From the 2001 Brakeman Report
171 #
Projected Champion: Hetag Pliev (Lakota East)
Top Contenders
2 M. Kallai (Wadsworth)
3 Camargo (Berea)
4 Lukens (Moeller)
5 Fairman (Mayfield)
6 Cesear (Amherst)
7 Snyder (Massillon Perry)
8 Westbeld (Fairmont)
9 Bartlett (Wapakoneta)
10 Grutsch (Thomas Worthington)
11 Miller (Bedford)
12 Haws (Butler)
13 Garcia (Libbey)
14 Henderson (Solon)
15 Swift (St. Edward)
16 Andy (Ashland)
17 Tucker (Cofman)
18 Edwards (Mansfield Madison)
19 Crowthers (Mt. Vernon)
20 Oravec (Padua)
21 Gregorek (Lorain Southview)
22 Saylor (Fairfield)
23 Schoolcraft (East Liverpool)
24 May (Elder)
25 Alexander (Howland)
26 Carpenter (Maumee)
27 Woltz (Logan)
28 Baute (St. Xavier)
Bach wrote six suites for unaccompanied cello - - they were nearly lost, the original manuscript was never found, and only a few copies handwritten by his wife made it through. Once rediscovered, they were, for the longest time, simply ignored, mistaken for exercise etudes. Then, at the age of 13, the prodigy Pablo Casals was rummaging around in a second hand shop in Barcelona, and he found a dusty copy of these pieces he had never heard of. He bought them, took them home, studied them and was later to describe the experience as the greatest revelation of his life. He worked at them every day for 12 years until he had the courage to play them in public, and then he seemed to never stop performing them, and with absolutely intimidating authority. These pieces have become to cellists what Shakespeare’s plays are to actors or Rembrandt’s painting to painters - - the foundation of the repertoire, the music that can be returned to and never exhaust.
Thus, it was on the slender threads of chance that one of the great musical works can be enjoyed today. My question, in this connection is whether it was the slender threads of chance that catapulted Nick Lukens to a state title last year. Make no mistake, Lukens earned that title with solid wrestling and masterful match management. Still he was a district 3rd losing to Clemens 9-0 in the semi-finals for his sixth loss. Then after capturing 3rd place by a point he won four bouts at Columbus - - two in overtime and the other two by a total of three points. In the finale he defeated Clemens with an overtime takedown. This year he was pinned by Rios at the Beast of the East, barely defeated Chambers in the semi-finals before being thumped by Keough 7-1 in the SWOCA finals,and then was majored by Rios 13-5 in the dual meet. All this was at 189#. At the CIT he dropped to 171, but lost to Morrison, 13-5 in the finals although the first week after his cut might have proven difficult. Again, at Easton, he lost two out of three to drop his record to 14-7.
There are three other challengers. Kallai was freshman of the year in 1999 when he was a district champ at 145# and the finished 3rd at Columbus losing only to three-time titlist Ty Morgan. Last year at 160# he repeated as district champ, but was a disappointing 6th at States losing twice to Stephens. This year he won at Wadsworth and Mayfield, but was 5th at the Top Gun. He has split two one-point bouts with Camargo. He s clearly the biggest Kallai that we’ve seen in the past 30 years.
Camargo is a great looking athlete with tremendous upside potential. He was a district champion at this weight class last year and beat Pliev in the first round 12-11--losses to Hallahan and Clift then quickly eliminated him. This year he was 2nd (to Kallai) at Wadsworth and won at the Top Gun. He’s a real “horse” at this weight.
Pliev is truly amazing. A recent Russian emigrant, he likes only free-style and is negative on the way we conduct high school bouts. He is only a junior, but already a two-time state qualifier, though never a placer. At Brecksville, weighing 180 pounds, he tossed the 189’s, good ones like Nagel, Poe and Robertson, all over the mat. He made it look frighteningly easy. I can’t imagine what he’ll do at 171# nor, frankly, can anyone else. There is a certain inconsistency to his performance - - sometimes almost a certain lack of interest.
So where do we stand? Where we always seem to in recent years at this weight class, in a state of confusion shaking our head at the number of options. This has been a jinx weight class in recent years with surprises like Lukens and Osolin winning. My original choice was Kallai based on consistency and experience, with Camargo almost an equal co-favorite. But how can you overlook Pliev’s dominating performances where he shreds first-class wrestlers. I worry about his focus and his predilection for unusual losses, but he has to be the choice.. Lukens is extremely intelligent - - as witness, his Stanford acceptance (my 11th grade daughter is terribly jealous) and, I’m sure will right the ship. However, the slender threads of probability are not often repeatable.
Kallai and Camargo stand tall at Perry, but Snyder is a strong third choice. He has good placement potential. Miller is somewhat overshadowed by Mahone at Bedford, but he has had a great season winning a number of tournaments. His only disappointment was at Medina where he didn’t seem ready. Henderson and Oravec have both been impressive, but there is not a lot of qualification room. Alexander and Tesch are both good long-shot choices.
Pliev and Lukens should dominate at Fairfield. Two Dayton entrants, Westbeld and Haws, look to be next best although Haws stumbled recently against Tesch. Should any of this top group falter Saylor, May and Baute wait in the wings. Gadd at 19-4 is a possibility here. Clum (Greenville) would have been a qualification threat here, but shoulder surgery has apparently erased his season.
It is very confusing at Mentor. Fairman and the undefeated Cesear look to be best, but both have some issues - - particularly the strength of Cesear’s schedule. State qualifier Edwards was 6th at the Top Gun and 5th at the Gorman and may struggle to qualify. Bartlett was a state alternate last year and should play an important part at this district. Garcia, Carpenter, Andy and Akenberger (Bowsher) are strong Toledo entrants, but the real mystery is Swift. He has beaten some strong boys but he also falls victim to first period pins. Avoiding that he might make it through this crowded field.
There is very little at Darby. Tucker is rated first in the Columbus area , but Swift and Snyder pinned him at the Ohio Duals and he lost early at Medina. I’ve also listed Crowthers and Grutsch in my Top Twenty, but this is a district you’ll want to draw into at Co
