All-Daily Record 2022-23 Wrestling: All-Ohioans abound on first team
It was quite a 2022-23 season for area wrestlers. How impressive was it?
Eight of the 17 locals that took part in the OHSAA State Championships finished their respective seasons with All-Ohio status, including West Holmes’ Mason Taylor earning runner-up honors in Division II at 113 pounds for the second straight season.
Along with all-state placers in Kaden Lawson (Tuslaw, 106), Stephen Patterson (Waynedale, 106), Trent Sigler (Northwestern, 120), Maxwell Cooper (Tuslaw, 144), Jacob Lyons (Tuslaw, 150), Caleb Gregory (Loudonville, 190) and Elisha Baldridge (West Holmes, 285), a host of other individuals won their respective league and district titles.
Here’s the 2022-23 All-Daily Record wrestling team:
FIRST TEAM
Kaden Lawson (Tuslaw, fr., 106)
All-Ohioan. … 41-12 record. … Placed sixth overall at Division III State Tournament for first career all-state honor. … Highest placement by freshman in school history … Won two consolation matches, including 3-2 tie-breaker victory over Waynedale’s Stephen Patterson. … Captured Independence Sectional title, along with finishing runner-up at PAC and Perry District.
Stephen Patterson (Waynedale, fr., 106)
All-Ohioan. … 43-12 record. … Took eighth overall in career debut at Division III State Tournament. … After quarterfinal loss to eventual state champ Adam Mattin of Delta, earned 5-2 win over Mechanicsburg’s Nolan Fraley to assure all-state finish. … Claimed WCAL championship, along with placing third at both Northwestern Sectional and Perry District. … Had 90 takedowns.
Mason Taylor (West Holmes, sr., 113)
State runner-up. … 43-4 record. … Finished second at the Division II State Tournament for the second straight season. … Made run through bracket with a pin and two major decisions, including 9-0 major of sixth-ranked Alex Gonzales of Napoleon in semifinals. … Won OCC, Steubenville Sectional and Steubenville District titles. … Led team with 94 takedowns. … Mount Union recruit.
Trent Sigler (Northwestern, sr., 120)
All-Ohioan. … 41-4 record. … Two-time state qualifier earned first podium appearance after seventh-place finish at Division III State Tournament. … After quarterfinal loss, pinned Shawnee’s Nolan Earles to assure placement, before beating North Union’s Trace Williams for seventh. … Earned championships at both WCAL and Northwestern Sectional. … Finished runner-up at Perry District.
Caden Schmeltzer (Waynedale, so., 132)
State qualifier. … 33-4 record. … Despite battling injuries throughout the season, made second straight trip to Division III State Tournament, going 1-2. … Cruised to both WCAL and Northwestern Sectional championships, before battling back from loss to eventual state runner-up Landen Duncan of Chalker at Perry District to place third overall. … Had 22 pins and 75 takedowns.
Louden Dixon (West Holmes, fr., 138)
State qualifier. … 38-14 record. … Took first at OCC and Steubenville District, along with runner-up at Steubenville Sectional. … Picked up thrilling overtime win over third-ranked Josh Carman of Carrollton for the district title. … Lost 1-0 heartbreaker to Marengo Highland’s Cael Gilmore to end state tournament. … Finished season with 85 takedowns and 14 pins.
Maxwell Cooper (Tuslaw, sr., 144)
All-Ohioan. … 38-13 record. … Finished sixth overall at Division III State Tournament for first career all-state honor. … Recorded 3-1 consolation victory over Bodie Martin of Amanda-Clearcreek to assure podium finish. … Captured both PAC and Independence Sectional titles, along with placing second at Perry District. … Two-time state qualifier will wrestle for Mount Union next season.
Jacob Lyons (Tuslaw, jr., 150)
All-Ohioan. … 46-6 record. … Placed seventh overall at Division III State Tournament to earn first all-state accolade. … Thrilling 8-7 consolation decision over Seneca East's Will Bischoff locked-up podium spot. … Won PAC and Independence Sectional, before placing runner-up at Perry District. … Had 31 pins on season, placing him in top-10 for program history.
