Perkins, Bellevue off to strong starts at district

NORWALK — Eleven area wrestlers advanced to the semifinals of the Division II district tournament at Norwalk High School after Day 1 on Friday. Those 11 need just one more win to qualify for next week's state tournament in Columbus. Four wrestlers in each weight class will compete for podium honors at Schottenstein Center. Wrestlers who won two matches Friday can make it to state by either winning in Saturday's quarterfinals or prevailing in the consolation blood round. Perkins leads the way with four wrestlers in the semifinals. The Pirates also lead the team standings with 56.5 points and had 11 wrestlers at Norwalk. "That's the best we've wrestled this season," Perkins coach Travis Crabtree said. "Today is always tough because you gotta weigh in twice. You gotta hold your weight and weight out again (at night)." Bellevue, which qualified 13 wrestlers for the district tournament, is close behind with three in the semis and 55 team points, good for second place. The Redmen have an edge over Perkins with nine wrestlers alive in the consolation brackets. Perkins has five. Wrestlers in the consolation brackets need three wins Saturday to qualify for the state tournament. Clyde has two wrestlers in the semifinals while Vermilion and Norwalk each advanced one. One of the Perkins wrestlers trying to make it to state for the first time is junior Jaycion Everett. Everett, who was a runner-up at the Galion sectional last week, scored a 16-1 technical fall in the first round before knocking off Celina's Aaren King with a 9-0 major decision in the second round at 138 pounds. "My coaches told me every day that he likes to fake and go to a different shot," Everett said. "He doesn't tie up so I tried to stay heavy on the hands, snapdowns, go-behinds. That's what beat him." Everett, a junior, improved to 32-10 while handing King his sixth loss of the season. Everett broke his arm in his first tournament as a freshman and lost in the blood round at district last year. "Hoping to place in state this year," he said. "The first match of the day (Saturday) will be kind of hard, too. I just have to keep wrestling." Everett will face Licking Valley's Ayden Douglas, who had two quick pins Friday, in the semifinals. Other Pirates who will start their Saturday in the semifinals include senior Braxden Martin (150), Law Davlin (165) and Boden Ballinger (190). Martin, a two-time All-Ohio wrestler, recorded pins in 31 seconds and 1:58. He has a 33-9 record. Davlin, who is 46-3, also had two quick pins (0:59, 1:52) while Ballinger advanced with a 10-9 decision in the quarterfinals. The first area wrestler to advance to the semifinals was Belleue's Thomas Reesman at 113. The sophomore improved to 40-8 on the season with two pins (3:10, 1:01). He handled Shelby's Corbyn Barth to advance to the semis. "He was being real defensive so I got to my ties," Reesman said. "He took a bad shot and I capitalized on it." Reesman is one of several Bellevue wrestlers hitting the mats this weekend with bleached hair. "We thought it would be fun," Reesman said. "We joke that it gives us powers, and right now I'm undefeated with it." He hopes to stay that way for two more matches. "I'm hyped, I'm very excited," Reesman said. "I need to focus on my diet tonight, rehydrate the right way after weigh-outs. Don't overthink it — just go out there and let it fly." Bellevue's other semifinalists are Owen Sterritt at 138 and Ben Jacobs at 150. Sterritt (42-6) recorded pins in 1:03 and 4:36. Jacobs (46-5) had a pin in 2:57 in the first round before squeaking out a 5-3 decision over Ontario's Gavin Miller, who led 1-0 after one period. Clyde's two semifinalists are Heath Norris (120) and Michael Gessner (144). Norris (40-4) recorded pins in 1:58 and 3:19 while Gessner (41-3) moved on with a 17-2 technical fall and a 12-2 major decision. Norwalk's Aidynn Metzger (28-10) advanced at 126 with an 11-8 decision and a 16-2 major decision. Vermilion's Aiden Kyser, who is 40-2 on the season and finished third at sectional, scored an 18-2 technical fall at 157 before pinning sectional champ Jacob Bayless from Bishop Hartley in 3:28.