Saturday, March 06, 1999
Three local wrestlers chase titles
BY MARK SCHMETZER
Enquirer contributor
COLUMBUS — Sycamore 140-pound senior Omar Scruggs believes he must win a Division I state wrestling championship in order to live up to his reputation.
“Oh, yeah,” he said when asked about it. “Oh, yeah.”
Scruggs will get his chance tonight when the 62nd Ohio state wrestling tournament concludes with the championship finals in Divisions I, II and III at Ohio State University's Value City Arena. The championship round starts at 5 p.m.
Scruggs and Winton Woods senior Matt Thompson are the only two area wrestlers to qualify for Division I championships. Thompson (33-2) qualified at 189 pounds with a 5-3 overtime victory over Greensburg Green senior Vincenzo DeVitis (32-7).
Hillsboro senior Richard Burns remained undefeated at 135 to become the only local Division II wrestler to reach the finals.
“This is another opportunity for me,” said Burns (32-0), who finished second at 125 two years ago. “I want to go home with the first state championship for our school.”
Elder sophomore Nick Spatola (119), Lakota West freshman Matt McIntire (125), Moeller sophomore Joe Zinkan (130) and Fairfield junior Garrett Padgett (152) lost their Division I semifinal matches, as did Taylor's Tony Brock (112), Trenton Edgewood senior Kurt Stoffregen (145) and Purcell Marian senior heavyweight Steve Williams in Division II.
Scruggs (29-2), who lost to Moeller's Bobby Lyons in last week's district championship match, reached the semifinals with a 10-5 quarterfinal win over Harrison sophomore Tim Ruberg. He will face Mansfield Madison Comprehensive junior Nate Yetzer (42-1) in the finals.
“I've got to win this one,” said Scruggs, whose left hand is wrapped because of a broken bone he suffered three weeks ago. “People have doubts about me because I didn't win district. I'm not perfect, but I'm in the state finals. Hopefully, I can prove the people who doubted me wrong.”
“He's a good wrestler, win or lose,” Sycamore coach Gary Listermann said. “I think everybody realizes that.”
Besides Ruberg, St. Xavier junior Scott Smith (119) and senior Vince Carraher (160), Winton Woods sophomore Ian Ruth (130), Lakota West junior Chris McIntire (135), Princeton senior Khetag Pliev (145), Har rison seniors Kris Neihaus (152) and Brady Morris (215) and Elder junior heavyweight Andy Christopfel also fell in the championship quarterfinals.
In Division II, Turpin senior Steve Holm (119) and Springboro senior Ryan Battles (130) and junior Josh Weimer (171) failed to reach the semifinals.
Ross junior Aaron Ray (130), who suffered a 12-7 loss to Copley senior Myron Long in Thursday's first round, kept his bid for a Division II third-place finish alive with two victories in consolation action. Ray must win two matches today to capture third place.
Fairfield sophomore Mike Wahoff (135) and Sycamore seniors Blake Kaplan (145) and Brett Livingstone (171) also remain in contention for Division I third-place finishes.
Consolation semifinals begin at 10 a.m. today.
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