Devyn Vanest (Tuslaw, sr., 157)
District qualifier. … 38-9 record. … Finished runner-up at both PAC and Independence Sectional tournaments to advance to districts. … Missed state berth by one match at loaded Perry District. … Had 26 victories come via pin, giving him 95 pins for his career, sixth in school history. … Also ended prep career with 855½ team points, good for sixth in Tuslaw history.
Greyson Siders (Dalton, jr., 165)
State alternate. … 32-5 record. … Bounced back from semifinal loss at Perry Division III District to finish fifth overall with 7-4 decision of Kirtland’s Gaetano Savelli. … Went 3-2 in bracket loaded with fellow state-ranked wrestlers. … Cruised to titles at both WCAL and Northwestern Sectional with combined five wins. … Also had pair of wins and two runner-up finishes in regular season.
Collin Good (Northwestern, sr., 175)
State qualifier. … 41-7 record. … Had impressive postseason run to make first career state appearance, going 1-2. … Rallied after WCAL title-match loss to roll to championships at both Northwestern Sectional and Perry District. … Won district title with 6-5 decision of state-ranked Louka Babic of Kirtland. … Had 122 takedowns, 26 pins and 30 near falls.
Caleb Gregory (Loudonville, sr., 190)
All-Ohioan. … 38-14 record. … After a five-year hiatus from the sport, made most of first-ever trip to Division III State Tournament with eighth-place finish. … First-round loss didn’t slow him down as he ran off pair of wins, including 3-2 decision of Delta’s Connor Sintobin to assure podium finish. … Unranked wrestler also was runner-up at Northwestern Sectional and fourth at Perry District.
Nate Morris (Chippewa, sr., 215)
State alternate. … 37-10 record. … Finished fifth at Perry Division III District to earn alternate status to the state tournament, pinning Smithville’s Luke Raines. … Win was one of two postseason victories over Raines, who he lost to in WCAL title bout, the other coming in semifinal of Northwestern Sectional in runner-up finish. … … Finished season with 28 pins, along with 51 takedowns.
Elisha Baldridge (West Holmes, sr., 285)
All-Ohioan. … 45-2 record. … Earned first career all-state honor after third-place finish at Division II State Tournament. … Bounced back from semifinal loss with pair of wins in consolation bracket, including 10-0 major of Claymont’s Wyatt Shaw in third-place bout. … Captured OCC, Steubenville Sectional and Steubenville District titles. … Had 35 pins. … Ashland recruit.
SECOND TEAM
Stephen Patterson (Waynedale, fr., 106)
Ben Pierce (Chippewa, fr., 113)
Grady Toye (West Holmes, fr., 120)
Lincoln Guthrie (Norwayne, jr., 126)
Hunter McCluggage (West Holmes, so., 132)
Joey McGuire (Rittman, jr., 138)
Kaden Russell (Dalton, so., 144)
Blake Norman (West Holmes, sr., 150)
Paul Hostetler (Orrville, so., 157)
Payton Lance (Norwayne, jr., 165)
Jack Waldron (Orrville, jr., 175)
Seth Ryder (Dalton, so., 190)
Luke Raines (Smithville, sr., 215)
Brayden Kidd (Waynedale, sr., 285)
HONORABLE MENTION
Chippewa – Cameron Davis (sr., 132), Neil Miller (jr., 175), Sam Petit (so., 190). Dalton – Bram McCourt (jr., 150), Cohen Riggenbach (so., 285). Loudonville – Drew Spreng (jr., 113), Tyler Reeder (so., 126). Tuslaw -- Sam Knouse (jr., 126). Waynedale – Lance Kearney (fr., 120), Ashton Kauf (sr., 126), Collin Kearny (sr., 138), Cole Lewis (jr., 144), Robert McCrork (so., 150). West Holmes – Peyton Martin (fr., 106), Grant Miller (jr., 215). Wooster – Tevin Turner (sr., 165).
Editor's note: for a sport to produce an All-Daily Record team, at least five local schools must have fielded full teams. The Daily Record will name a Player of the Year for every local OHSAA sport, no matter the amount of local teams.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: All-Daily Record 2022-23: Wrestling
