African American State Champions in Ohio

FirestoneFan said:
It's all good, chidy. I am a Field alumnus and followed Adeniyi-Bada in high school and college. He had a great rivalry with Akron Springfield's Anthony Gary (beat him once in a dual I believe) and had a distinguished college career at Penn.
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Very cool stuff. While researching him to find out info I saw that he was a 2X AA for Penn (he was there with my former youth teammate Yoshi Nakamura who was also a 2x AA). His mother is from Nigeria and didn't want him to wrestle but I'm sure a lot of people are glad she finally did let him.

Here's footage from his 2000 NCAA semi where Brock Lesnar hit Adeniyi-Bada with the "Wheel of Death"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7HAfSC-Qa8

Here's a short article about the match

https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2015/3/...f-death-wrestling-move-ncaa-ufc-wwe-wrestling

Here's an article about him and his senior year at Penn
https://www.thedp.com/article/1999/...eight_adeniyibada_wrestles_after_playing_many
 
FirestoneFan said:
Bandele Adeniyi-Bada (Mayfield) 94

Adeniyi-Bada graduated from Field High School (not Mayfield). The official OHSAA name is Mogadore Field.
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Played football against him, I was a sophomore I think his senior year.

He was a man among boys on the football field. Lets just say I never tried to tackle anywhere higher than the knees against him since I was walking around at like 140 lb at the time.

His younger brother was much bigger in HS but much easier to tackle/bring down than Bandele was.
 
ROCKETBOOSTER said:
1981 aa 175 Darrell Render Warrensville Hts?
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Thanks. I updated the list on the original post. I'm only in the mid 1970's in my most resent research so I was working my way up to the 80's, 90's, 00's, 10's but I think I'm getting closer to a complete list.
 
Besides Mark Martin (Already listed on 2xers). Does St. Edward have any other African American State Champions?

I know that Zack Thompson, Edgar Bright, & Dakota Howard were Runner-ups with Bright & Howard being 2x RU
 
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chidy said:
I believe I have all the 2x, 3x, & 4x state champs. I'm getting closer on the 1x champs.

Anyone I'm missing?


4x State Champions (2)
Harry Lester (CVCA) 98, 99, 00, 01
David Carr (Dayton Christian & Massillon Perry) 15, 16, 17, 18

3x State Champions (2)
Joe Heskett (Walsh Jesuit) 95, 96, 97
Kevon Freeman (Mentor Lake Catholic) 16, 17, 18

2x State Champions (24- Close to complete)
Bobby Douglas (Bridgeport) 59, 61
Joe Green (Toledo Scott) 65, 66
Shawn Garel (Cleveland Shaw) 72, 73
Lee Kemp (Chardon) 73, 74
Reggie Johnson (Ashland Crestview) 76, 77
Dunyasha Yetts (Steubenville) 88, 89
Jermaine Daniels (Huber Heights) 90, 91
Markus Mollica (Walsh Jesuit) 90, 91
Roderick Franklin (Lorain Southview) 92, 93
Anthony Gary (Akron Springfield) 93, 94
Tommy Tye (Cin. Country Day & St. Bernard Elmwood) 94, 95
Tomazz Wilson (Toledo Woodward) 94, 95
Demar Pentorn (Sandusky Perkins) 99, 00
Jason Barnett (Col. St. Francis DeSales) 00, 01
John Weakley (CVCA) 06, 07
Orlando Scales (Cin. Elder) 08, 09
Josh Demas (Westerville North) 09, 10
Kory Mines (Maple Hts.) 09, 10
Jerome Robinson (St. Ignatius) 09, 10
Chaz Gresham (Goshen) 11, 12
Mark Martin (St. Edward) 11, 12
Dom Demas (Dublin Coffman) 15, 17
Jacob Decatur (CVCA) 17, 18 (Opportunity for 3rd this year)
Jordan Decatur (CVCA) 17, 18 (Opportunity for 3rd this year)

