“I don’t think we’ve hit the top yet,” Doggett said. “There’s still a little bit more in all of them as far as where they can be at the end of the year. That said, we have a tough sectional and a very tough district to get through. I don’t think we’ve seen the best of our guys yet.”
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The wrestling postseason begins Friday and Saturday with sectional tournaments. Mechanicsburg competes in the D-III field at Covington High School. Powers Covington and Troy Christian are at the same sectional along with Northeastern and Southeastern.
Greenon, Greeneview, West Liberty-Salem and Triad compete at Lehman High School in the other half of the open draw sectional.
Mechanicsburg is coming off an OHC championship featuring individual titles from Jesse Stroud (106 pounds), Luke Stroud (120), Jake Hurst (132), Westyn Moyer (138), Aaron Conley (152) and Jaron Patterson (170). Trey Allen (113) reached the finals and finished second.
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Hurst was named OHC Co-Wrestler of the Year along with Greeneview 113-pound champion Teagan Hendricks.
“I didn’t expect Hurst to get it at all, to be honest. In the past it’s usually gone to an upperclassman,” Doggett said of his freshman. “I think he was deserving of it. He had a good performance.
“Our guys were fired up and ready to go, kind of carrying the momentum we started at the dual regionals. They’re progressing and trying to climb to the peak.”
The Indians have no seniors on the roster so the future remains bright, especially considering the middle school team also won the OHC championship, led by 10 eighth graders.
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The Indians’ high school team won their title missing their 126 and 160 pounders to illness and with no heavyweight. Doggett said Mechanicsburg and Greenon were separated by about four points entering the finals.
“It’s definitely an exciting time around here,” Doggett said. “I think we’re going to reach some goals we have set for us in the future here.”
Also in sectional tournament action:
• In Division I, Springfield competes in the Centerville 1 field. Tecumseh elected to go into the Centerville 2 field. In D-II, the Graham 1 field includes Graham, Northwestern, Kenton Ridge and Shawnee. Graham 2 includes Urbana.
• Wrestling expert Billy Schaefer, who runs the website borofanohio.net, released his list of projected qualifiers and champions for the state tournament. Schaefer projects Graham to win its 19th straight championship with one individual state champion, nine state placers and 12 state qualifiers. Sophomore Alek Martin is projected as the Falcons’ sole state champ at 138.
Among others projected to finish among the top five are Graham freshman Nolan Gessler (No. 2 at 106), Graham junior Chris Kelly (No. 5 at 126), Graham sophomore Nick Moore (No. 2 at 132), Graham senior Jeffrey Thomas (No. 4 at 152) and Graham senior Johnny Shafer (No. 3 at 285).
In D-I, Tecumseh junior Cyle Wells is projected at No. 8 at 138. In D-III, Greeneview senior Devan Hendricks is No. 7 at 145.
The top four finishers in each weight class at the sectional tournaments advance to next week’s district tournament.
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