Top cat: Cougars’ star is Exhibit A for small schools with big goals

Editor’s note: This is the last of three stories previewing the high school wrestling season from a north central Ohio perspective. This is a look at Division III programs in the area.

MANSFIELD – Fresh off first team All-Ohio honors in football, senior Caleb Cunningham is the perfect bridge between the Steve Haverdill era and the Nate Godsey era within the Crestview wrestling program.

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A tall, sturdy bridge.

One of the most decorated football players in north central Ohio, the 6-5, 250-pound Cunningham – the Division VI Northwest District Lineman of the Year – hopes that acclaim carries over to the wrestling mats this winter.

In the long run, his success will help make for a seamless coaching transition from Haverdill – who spent nine years at the helm – to Godsey.

Cunningham is transitioning as well, from 215 pounds to 285. In the state rankings, he’s still listed at 215, where he is No. 5 in DIII. He’s already shown he is one of the best in his new class by going 2-2 at heavyweight in the renowned Ironman tournament this past weekend.

Cunningham essentially picked up where he left off last season when he almost miraculously overcame a slew of injuries to earn an eighth-place medal at the state meet.

Last winter, he and middleweight Hayden Kuhn made a nice one-two punch for Crestview. But Kuhn, the first three-time state medalist in program history, has moved on to Ashland University, leaving Cunningham as not only a bridge but the foundational piece for a young squad.

Godsey, who was Haverdill’s right-hand man last season, brings a lot of big school experience to his new post, both as a wrestler and a coach. A couple of years ago, at 35, he was still competing in a college singlet for AU. So his passion for the sport is bound to rub off on his wrestlers.

It’s because of Godsey that Haverdill felt comfortable about stepping away to focus on his responsibilities as head football coach. In nine years of running the wrestling program, his teams won four Firelands Conference titles and never finished lower than third. In his final six years, he produced 11 state qualifiers and seven state medalists.

His decision to step down must really make Plymouth coach Jeremiah Balkin feel old. (Just kidding.)

Balkin is in his 24th year with the rival Big Red, coming off a season in which they finished third in the FC behind Monroeville and Crestview and produced the second state medalist in program history – and first in 44 years – in Colton Sparks.

Sparks has graduated, but Balkin still has a handful of wrestlers who have legitimate state meet aspirations, led by senior lightweight Cam Wagers. He topped the century mark in career wins this past weekend as the Big Red opened the season by winning the Hillsdale Invitational for the fourth year in a row.

While Plymouth and Crestview have had their share of success in recent years, no local program has produced state-caliber talent on the DIII level like Northmor. And coach Scott Carr has at least four wrestlers on his current roster who fit that bill, starting with junior two-time state medalist Cowin Becker.

Here’s a closer look, by school, at the DIII talent in the area:

CRESTVIEW

In addition to Caleb Cunningham, new head coach Nate Godsey is expecting big years from junior Jaden Hedrick (144-150) and sophomores Liam Kuhn (144-150), Jack Stephens (175), Dylan Burge (132) and Cole Hughes (120-126). He’s also excited about freshmen Qwintin Howard (138) and Brayden Parrigan (120-126).

Kuhn, Stephens, Burge and Hughes were all district qualifiers as freshmen. In all, the Cougars return seven district participants.

“Last year’s team was built on strong individual performances,” Godsey said. “This year’s team is a well-balanced team with a strong, young core.

“Because we’re a predominantly young team, the growth from the start of the season to the end will ultimately determine the success of our season.”

PLYMOUTH

It’s becoming a pre-Christmas tradition, Plymouth winning the Hillsdale Invite to open the season.

They did it this year on the strength of 11 placers, including three champions: Cam Wagers (120), Ben Trimmer (138) and Noah Robinson (215). Runner-up honors went to Isaiah Miller (157) and Gunner Huston (285).

Zach Miller (150) was third, while fourths went to Thomas Winegardner (106), Jordan Thoman (138) and Bobby Bowman (126). Hunter McClure (195) placed fifth and Brandon Manuel was sixth (165).

Trimmer went overtime in the finals to win his title, while Robinson dominated his weight class with five pins. Those bonus points were instrumental in beating Lexington by a 233-225 margin for first place in the 12-team tournament.

Wagers finished 39-7 last season and has one final shot at making it to state. He’s a two-time Firelands Conference champ and three-time district qualifier. Robinson is another one with state potential. He went 21-9 last winter as a sophomore and won a sectional championship, pinning Crestview state medalist Caleb Cunningham in the finals.

Zach Miller, a junior, is already a two-time district qualifier for the Big Red.

“We have 14 kids on the roster and we’ll fill 13 of the 14 weight classes,” Balkin said. “Cam and Noah will help lead our team, with a mixture of upperclassmen and youngsters.

“Monroeville is the team to beat in the conference, but with our experience and tradition we can be at the top trying to knock off the reigning champs.”

NORTHMOR

The Knights showed why they are perennially one of the top small school programs around in last week’s dual with Ontario.

The Warriors, arguably the best team in north central Ohio, won the meet 56-24, but that score is somewhat misleading. The two teams were evenly matched through the first nine weight classes, with Ontario winning five of the bouts and Northmor four.

Three of Northmor’s wins were pins by Brady Carr (113), Cowin Becker (138) and Carson Campbell (157). All three made it to state last year, with Becker becoming a medalist for the second time. He’s only a junior

On the same night Northmor dueled with Ontario it beat Mansfield Senior 56-20. Carr, Becker and Campbell all had pins in that dual as well, as did Arius Swaim (144), a junior transfer from Galion, and Ashton Clark (190), a junior two-time district qualifier.

Ethan Amens (126) was a state alternate last year, giving the Knights another talented sophomore, along with Carr and Campbell. Cowen Hurst provides a senior presence in the lightweights.

Coach Scott Carr has a number of newcomers he expects to contribute right away, including Carter Thomas (106), Collin Beck (126), Rodney Acord (190-215), Ethan Littleton (150) and Nye Escue (150).

LUCAS 

The Lucas Board of Education reinstated wrestling just before the season was set to begin and appointed Billy Caudill as coach. It had voted to cut the season on Nov. 21 after former coach Anthony Brooks resigned for personal reasons.

Caudill is a 1993 Lucas graduate. His son, Rayden, is a junior who qualified for districts last season for the Cubs.

Lucas competed in last week’s Hillsdale Invite, scoring 55 points. Ayden Kendall finished fourth at 165 and Rayden Caudill took runner-up honors at 190.

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Top cat: Cougars’ star is Exhibit A for small schools with big goals