STATE WRESTLING: 6 area boys advance to semifinals

COLUMBUS — Six area wrestlers advanced to the boys semifinals at the OHSAA state wrestling championships with quarterfinal wins Saturday morning. Perkins' Law Davlin and Edison's Cohen Reer dominated their matches with quick pins. Also moving on are Bellevue's Ben Jacobs, Monroeville's Owen Patchen, St. Mary Central Catholic's Ben James and Port Clinton's Malakii Pinkelton. The semifinals are scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Those six wrestlers, plus five area wrestlers who won second-round consolation matches, have clinched All-Ohio honors, which go to the top eight spots in each weight class. Davlin, at 165 pounds in Division II, pinned Franklin's Jack Berry in 1:28 in his quarterfinal bout. Davlin recorded a pin in 42 seconds in his Friday night opener. The Perkins sophomore will wrestle Claymont's Kamden Stout in the semis. Davlin pinned Stout at 6:00 in the first round last year. Jacobs won his 50th match of the season with an 8-5 decision over Benedictine's John Jones Jr. in his 150-pound Division II quarterfinal. Jacobs got a takedown to lead 3-0 after the first period, but found himself tied 4-4 heading into the third. Up 5-4, Jacobs clinched the win with a takedown with about 30 seconds left. "I was up so I was waiting for him to make the mistake," Jacobs said. "I said I was gonna go get this takedown late and seal the deal. The guy had a little bit of a scramble but I ended up on top and was able to pull it out." Jacobs will face West Branch's Beau Nezbeth in the semifinals Saturday night. "I'm looking for that state title," Jacobs said. "The kid I have in the next round, I've already wrestled once and lost in sudden victory. Looking to get my get-back." Reer, a freshman who is 47-2 on the season, pinned Northwestern's Reed Hamey in 52 seconds in the quarterfinals. He pinned his first opponent in the Division III tournament Friday night in 1:06. Monroeville's Patchen won an 18-5 major decision over Indian Lake's Jordan Henderson to advance to the 132-pound D-III semifinals. SMCC's James won a 5-1 decision against Graham's Cole Winemiller in his 150-pound Div. III semifinal match. PC's Pinkelton won a tough 5-2 decision over Fort Recovery's Danny Tiller at 190 pounds in Div. III to punch his ticket to the semifinals. Several area wrestlers clinched podium spots by winning matches in the second round of the consolation bracket. In Division II, Vermilion 157-pounder Aiden Kyser recorded a pin in 3:59 in the consolation round. Perkins' Boden Ballinger advanced at 190 with a pin of Bishop Watterson's Landon Lucas in 1:50. "He gave his arm so I used that and I felt that lat drop coming so I just hit and and I had to use a little bit of legs with it," Ballinger said. "I kept my focus and made sure he didn't get out. After a big fight I ended up getting the pin." Ballinger, who scored a pin Friday night to start his consolation journey, has been battling strep throat. "I've been really sick and wasn't able to practice at all," he said. "I can't breathe like I want to, but you have to get past that and fight with heart. That's what I just did on that mat. I'm coming for that podium trying to get third place." In Division III, Port Clinton senior Gavin Cornell won a 9-1 major decision to clinch All-Ohio honors. St. Paul's Rafael Gross also advanced in the consolation round with a pin in 1:24. Monroeville heavyweight Brycen Dunlap also clinched a podium spot with a pin in 4:23.