'Anything can happen': MVL wrestlers are ready to chase their dreams at state tournament.
ZANESVILLE — The Muskingum Valley League will have one of its largest contingents competing at this weekend's state wrestling tournament.
There will be 13 boys representing the league in Columbus, as all three boys divisions as well as the girls start wrestling today at Ohio State's Schottenstein Center.
Action continues on Saturday, while the championship and state placement matches take place on Sunday.
John Glenn leads the way with four state qualifiers in Division II, highlighted by senior Cohen Bunting at 165 pounds He will be joined by fellow Muskies, sophomores Dominic Bates (138), Owen Edwards (144) and Kian Barton (215).
Sheridan junior Coltyn Reedy (150) and Morgan senior Logan Niceswanger (190), along with Bunting, highlight potential title contenders, while six MVL schools will be represented among the boys in Division II.
Sheridan sophomore Cash Owen (106), New Lexington sophomore Harrison Ratliff (144) and freshman Tyson Spicer (132), Morgan junior Bradley Spencer (165), Philo juniors Talan Bailey (157) and Brayden Bernard (190) and Tri-Valley sophomore Logan McClellan (190) round out the contingent.
John Glenn coach Connor McMahon said the scuttlebutt among MVL coaches is that the large number of qualifiers wasn't a surprise.
Nor has the spread of the respective wealth among teams.
"I haven’t been here that long, but (coaches) said it always seemed to be Sheridan and New Lex and maybe one other team," McMahon said. "Now we have a bunch of them here, getting multiple kids out. The competition in the league was higher and there were a lot of good matches. Iron sharpens iron and it’s an old cliché, but it’s true."
More: State wrestling brackets and more
Reedy eyeing rematch
Sheridan junior Coltyn Reedy, ranked third in Division II, suffered s 3-2 loss to Steubenville's Brody Saccoccia, the projected state champion, at last weekend's district finals. The only loss was on the scoreboard, however.
A valuable scouting report was gathered for a potential rematch, which wouldn't occur until the finals, barring an upset on either side.
"This week is when it really matters," Reedy said following the district.
Reedy (23-3), who was fourth at 138 as a sophomore, faces a first-round matchup with Reading junior Gage Murphy (44-8).
A win would get him a quarterfinal bout with either Lodi Cloverleaf's Tristan Craddock (42-4), a top seed, or Sandusky Perkins' Braxden Martin (19-3), a fourth-seeded sophomore.
Sheridan coach Caleb Bennett said Reedy has been focused on winning the title all season, even as he battled through a knee injury during the regular season. He credited the time that Reedy and his parents have dedicated to the sport, from practice to lifting to tournaments in different regions of the country, as reasons for his success.
"After his district finals match, although disappointed, when he talked to me he said, 'I don't care where I am in the bracket, I am winning it,'" Bennett said. "Even though he lost that match he proved to himself he is right there with the best kids in the state. His work this week in the practice room showed me he is ready."
Reedy's teammate, sophomore Cash Owen (34-9), gets a first-round matchup with Wauseon sophomore Connor Stuckey (43-14), who was third at the Norwalk district.
Owen, a district runner-up, faces a possible second-round matchup with St. Paris Graham standout Jake Landis, eighth at 106 last year, in the quarterfinals.
Bennett said that while it was Owen's goal at the beginning of the season to reach the state, he has flown under the radar with Reedy getting much of the attention.
"And now anything is possible," Bennett said. "I always tell kids the great thing about the state tournament is anything can happen. You can throw records and rankings out, because everyone here is good. Cash has put himself in the best place possible by getting second at districts. He is a kid who has the ability to surprise some people."
Spicer mending, Ratliff happy to be back
One participant happy for the later start to the state tournament — it used to start on Thursdays — is Spicer, who is recovering from lingering sickness floating around Perry County.
He enters as a No. 2 seed after moving into the top six in the final Borofan rankings following his loss in the district finals to Coshocton's Cannan Smith.
He now faces Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy's Dylan Hart (30-11) in the first round, with a keen eye on a potential match against top-ranked Aiden King (35-6), of Columbus Hartley, in the quarterfinals.
Smith (41-3), ranked third, is in the opposite bracket with No. 2-raned Adam Heckman, of Warren Howland (41-1).
Ratliff has a clash with Norwalk champion Benicio Torres (43-10), of Wauseon, in the first round. Torres is ranked 10th.
"Tyson is going to be Tyson," New Lex coach David Ratliff said. "He's going to go pressure a kid, try to turn him on top and be a hammer on his feet. Harrison has an uphill fight with the Wauseon kid who is a really good kid. It should be pretty interesting."
David Ratliff, who has coached a state champion and three runners-up, including two last year, said it is unwise to become enamored with seeding.
"Every match is tough," Ratliff said. "Everyone is tough. It doesn't matter if you are a No. 1 seed out of your district all the way to a four seed. You have to be ready to wrestle."
Bunting focused on offense
It's the final chance for Bunting to not only reach the podium but claim his school's first state title. He has credited his postseason surge to an aggressive, offensive approach.
"I have been trying to score a lot more lately, so it has definitely boosted my conditioning going into the third period trying to score more points," he said. "If you’re constantly on the attack, they don’t have time to breathe. Coach has helped me get ready, and drilling with the guys in the room, they keep me on my toes. I’m just ready to go out and wrestle hard and score."
