Practice is over: Area wrestling teams ready for sectionals

MANSFIELD – Because he's a freshman, Ontario wrestler Carter Kroll is new to the varsity post-season and leaning heavily on the No. 1 authority in his life.

"Like our coach always says, our season starts this week with sectionals," Kroll said, "Hopefully, it will continue all the way to the Schott (Schottenstein Center) floor."

By "our coach," Kroll meant "my dad," right? No, he meant it exactly the way he said it in referring to his father and Ontario wrestling coach Kevin Kroll 

"When we're in a wrestling situation," the younger Kroll said, "It's usually 'Coach.'"

That's fine with Kevin Kroll.

"I love these kids like their my sons. Honestly, I have 14 other sons on this team," said Kroll, whose oldest son Collin is Ontario's senior 170-pounder. "When we're in the (practice) room, it's 'Coach.' That's just respect. When (my sons) win, we hug, and it's 'Dad.'"

Ontario tuned up for this weekend's Division II sectional at Sandusky by putting five Warriors in the championship finals of the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference tournament. Carter Kroll (120) and sophomore Cody Mies (160) were champions, with sophomores Ty Spencer (126) and Colton Turnbaugh (145) and Collin Kroll (170) placing second.

Clear Fork also had two MOAC champs in freshman Colton Campbell (106) and senior John Witschi (170) as the Colts prepare for the challenge of moving up from DIII to the DII sectional at Sandusky.

"The post-season, there's no guarantees," Clear Fork coach Nick Allerding said. "I tell the kids 'We worry about what we can control.' We wrestle between the whistles. All the other stuff will take care of itself. We're trying to become the best wrestlers we can become."

Witschi, No. 13  in the state rankings at borofan.net, won an Ohio Cardinal Conference title last season before Clear Fork became aligned with the MOAC. He's not losing any sleep over the jump up in class.

"I've beaten Division I kids and lost to Division I kids and I've been beaten by Division III kids," Witschi said. "There's not really a difference. We went to a scrimmage where most of the schools were DI. I don't think division has much to do with it. There's good wrestlers all around."

Northmor coach Scott Carr is fond of saying everything is practice leading up to this three-week run toward a spot on the podium at state. The Knights have looked awfully good in "practice," winning the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference title after reaching the Division III Elite Eight in the OHSAA's state team dual tournament.

Carr has the only program in the area that boasts a projected champ in senior 145-pounder Conan Becker. His sophomore brother, Conor, is No. 6 at 152.

Repeat Firelands Conference champ Crestview has four wrestlers ranked in the top 10 heading into the DIII sectional at Plymouth: No. 4 Clay Eagle at 120, No. 9 Dakota Blanton at 126, No. 10 Colton Campbell at 195 and No. 8 Lane Fry at 285.

Some of the other higher-ranked wrestlers heading into sectionals are Ashland's Austin McNamara (9th at 138), Landon Plank (10th at 152) and Josh Bever (4th at 220); Plymouth's Seth Bailey (10th at 220); and Mansfield Senior's Damoni Williams (13th at 126)

Ashland and Madison have moved up to Division I and Mansfield Senior has moved down to Division II. The district field at Perrysburg should be the best in Ohio, with the Arrows and Rams hooking up with the likes of perennial powers Lakewood St. Edward, Elyria and Brecksville.

"The nice thing is that competing in the Brecksville Invitational helped because they invited some of the big boys. So the shock's out, " said Ashland coach Sean Seder, who has led his Arrows to three straight Ohio Cardinal Conference titles. "It's a little bit of a mental hurdle, but I don't think it will be quite as drastic as my first year (2014-15, when the Arrows were last DI).

"I remember that year that as soon as you noticed St. Ed's you thought they were a pro team. So our kids are at least prepared to take this on now."

Sectional wrestling data

Division I at Whitehall-Yearling — Dates: Friday, Saturday. Area teams: Ashland, Madison

Top four placers at each weight advance to the Perrysburg district

Division II at Sandusky — Dates: Friday, Saturday. Area teams: Clear Fork, Galion, Lexington, Mansfield Senior, Ontario, Shelby

Top four placers at each weight advance to the Norwalk district

Division III at Plymouth — Dates: Friday, Saturday. Area teams: Buckeye Central, Bucyrus, Crestview, Lucas, Plymouth, South Central, Willard

Top four placers at each weight advance to the Defiance district