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Posted: 4:59 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013

State wrestling team titles at stake

By John Cummings

Graham wrestling coach Jeff Jordan had just watched his Falcons drop a pair of “had to have” high school wrestling matches Saturday night in their rivalry with Lakewood St. Edward and knew he had to do something.

“I was worried about getting blown out,” Jordan said after the Falcons rallied for a 30-29 win on tiebreak. “I did some jockeying and the kids stepped up.”

Jordan bumped Josh Couchman up to 195, forfeiting 182 and almost pulling out a win by Couchman. The possible bonus points saved, however, set the way for Eli Seipel to tie the match with a major decision in the finale at 113.

Just a few days earlier, Dayton Christian coach Ted Bray adjusted his lineup, getting two-time state champ Jacob Danishek a win over Carlisle’s Jimmy Sandlin at 160 en route to a 33-32 dual win.

“That was the biggest thing I learned from my five years coaching with Phil Jaynes at West Carrollton,” Bray said. “I learned how to bump and slide the lineup from him to get the best results for the team. He was a master at it.”

Today at 96 sites throughout the state, coaches will look for the same advantages in the first two rounds of the first Ohio High School Athletic Association state team tournament.

The top two seeds in each sub-region host the first and second round today. Winners advance to next week, in which the highest seeds will once again host with a spot in the regional finals on the line. The state finals will be held on Feb. 9.

“It is a coach’s chess game,” Bray said. “Not giving up a major decision or trading a pin for a win; moving the right guys to the right places to get the best for the team.”

While some will be bumping wrestlers around, Jordan will use the first few rounds of the team tournament to get some of his wrestlers a break as the end of the season approaches.

“We are going to get some of our guys a little bit of rest,” Jordan said as his squad prepared to host the first round. “It sounds exciting. We got five or six guys that can step in and do really well for us and we are going to do some of that.”

Bray has noticed a different level of excitement around the program in preparation for the state duals.

“We got a chance to win it and our school is excited about it,” Bray said. “I think we will have a really good crowd. … There is a lot of excitement; we get past this round and it will get even more exciting the further we go.”

OHSAA STATE TEAM TOURNAMENT

Today’s 6 p.m. First and Second Rounds

Division I, Region 1-B: Xenia (8) at Sidney (1); Tecumseh (7) at Beavercreek (2); Piqua (6) at Troy (3).

D-I, Region 7-A at Mason: Lakota East (3) vs. Edgewood (6); Lebanon (7) vs. Mason (2). At Fairfield: Lakota West (4) vs. Springboro (5); Hamilton (8) vs. Kings (9), winner vs. Fairfield (1).

D-I, Region 7-B at Fairmont: Miamisburg (3) vs. Stebbins (6); Northmont (7) vs. Fairmont (2). At Centerville: Wayne (4) vs. Butler (5); West Carrollton (8) vs. Belmont (9), winner vs. Centerville (1).

D-II, Region 15-A at Washington Court House: Hillsboro (3) vs. Bellbrook (6); McClain (7) vs. Clinton-Massie, winner vs. Court House (2). At Miami Trace: Franklin (4) vs. Wilmington (5); Western Brown (8) vs. London (9) winner vs. Miami Trace (1).

D-II Region 15-B at New Richmond: Eaton (3) vs. Wyoming (6); Goshen (7) vs. Clermont NE (10), winner vs. New Richmond (2). At Ross: Bethel-Tate (4) vs. Monroe (5); Hughes (8) vs. Taylor (9), winner vs. Ross (1).

D-II, Region 16-A at Indian Lake: Wapakoneta (3) vs. Northwestern (6); Urbana (7) vs. Spg. Shawnee (10), winner vs. Indian Lake (2). At Graham: Kenton Ridge (4) vs. Celina (5); Ben Logan (8) vs. Bellefontaine (9), winner vs. Graham (1).

D-II, Region 16-B at CJ: Ponitz Tech (11) vs. Thurgood Marshall (6), winner vs. CJ; Trotwood-Madison (7) vs. Meadowdale (10), winner vs. Carroll (2). At Greenville: Tippecanoe (4) vs. Valley View (5); Dunbar (8) vs. Milton-Union (9), winner vs. Greenville (1).

D-III, Region 23-A at Carlisle: Deer Park (3) vs. Madeira (6); Carlisle (2) vs. Williamsburg (7). At Reading: Badin (4) vs. North College Hill (5); CHCA (8) vs. Lockland (9), winner vs. Reading (1).

D-III, Region 23-B at Blanchester: Stivers (11) vs. Waynesville (6), winner vs. Greeneview (3); Tri County North (7) vs. Twin Valley South (10), winner vs. Blanchester (2). At Dixie: Dayton Christian (4) vs. Brookville (5); Preble Shawnee (8) vs. Fenwick (9), winner vs. Dixie (1).

D-III, Region 24-A at Coldwater: Riverdale (4) vs. Delphos St. John (5); Bluffton (8) vs. Ada (9), winner vs. Coldwater (1).

D-III, Region 24-B at Covington: Mechanicsburg (3) vs. Northeastern (6); Arcanum (7) vs. WL-Salem (10), winner vs. Covington (2). At Versailles: Troy Christian (4) vs. Miami East (5);

Southeastern (8) vs. Lehman Catholic (9), winner vs. Versailles (1).

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