1x State Champions (Incomplete- In Process of Adding Names)
Ludie Grady (Cle. John Adams) 58
David Range Jr. (Garfield Hts.) 63
Walter Keith (Elyria) 63
Cecil Sallee (Cle. John Marshall) 64
Ralph Cox (Col. East) 67
Wilbur Lewis (Elyira) 67
Orlando Bush (Elyria) 67
Larry Crowell (Toledo Scott) 67
Charles Gayles (Cin. Princeton) 69
Norman Hatchet (Cin. Withrow) 72
Ricky Lewis (Elyria) 73
Harold Smith (Canton McKinley) 74
Eric Cunningham (Akron South) 74
Ken Miller (Sandusky) 75
Robert Jones (Painsville Harvey) 75
Andy Jackson (Painsville Harvey) 76
Kelvin Irby (Sandusky) 77
Lee McDonald (Sandusky Perkins) 80
Vaughn Broadnax (Xenia) 80
Darrell Render (Warrensville Hts.) 81
David Singletery (Lorain Southview) 83
Darren Cannon (Elyria) 83
Keith Cameron (Alliance) 84
David Range III (Cleveland Hts.) 86
Laurence Dudgeon (Xenia) 86
Robert Taylor (Lorain Southview) 87
Gerald Taylor (Lorain Southview) 87
Dontae Smith (Akron Kenmore) 88
Kevin Randleman (Sandusky) 89
LeConte Merrell (Mansfield St. Peter) 92
Shantell Sanders (Cin. Academy of Physical Education-CAPE) 92
Airron Richardson (Toledo Start) 93
Bandele Adeniyi-Bada (Mogadore Field) 94
Chinedu Achebe (Steubenville Cen. Cath.) 95
Delbert Cowsette (Cle. Cent. Cath.) 95
Robert Sessley (Col. Beechcroft) 96
Kore Sharpley (Shaker Hts.) 96
Roger Merrell (Mansfield) 97
Bo James (Akron Springfield) 97
Omar Scruggs (Cin. Sycamore) 99
Troy Bowers (Westerville South) 99
Jermain Thompson (Akron Kenmore) 02
Hassan Adebesin (Shaker Hts.) 02
Tony Johnson (Lakota East) 04
Enrique Robertson (Maple Hts.) 06
Cordell Longstreath (Graham) 07
Jermane Lindsey (Cin. Arch. Moeller) 07
Waquiem Comar (Twinsburg) 10
Michael Baker (Twinsburg) 11
Sam Wheeler (Copley) 11
Ivan McClay (Massillon Washington) 13
Casey Sparkman (Massillon Perry) 14
Kyle Conel (Ashtabula Lakeside) 14
Taleb Rahmani (Marysville) 15
Ana Abdujelil (Whitehall Yearling) 16
Kaden Russell (St. Ignatius) 16
Kameron Teacher (Central Crossing) 16
Antonio McCloud (Cin. Elder) 18

Brothers Who Were State Champs
Wilbur & Ricky Lewis (Elyria)
Gerald & Robert Taylor (Lorain Southview)
Jacob & Jordan Decatur (CVCA)
Josh (Westerville North) & Dom Demas (Dublin Coffman)

Any other African American brothers who were State Champs?

Father/Son Who Were State Champs
David Range Jr. (Garfield Hts.) & David Range III (Cleveland Hts.)

Any other African American father/sons who were State Champs?

Most State Champions (Total Individuals)- Not complete
Elyria (5)
Lorain Southview & CVCA (4)
Sandusky (3)
Several Others (2)

Most State Champions (Total Titles)- Not complete
CVCA (10)
Elyria, Lorain, Walsh Jesuit (5)
Massillon Perry (4)
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Well you can put the Decatur twins down as three timers now!!!
 
rjewards said:
DeAndre Nasar 2019-182lbs
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Updated. Wow were those 2 guys physically put together in that match! Specimens!

Anyone know if Nassar played football? He looked like he could have been a great running back! Maybe he was? IDK :shrug:
 
1971 Mike Daniels, Cincinnati Hughes, 175
Won as a junior but didn’t wrestle his senior year
Not sure why


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
chidy said:
Updated. Wow were those 2 guys physically put together in that match! Specimens!

Anyone know if Nassar played football? He looked like he could have been a great running back! Maybe he was? IDK :shrug:
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he did and was a running back
 
chidy said:
Keep them coming guys. Thanks
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Chidy, were you around in 73 when Elyria won the state title ? Akron Garfield was second, 2 points behind Elyria. Mainly because of Lee and Lash (they also had a heavyweight place) Like I said, back then you could win the state title with 2-3 wrestlers
 
RandyLoathsome said:
Chidy, were you around in 73 when Elyria won the state title ? Akron Garfield was second, 2 points behind Elyria. Mainly because of Lee and Lash (they also had a heavyweight place) Like I said, back then you could win the state title with 2-3 wrestlers
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Nope I wasn’t even a twinkle in my parents eye yet. I was born in 78.

