackets after losing his opening-round match to Garrett Kail of New Philadelphia by fall at 2:46. Baker came back with three straight wins including a podium-clinching 3-0 decision win over Rocky Di Franco of Medina in the consolation quarterfinals.
Baker earlier dispatched Stevie Severino of Ashtabula St. John at 52 seconds and Joel Pfeiffer of Cuyahoga Falls at 1:08 to get to the placement-round match. In the consolation semifinals, Baker fell to Justin Eberhardt of Perry by fall at 1:57 but came back strong in the fifth-place match, downing Steven Kessler of Conneaut with a 4-1 decision win.
Attack Team state qualifier Logan Leyda (sixth, 110) finished 1-2 with a fall over Cameron Singleton of Scrapyard Wrestling Club at 38 seconds for his lone victory. Fellow state qualifier Finn McClintock (sixth, 150) had a tough day, posting a 0-2 record.
The Attack Team finished 31st in the 97-team field with 31 points. Louisville (183.5) won the team title over Barberton Purple (133.5).
The state tournament wrapped up a very successful season for the Attack Team, which finished 12-0 during the OYWA Mid-Ohio Division dual meet season, won its division varsity tournament, qualified 17 wrestlers from sectionals to districts while snaring the sectional team title, advanced four of the district qualifiers to the state tournament and finished the season with two state placers.
Leyda becomes third Knight to qualify for junior high state tournament
West Holmes Middle School wrestler Colton Leyda qualified for the Ohio Athletic Committee Junior High State Championships after posting a fifth-place finish at the OAC State Championships District Qualifier at New Lexington High School on Sunday, Feb. 19.
Just missing out on a state berth was eighth-grader Jordan Gerber, who will be a state alternate after finishing seventh at 154. Christopher Williams (eighth, 138) placed eighth and will be a state second alternate. For several other middle school Knights wrestlers, their seasons ended.
“I was very proud of our boys,” Knights coach Justin Wilcox said. “Keeping in mind that this is the offseason and everything at this stage is optional, we came out with aggression, intensity and focus. As a whole we definitely did our best wrestling of the year.”
Leyda (eighth, 164) received an opening-round bye, scored a 9-0 major decision win over Hoyt Gore (Unattached) and then pinned Maguire Werntz (Unattached) at 1:59 to reach the championship semifinals and sew up a top six qualifying spot. Leyda (3-2, two falls) dropped by fall at 2:53 to Nolan Dietrich (Massillon Perry) in the semifinals to drop into the consolation bracket. Leyda then fell by a 4-2 decision to Tanner Bankes (McConnelsville Morgan) in the consolation semifinals but rebounded in the fifth-place match, scoring a 3-2 decision victory over Carter Sherman (Cardington-Lincoln).
“Today was Colton Leyda’s day,” Wilcox said. “I am very proud of him as well as how much he has developed throughout the year. Last year Colton was 0-6. Now record doesn’t mean everything, but still, the amount that Colton has grown throughout the year is truly impressive. He developed his skill and has grown so much in so many ways this year. I am very proud of his day and the year he has had. Great kid, great teammate and a hard worker. I can’t ask for anything else.”
Leyda and his teammates Cohen Wilson (eighth, 176) and Maddox Graham (eighth, 209), who both qualified Feb. 5 through the Norwalk District, will next compete at the OAC Junior High State Championships March 18 and 19 at the Covelli Centre in Youngstown.
High school varsity
schedule
What: Div. II Steubenville Sectional
Where: Steubenville High School
When: Saturday at 10 a.m.
Participating teams: Beaver Local, Buckeye Local, Carrollton, Indian Creek, Morgan, River View, St. Clairsville, Steubenville, Tri-Valley and West Holmes
Competition format: double-elimination bracket (top four in each weight class advance to districts)
The 2022 results: first of 11 teams
2023 returning sectional placers/district qualifiers: Mason Taylor (first), Grant Miller (third), Elisha Baldridge (third), Grady Toye (fourth) and Cole Porter (fourth)