COLUMBUS – His team had just lost a dual match by 43 points, but Lexington coach Brent Rastetter still managed a rueful smile.
“That was crazy,” he said. “We’re not a bad team, but they motored right through us,” Rastetter said.
Then again, St. Paris Graham Local motors through everyone, including three straight opponents on Saturday, winning 35 of 42 individual matches, to win its third straight OHSAA State Wrestling Dual Team Tournament title.
Lexington, which rallied to beat Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary in the state quarterfinals at St. John Arena in its first match Saturday, fell to the Falcons, 58-15. The Minutemen won just three of 14 matches against Graham, the nation’s No.-2 ranked high school wrestling team.
Lexington (20-4 in duals this season) won three of the last four matches against Graham. Drew Kasper won by 9-4 decision at 182 pounds while Bailey Faust (220) and Nate Temple (285) won by pin. The three seniors were the only Minutemen to post two wins on the day.
The scary thing is the three wins is as good as any team did against the Falcons. Graham dropped just one bout in a 66-6 win against New Lexington in the state quarterfinals and then thrashed Toledo Central Catholic in the title match, 49-12, losing just three matches.
Before the season began, Rastetter said this year would be a success if his team leaves the mats after the individual state tournament with the second-place trophy. Graham, with three state champions in its line-up and a roster that includes 10 wrestlers ranked in the top three of their respective weight classes, will win another state title four weeks from now.
The veteran Lex coach wasn’t backing off that statement on Saturday.
“I want the runner-up trophy (behind Graham),” he said. “I still think we have six kids who should be at state and two or three who are on the brink if they can pull some upsets.”
Part of what fueled Rastetter’s optimism was the way his team battled back to beat ASVSM, 36-29, battling back from a 25-15 deficit with wins in five of the six last matches.
Sophomore Aidan Ammons got the rally started with a 4-3 decision at 160 pounds. Kasper won by pin at 182, senior Ronald Kahoun earned a 7-1 win at 195, Faust by 5-3 decision at 220 and Temple by pin at 285.
Faust, a 195-pound state medalist with Temple last season, was almost pinned by ASVSM senior Dre’k Brumley, a two-time state medalist. Brumley put Faust on his back in the second period and the Lexington bench held its collective breath while the veteran found a way to muscle his way out of his predicament and earn the win.
Faust bumped up to face Brumley instead of competing at 195, where he is ranked No. 1 in the state.
“My heart was racing; I could feel it pounding everywhere on my body,” Kasper said of his teammate. “I knew that match was going to decide it.”
The rally by the seniors would not have been possible if freshman Mason Hoskins had not rallied from a 12-0 deficit to win by pin at 113 pounds. Without that, Lexington may have trailed 19-0 after four matches.
“We counted on our seniors all year long and now the underclassmen are coming through,” Rastetter said after the win.
“Hoskins battled. He got an escape, the kid took a bad shot and Mason hit the cradle. We shoot cradles in practice every day. It’s a tough move to defend. It’s unorthodox and a little risky, but he made it work,” Rastetter said.
Hoskins said, “Coach Rastetter and everyone else said we needed everyone to step up and I tried to do that.”
Division II state quarterfinals
Lexington 36, ASVSM 29
106 – Joe Wright (SVSM) tech fall Spencer Drake, 16-1
113 – Mason Hoskins (Lex) pin James Sloan, 5:04
120 – Luke Wymer (SVSM) maj. dec. Max Baker, 10-0
126 – John Chell (SVSM) maj. dec. Jacob Dalton, 9-0
132 – Brandon Leynaud (Lex) pin Garret Carter, 3:44
138 – Joe Koontz (SVSM) pin Chuck Mikelait, 4:51
145 – Jon Watkins (Lex) dec. Michael McIntire, 5-3
152 – Ben Knauss (SVSM) pin Xavier White, 1:59
160 – Aidan Ammons (Lex) dec. David Heath, 4-3
170 – Jared Lester (SVSM) maj. dec. T.J. Gerhardt, 9-1
182 – Drew Kasper (Lex) pin Chris Consillio, 2:45
195 – Ronald Kahoun (Lex) dec. Matt Chu, 7-1
220 – Bailey Faust (Lex) dec. Dre’K Brumley, 5-3
285 – Nate Temple (Lex) pin Dom Sciaretti, 1:31
Division II state semifinals
St. Paris Graham 58, Lexington 15
106 – Jason Stickley (G) pin Spencer Drake, 2:16
113 – Mitch Moore (G) pin Mason Hoskins, 0:32
120 – Eli Stickley (G) pin Max Baker, 3:35
126 – Eli Seipel (G) tech fall Jacob Dalton, 16-1
132 – Rocky Jordan (G) tech fall Brandon Leynaud, 16-0
138 – Ryan Thomas (G) dec. Chuck Mikelait, 6-2
145 – Brent Moore (G) maj. decision Jon Watkins, 9-1
152 – Kyle Lawson (G) pin Xavier White, 2:37
160 – Alex Martinelli (G) pin Aiden Ammons, 1:12
170 – Garrett Jordan (G) pin T.J. Gerhardt, 2:27
182 – Drew Kasper (L) dec. Hayden Bronne, 9-4
195 – Kavan Sarver (G) tech fall Ronald Kahoun, 15-0
220 – Bailey Faust (L) pin Josh Couchman, 2:58
285 – Nate Temple (L) pin Brandon Hays, 3:34
CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM SCORES
Division I – Brecksville-Broadview Heights 32, Lakewood St. Edward 30
Division II – St. Paris Graham Local 49, Toledo Central Catholic 12
Division III – Delta 44, Dayton Christian 33