Elyria had 4 qualifiers in 1973 that all placed
1 Champ
1 3rd
1 4th
1 6th
 
Only a few 2xers I haven't been able to find pictures of. Anyone know these wrestlers and can tell me if they are white or African American?

Bill Lewis (Licking Heights) 73, 74
Thom Herold (DeSales) 74, 75
Phil Anglim (Bishop Watterson) 76, 77
Mark Lowe (Licking Heights) 76, 77
Mike Stalnaker (Jonathan Alder) 77, 78
John Ryba (Chanel) 82, 83
Dan Donovan (Chanel) 84, 85
Mary Coontz (Ravenna Southeast) 90, 91
James Smiles (Bishop Ready) 90, 91
 
chidy said:
Only a few 2xers I haven't been able to find pictures of. Anyone know these wrestlers and can tell me if they are white or African American?

Bill Lewis (Licking Heights) 73, 74
Thom Herold (DeSales) 74, 75
Phil Anglim (Bishop Watterson) 76, 77
Mark Lowe (Licking Heights) 76, 77
Mike Stalnaker (Jonathan Alder) 77, 78
John Ryba (Chanel) 82, 83
Dan Donovan (Chanel) 84, 85
Mary Coontz (Ravenna Southeast) 90, 91
James Smiles (Bishop Ready) 90, 91
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Donovan and Herold both Caucasian, if I remember correctly.
 
Ok Have it down to 3 left of the 2xers to have the list complete. Caucasian or African American?

Bill Lewis (Licking Heights) 73, 74
Mark Lowe (Licking Heights) 76, 77
James Smiles (Bishop Ready) 90, 91
 
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chidy said:
I updated the list of 2x, 3x, 4x African American State champs to the best of my knowledge based off the updates you posted on this thread along with cross checking on this link from OHSAA's website
https://www.ohsaa.org/Portals/0/Sports/Wrestling/Multiple-Times-State-Champs.pdf

Can anyone confirm if the following individuals are African American or not?
Joe Green (Toledo Scott 65, 66)
James Brown (Akron Ellet 70, 71)
Reggie Johnson (Ashland Crestview 76, 77)
Demar Pentorn (Sandusky Perkins 99, 00)

There are many names on OHSAA's list of 2xers I'm not familiar with so if anyone could help out that would be great

There are also many 1x State Champs and several have been listed here that were exceptional. I haven't began to compile that list yet because I'm sure that's the largest list and not nearly as easy to compile as the other ones
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Joe Green is an African American. He wrestled and played football at BGSU where he was all-MAC as a defensive back and middle guard (which seems strange). He then played 3 years in the NFL with the Giants. Don't know how he did as a wrestler at BG. Was also an excellent baseball player, but did not play that in college as well. Slacker...lol

Edit: Looked up some info on his as a wrestler at BG. Went 8-2 as a sophomore and finished 2nd in the MAC at 177. Won his first match in the NCAA tourney that year (1968) then lost 13-4 to a wrestler from Oklahoma who finished 4th. Can't find anything else so far.
 
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OCEagle said:
Joe Green is an African American. He wrestled and played football at BGSU where he was all-MAC as a defensive back and middle guard (which seems strange). He then played 3 years in the NFL with the Giants. Don't know he did as a wrestler at BG. Was also an excellent baseball player, but did not play that in college as well. Slacker...lol
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Thanks. I updated him in the initial post list a while back.

The only 2xers I have left I can't find photos for are:

Bill Lewis (Licking Heights) 73, 74
Mark Lowe (Licking Heights) 76, 77
James Smiles (Bishop Ready) 90, 91
 
darthmalice said:
Be nice if anyone could do a top 5 list of a school's best african american wrestlers.
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ELYRIA (Oldest to most recent)
Walter Keith- Champ '63, Runner-up '64 (Lost on ref decision- not sure how that worked back then), State Qualifier '62
Wilbur Lewis- Champ '67, 3rd '66, NJCAA All-American @ Lorain County Community College (3rd) '68
Orlando Bush- Champ '67
Ricky Lewis- Champ '73, Member of the only Team State Championship in Elyria Wrestling History ('73), Younger brother of Wilbur (see above)
Darren Cannon- Champ '83, NJCAA National Champion '86, NJCAA All-American (4th) '84- Both at Lakeland Community College
 
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Four new names have been added to the record books

Kyren Butler (Copley) 21
Dierre Clayton (St. Vincent St. Mary) 21
Ty Wilson (Dublin Scioto) 21
Marlon Yarbrough (Copley) 21
 
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