Another boost for Bunting has been facing Edwards at practice. McMahon has been impressed with how both have benefitted from that mat time.
"They scrap together in the room all of the time. Cohen has been a good mentor, not necessarily in the same style of wrestling, but just getting Owen to trust in the process and be a drill partner in the room," he said. "As I see (Owen) work with Cohen throughout the year, I see him getting better. He has a really good skill set and he’s adding to it. He’s sharpening it against good kids too. That’s the thing, the harder the room is it makes you do things technically right. That is one of Owen’s best things. He’s a very technical wrestler."
Bunting agreed being pushed daily has provided him with some insight.
"(Owen and I) drill every day and we’ve really worked to get him where he is this year," he noted. "He helps me a lot. He’s always there kind of nagging me in live (drills) and stuff like that, keeping me on my toes, keeping me sharp."
Having four wrestlers at state is big for the Muskies. McMahon hopes this experience will not only aid his three sophomores, but the program as a whole.
"We’re a really young team and Cohen, I give him a lot of credit for laying out the blueprint, how a John Glenn wrestler can put in the work and go from being a good middle school wrestler to someone who is a really solid high school wrestler," McMahon said. "It was a great weekend (at districts). It was good work paying off and I am just really excited with the way they competed this weekend. Not just our placers, but everyone went out and scrapped. That is all we ask, just leave it all on the mat. They did that."
Niceswanger aware of his path
The Raider senior has been preparing for this moment. He added being under the spotlight as the quarterback has been beneficial.
"Quarterback does help a little bit with the pressure. Ever since I was little I was playing quarterback. As a kid I just loved football," he said. "The whole reason I started wrestling was because of football. Coach (Wesley) Pauley, he was like ‘you should come down and wrestle to help out with football.’ I started wrestling and they go hand in hand. I just happened to be a quarterback."
Those challenges under center have translated to the mat. Niceswanger practices regularly with Vincent Warren’s Aden Strahler, who was district runner-up at 175 and is 50-3. He hopes that work will aid him in his pursuit for the top spot.
However, a familiar in Columbus DeSales' Lincon Shulaw, the projected state champion, could stand in his way in the semifinals.
"We drill together and just try to make each other better. He’s a phenomenal wrestler. Even at 190 he was a tank, a force," he said. "Just wrestling him and scrambling, he’s really quick and wrestles guys that are quicker than me. He’s phenomenal.
"(Lincoln's) definitely on my checklist," he added. "A lot of times guys go up there and see the big show and they’re a little nervous. Sometimes kids get satisfied just making it. You can’t be satisfied. It’s one match at a time."
Experience to be had for underclassmen
It will be the first trip for several wrestlers, including McClellan. The Scotties' 190-pounder used the offseason to travel to tournaments and test his skills, noted coach Matt Fellows. He felt that experience benefited McClellan's growth.
"He wrestled around 60 matches this summer. That's a season's worth of work," Fellows said. "He's a hard-working kid and it has meant a lot to him to have this opportunity. He definitely belongs there."
McClellan also traveled to Palmers and Columbus DeSales to work, facing Lincon Shulaw, who is a favorite to claim that state title. Fellows and assistant coach Sky Wisecarver, both former Scottie grapplers, have also pushed McClellan during practice.
"We try to give him all the opportunities we can," Fellows said. "We'll roll with him and work with him when we can, and he's gone up against Shulaw. Those have made him better, but he's also grown physically and technically and has matured. For us, it's about keeping him in the right head space and see what he can do."
Testing himself has been part of McClellan's improvement. Along with his offseason, the sophomore put his head down and began working on his mat skills after football ended.
He understands nerves are part of going to state, but he believes he is ready for the moment.
"I've worked my butt off all year, and I'm grateful for this chance," McClellan said. "I'm working hard, not worrying about rankings. I need to stay on the offensive, get my shots in. I'm more comfortable with where I am and what I'm doing. I feel prepared, and I'm ready to see how I do against really good competition."
The Electric duo is also primed for their chance at state. Philo coach Evan Loughman has seen the program rise to this level, though last year ended in disappointment when state title contender Drew Lincicome fractured his ankle in the quarterfinals.
Loughman believes that is part of the driving force for his junior duo, who have become leaders in the program.
"Last year was bittersweet with how it ended, and I knew there were big shoes to fill with Drew graduating, but these two have picked up where he left off," Loughman said. "This week, you can see they're still hungry. We've talked about not being complacent, and these two have been model kids, keeping their noses to the grindstone."
This is also a chance for Bailey to step on the mats in Columbus after being a state alternate last year. He watched Lincicome last season, and Loughman believes Bailey wants to shine for more than himself.
"He lost in the blood round last year, and that has driven him all year. He doesn't want to feel that way again," Loughman said. "He learned his work ethic for Drew, and Talan hit the weight room, see how he improved his strength. Drew's ideal resounded in him, and I think he not only wants to do well for himself, but also for Drew."
Blakeney has battled all season, finishing fifth in the MVL at 190, as the league has three of them in the Division II meet. That competition should help despite a tough draw.
"He has 11 losses, but he's seen good competition," Loughman noted. "I feel the MVL was his turning point. It showed him the style he needed to wrestle and how to grind out matches. He's put it all together at the right time, and hopefully, he can put together a good run."
bhannahs@gannett.com; X: @brandonhannahs
This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: MVL wrestlers have podium in sights at state tournament
