WRESTLING: Perkins' Sanchez, Edison's James advance to state finals

COLUMBUS — Eli Sanchez let out a roar and then hugged everyone in sight. Perkins' heavyweight wrestler will compete for a state championship Sunday night. Sanchez scored a 7-4 decision against Chaminade Julienne's Jeffery Blair in Saturday night's Division II semifinals to book his spot in the Parade of Champions at the Schottenstein Center. "This is the best moment of my life, the best feeling I've ever felt," said Sanchez. "Football is my sport, but doing this by myself, nobody else can dictate what I do. Just me and the good Lord above." Sanchez has 13 Division I football offers. The physical lineman is a force in pads and on the mats. Sanchez scored an early takedown and stayed on his feet as his father, Jose, watched from the front row above the mat. "He goes for a head and arm, twice actually," Sanchez said. "I countered the one, shot a nice double leg into a body lock. That's the way it was done." Blair does his best work on the mat so Sanchez didn't go there. "I've wrestled him my whole life," Sanchez said. "He likes to go down and roll. We knew we take him down, go to our feet and win this match. He goes down, nah, go neutral. I don't care about the point, he can have it." Perkins coach Travis Crabtree knew Sanchez was in good position after the early takedown. "That was awesome. We were talking about not getting rolled and put Eli in his best position, on his feet," Crabtree said. "He played the game plan to perfection, got a couple takedowns and we're wrestling for a state championship." Once Sanchez got a lead, his coaches shouted "bus driver!" Care to translate, Eli? "Take your hand, hit his side of the face and circle that way. Get his head moving, make it look like you're doing something." Added Crabtree: "It's a heavyweight move. Moving the head, trying to create an angle, get to a leg, act like we're busy even though we're not. We're just steering the bus, steering his head." Sanchez (32-7) pinned his first opponent in 4:37 on Friday. In the quarterfinals, Sanchez scored a 14-4 major decision. He will wrestle Hawken's Will Greenberg (40-4) in the finals. Greenberg has dominated so far with three pins (1:45, 0:30 and 2:00). Sanchez is making the most of his first trip to state. He broke his hand in football as a freshman, which affected his wrestling season. Last year, Sanchez found out the day of the district tournament that his mother had died. He tried to wrestle, going 2-2. "It's real emotional for him," Crabtree said. "I'm sure he was wrestling for her. We told him when we looked at the bracket, 'you can be in the finals. You just gotta play it smart and wrestle to the best of your ability.' "I'm super proud of him, super proud of the whole team. At one point we were 6-0 and got four out of five placers — first time since '07. It's awesome. We're having a good time right now. I'm so proud of Eli. … We're wrestling tomorrow night." Edison 175-pounder Luke James is the area's only other finalist. James, the defending Division III champion at 175, won a 7-3 decision in the semifinals against Graham's Jake Hoke. James started his tournament with a 45-second pin and won a 10-0 major decision in the quarterfinals. James will match up against Triad's Awsom Mitchell in the finals for the second straight year. Five other area wrestlers lost in the semifinals and will start their Sundays in the consolation semifinals. In Division II, Perkins' Sawyer Smith (126) lost a 10-3 decision to Galion's Gradey Harding in the semis. Smith is 43-15. Bellevue's Ben Jacobs (44-4) lost a 7-5 decision to Steubenville's Cooper Smith with a shot at the finals on the line. Jacobs will match up with Perkins' Braxden Martin on Sunday morning with the winner qualifying for the third-place match. Jacobs edged Martin in the finals of the SBC Championships and the district tournament. Martin defeated Clyde's Michael Gessner 4-1 in overtime in the second round of the consolation bracket. Gessner will wrestle for seventh place. In Division III, Edison's Abe Hermes lost 5-2 in overtime in the semifinals to Lima Central Catholic's Antwain Adams. Hermes, a 2023 state champion, is 50-7 this season and will finish his tourney on the podium for the fourth straight year. Monroeville senior Brencyn Evans (44-8, 190) and junior Brycen Dunlap (47-12, 285) also lost in the semifinals. Other area wrestlers who are guaranteed top-eight finishes and All-Ohio honors: Division II: Bellevue's Jeremiah Hash (157) and Perkins' Haiden Bollini (215). Division III: Edison's Mason Hermes (113); Monroeville's Owen Patchen (120); Port Clinton's Josh Cornell (126); St. Mary Central Catholic's Ben James (138); Monroeville's Landen Roeder (150); St. Paul's Rafael Gross (157) and Malakii Pinkleton (190). Girls: Sandusky's Nikera Johnson (105) and Clyde's Mimi Greenslade (115).