PERRYSBURG – The realization hit Garrett Barth this week.
Garrett Barth
The senior was staring down the final stretch of his wrestling career and the emotions welled up.
But his career isn’t over yet. He has one more week. And a state tournament to compete in.
Saturday Barth won his second-straight Division I district championship, winning the 170-pound weight class and punching his ticket to next week’s state meet with a top seed.
“I feel really well,” Barth said. “I wanted to perform as well as I did last year. I didn’t get a pin like I did last year, but I’m glad I still got first.”
After a difficult and emotional week, Ross head coach Chad Hetrick said Barth served himself well to clear his head and focus on the task at hand.
“Everything coming to an end, it hit him,” Hetrick said. “It balled up inside of him and I think it’s a good thing it came out, instead of him having a bunch of things on his mind. He was able to come here and perform and advance out as a champ.
“Things came to reality for him that it’s his last year and we sat down, had a little talk with him to get him prepared for life and districts and state, all at the same time,” he added. “Hopefully he pulls it out at state and makes it onto the podium for the first time and we send him off with a placement at state.”
While Caleb Wood and Lamonte Chapman will join Barth at the state meet, which begins next Thursday in Columbus, Barth was the only Little Giant to go undefeated and claim a district title.
He won the championship with a 7-2 decision over Ethan Hatcher, of Brecksville. The match prior, however, a 2-0 semifinal win over Lorain’s Shawn Petty, took the pressure off Barth as the semifinal win clinched a trip to Columbus.
“My draw was really good,” Barth said. “I knew I had some tough kids in the finals, but my semifinal, I was really nervous and that’s why I only scored (two points), but after I knew I made state, it took all the pressure off me and I was able to perform better.”
Caleb Wood
While the state meet won’t be a new experience for Barth, junior Caleb Wood will be competing for the first time in the Schott Center. Wood won third place in the 195-pound weight class, defeating Midview’s Seth Frambach by a 4-3 decision.
His previous match, a win against Berea-Midpark’s Andrew Bachie, saw Wood score his 30th pin of the year, tying Ross’ single-season pin record.
By the time he squared off with Frambach, his berth at the state meet was secure and he was trying to break the pins record, but Wood was more concerned with a different goal.
“We were supposed to have practice tomorrow but coach said ‘If you beat Frambaugh, we can go swimming tonight for practice.’” Wood said.
“Honestly, I really wasn’t (thinking about the record). I was just thinking about getting third and a better seed at state. I didn’t have my mind set on that.”
The third seed, however, was far from a lock. Wood held a 3-1 lead in the third period, before sustaining a blow to the head early in the period. He took a moment to gather himself but shortly after Frambaugh tied the match. In the final half-minute, however, Wood retook the lead and held on for the 4-3 decision.
“I think he was determined to power through at that point,” Hetrick said. “He wanted this match. He wanted to make it out with a win and advance to state knowing that if you get a fourth-place here, you get someone that won at districts. He did real well and came through.”
Lamonte Chapman
Ross nearly sent another wrestler to the state meet with a No. 3 seed. Chapman held a two-point lead over his final opponent, Marco Regalbuto, of Brecksville, until Regalbuto scored a take-down in the final seconds of the third period to force an overtime period. Regalbuto scored the sudden-death win in about 15 seconds in the extra period.
Chapman said he didn’t realize he held a two-point lead. Thinking he was ahead by a single point, he didn’t want to risk being whistled for stalling at the end to cost himself a point.
“I didn’t know the score,” he said. “I didn’t know I was up by two, I thought I was up by one. I was going to keep running but my coaches didn’t tell me I was up by two.”
In addition to being confused by the score, Hetrick believes Chapman’s penchant for getting quick victories throughout the season has cost him stamina in longer matches.
“Conditioning had a lot to do with it,” Hetrick said. “He got tired and couldn’t pull it off. It’s hard to talk about Monte because he has a lot of skill and potential, but his gas tank is very low.”
While Barth, Wood and Chapman have their places reserved in Columbus, a fourth Little Giant may get a chance to as well. Jackson Weissener earned alternate status with his fifth-place finish at 160 pounds. After losing his opening match of the tournament, Weissinger rebounded to win three in a row, before falling to Elyria’s Jake Evans one match shy of clinching a state berth. He then won the next match for fifth place and a potential place at state in case of injury or failure by another competitor to make weight.
Jackson Weissinger
“He worked his butt off,” Hetrick said of Weissinger. “He earned his fifth-place spot, fair and square. Hopefully next year he can come back and make it down to state.”
Division I District Tournament
126 – Charles Chapman, 1-2
132 – Deshea Pettiford, 1-2
138 – Lamonte Chapman, 3-2, fourth place – state tournament qualifier
160 – Jackson Weissinger, 4-2, fifth place – state tournament alternate
170 – Garrett Barth, 4-0 – District champion – state tournament qualifier
195 – Caleb Wood, 4-1, third place – state tournament qualifier