NORWALK — They wear targets on their backs every time they step on the mat, but Ontario’s Aiden Ohl and Galion’s Gradey Harding welcome the challenge.
Both Ohl and Harding are projected Division II state champs, according to Ohio high school wrestling pundit Billy Schaefer. They have been ranked at the top of their weight classes — Ohl at 113 pounds and Harding at 126 — all season long.
They take everyone’s best shot and answer the bell week after week.
“There’s pressure for sure,” said Harding, who won his third Norwalk district title Saturday. Everybody wants to beat me. I need those matches to be pushed.”
A junior, Harding was the state runner-up at 120 last year. He was fifth at state at 120 as a freshman.
LIke Harding, Ohl was a state runner-up last year at 106. The junior was fifth at 106 as a freshman.
“I don’t care (about the ranking),” Ohl said. “It doesn’t really matter to me because at this point anybody can beat anybody.”
Ohl breezed through the district bracket with a tech fall and three pins. He secured his second district title with a second-period pin of Wauseon’s Mykale Schneider in the finals.
“I thought that kid would be a lot bigger because at weigh-out he was over by five (pounds),” Ohl said. “I thought he would come in heavy.”
Ohl won a district title at 106 as a freshman but lost 3-2 in last year’s 106 final to Bexley’s Marius Garcia. Garcia beat Ohl in the state final a week later.
“I was mad about it. I was thinking about it before warm-ups and I was like I’m not going to let that happen again,” Ohl said. “The feeling after that match really sucked.”
Harding’s road to the district championship was considerably more rocky. His semifinal and championship match went to overtime.
“This was definitely the toughest,” Harding said of his third district title. “I’m looking forward to Columbus. I’ve got to prove myself again.”
Two other area wrestlers, Clear Fork freshman 138-pounder Anthony Oscar and Madison junior heavyweight Jaxin Stancombe, won district titles Saturday. Oscar beat Galion’s Ryder Alberty 5-4, while Stancombe pinned Sandusky Perkins’ Eli Sanchez. Both championship bouts were rematches from last week’s Galion sectional.
“He’s a tough opponent,” Oscar said of Alberty. “You’re going to have close matches. That’s inevitable.
“I love having those matches, getting those gritty wins.”
Stancombe beat Sanchez 4-2 in last week’s sectional final. He was taken down and trailed Sanchez before recording a pin in 1:22.
“It feels really good (to win a district championship),” Stancombe said. “I felt pretty confident.”
In addition to the four area district champs, eight other area wrestlers qualified for next week’s state tournament.
Alberty, Galion teammate Carter Trukovich (132) and Clear Fork’s Blake Schlosser (175) were district runners-up.
Clear Fork’s Colton Wenger (113), Madison’s Aiden Proctor (165) and Ontario’s Landon Sowards (190) were third and Ontario’s Tyler Turnbaugh (120) and Gavin Miller (138) were fourth.