Just a few sentences on the four Panthers who will be at the Schott this week.
106: Drew Magness, sophomore, 34-13 (I have him at 35-13 but, hey, what do I know?)
I haven’t done any research to back this up, but I would bet a dime to a dollar that Magness is a member of a distinct minority of all of this year’s state qualifiers, all divisions: he didn’t start wrestling until he started high school. Last year his math teacher was Coach Roush, who we can figure early every year is always on the lookout for possible recruits for the team. Roush suggested that Magness should give wrestling a look-see; Magness joined the team and tallied a 4-5 varsity record. This year, except for the Elder Duals where he wrestled 113, Magness has wrestled only at 106, and has wrestled in every tournament and meet. He finished third at Ryle, fourth at SWOWCA, fifth at the CIT, and fourth at the Rieman.
Magness is in the upper half of the bracket with freshman Chris Earnest (Wadsworth, 32-9, Mentor District champ) and senior Corey Crawford (Dublin Coffman, 31-11, Hilliard Darby District champ). Magness will square off with Elyria junior Colin Noel (Elyria, 31-7) in the opening round.
113: William Doepker, senior, 24-4 (23-5)
Doepker is making his second trip to the Schott; in ’18 he placed eighth at 106.
This year he wrestled once at 113, twice at 120, and once at 126 until Brecksville, where he wrestled 120. He suffered an injury at Brecksville and did not return until the Lakota East Sectional. Doepker finished second at Ryle, first at SWOWCA, and sixth at Brecksville.
Doepker is in the lower half of the bracket with junior Jacob Moon (Oregon Clay, 39-3, #14 nationally by InterMat, Perrysburg District champ, ’19 third at 113) and junior Dylan Le (Dublin Scioto, 37-11, Hilliard Darby District champ, ‘16 sixth at 106). Doepker will tangle with sophomore Corey Haney (Medina Highland, 29-12) in the opening round.
126: Jack Collins, senior, 42-8 (43-8)
This is the third straight year Collins has qualified for the Schott at 126.
Collins has wrestled in every tournament and meet this year, and other than the Elder Duals and Western Brown Dual, both of which he wrestled at 132, Collins has wrestled only at 126. He finished second at Ryle, third at SWOWCA, seventh at Brecksville, and second at the CIT and Rieman.
Collins is in the upper half of the bracket with senior Logan Agin (Lancaster, 45-2, #15 nationally by InterMat, Hilliard Darby District champ, ’19 second at 113, ’18 third at 106, and ’17 fourth at 106, Duke) and junior Colin Roberts (Austintown Fitch, 49-4, Mentor District champ). Collins will do battle with freshman Joey Blaze (Perrysburg, 41-5) in the opening round. This match will be the only Panther opening match that is a rematch: Collins lost 9-1 to Blaze in the quarters at Brecksville.
152: Bartley Thomas, sophomore, 33-14 (33-14)
This is Thomas’ first trip to the Schott. He didn’t wrestle at the Elder Duals (the only tournament or meet he didn't wrestle at this year), but starting with the Western Brown dual he wrestled mainly at 170 until the CIT, where he dropped down to 160. He stayed there until the GCL-S meet, where he wrestled at 152 against LaSalle. Thomas finished fourth at Ryle, sixth at SWOWCA, and third at the CIT and Rieman.
Thomas is in the upper half of the bracket with senior Daniel Patten (Stow-Munroe Falls, 39-5, ’19 fifth at 145, ’18 sixth at 138, Mentor District Champ, Cleveland State) and senior Andrew Knick (Clayton Northmont, 50-2, ’19 sixth at 145). Thomas will face Patten in the opening round.
