COLUMBUS—Seven Chagrin Valley Conference wrestlers opened the 2022 OHSAA State Wrestling Championships with a win while three others remain in the hunt for All-Ohio honors.
Orange’s TeAndre Allen, Perry’s Brock Christian and Calvin Rowan, and Edgewood’s Kyle Biller all won their first-round bout and will compete in the Division II quarterfinals on Saturday. Hawken’s Patrick Reineke and Berkshire’s Lucas Stoddard reached the Division III quarterfinals.
In a battle of seventh-place finishers last season, Allen blanked Bishop Hartley’s Cooper Rathburn at 126 pounds, 6-0, to improve to 11-2 on the year. He’ll wrestle Maysville’s Colton Smitley (43-4) in the quarterfinal round.
Christian, who placed seventh at state last year, opened the tournament with a 4-1 win over Dover’s Pedro Garcia. Next up for Christian is Columbus DeSales’ David McClelland in the 132-pound quarterfinals.
Brock Christian of @Wrestling_Perry discusses his tour opening win today. pic.twitter.com/exxwy5wPZ1
— News-Herald preps (@NHPreps) March 11, 2022
Biller and Rowan are on a collision course at 144 pounds after Biller opened the tournament with a 4-1 win over Wauseon’s Benicio Torres and Rowan edged Bellevue’s Justin Smythe, 2-1. With one more win, the CVC rivals would meet in the semifinals.
To get there, Biller (36-4) must beat Miami Trace’s Weston Melvin (47-5) and Rowan (27-5) has to get past Bishop Watterson’s Mitchell Younger, who is 21-0.
Partain’s magical postseason run continued with a 9-2 win over Heath’s Riley Gould. Partain is now 34-3 on the year and he will wrestle Indian Creek’s Dominic Paterra (47-5) in the 150-pound quarterfinals.
Sam partain of @ChagrinWrestle with a 5-point move and a 7-0 lead in his opener. pic.twitter.com/cLnjb57a6T
— News-Herald preps (@NHPreps) March 11, 2022
Perry’s Zach Bellissimo and West Geauga’s Jack Sparent both dropped their first-round bouts but stayed alive with a win in the first round of the consolation bracket.
Bellissimo was pinned in his 120-pound opener but improved to 37-8 with a sudden victory win over St. Paris Graham’s Colt Ryan.
Sparent dropped his 138-pound opener, 6-5, then bounced back with a 7-2 win over Columbus DeSales’ Aidan Rush in the consolation bracket.
Perry’s Ryan Brubaker went 0-2 at 157 and closed out his season with a 24-16 record.
Reineke, who placed seventh last season and eighth as a sophomore, opened the tournament with a 5-2 win over Millbury Lake’s Eli Guyton. Reineke (29-4) will wrestle Legacy Christian’s Dillon Campbell (33-2) in the Division III quarterfinals. Campbell is the defending Division III 113-pound state champion.
Patrick Reineke of @HawkenAthletics says a good start in his first match at The Schott since his freshman year was imperative. pic.twitter.com/iZSZpCKn8l
— News-Herald preps (@NHPreps) March 11, 2022
Stoddard, who was third at state last year, needed just 55 seconds to advance to the 190-pound quarterfinals. He used a cradle to pin North Union’s Shawn Swank. He’ll wrestle Liberty Center’s Owen Johnson (39-8) in Saturday’s first session.
Lucas Stoddard of @BHSBadgerDen talks about taking care of business in his state tourney opener today, pic.twitter.com/X543qO0r8Q
— News-Herald preps (@NHPreps) March 11, 2022
Cuyahoga Heights’ Luke Torgerson suffered a setback in his 175-pound first-round bout but kept alive his All-Ohio honors with a 5-2 win over Westfall’s Glenn Keeton.
Crestwood’s Mason Daniels (120) and J.P. Wrobel (126) and Kirtland’s Will Davidson (132) all went 0-2. Daniels finished the year 34-12, Wrobel was 34-6, and Davidson finished 40-4.
