The Berkshire Badgers’ wrestling team defended their home mats in style, finishing in third place with a team score of 148.0 points, crowning one sectional champion, advancing seven district qualifiers along with two district alternates last Saturday at the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division III Berkshire sectional in Burton.
“It was great,” said Coach Dave Malkus. “Matches here and there didn’t go the way that we wanted. South Range got a couple of bonus points with their guys so third place is where we thought we could be, so it was great to see.”
Berkshire will wrestle at the OHSAA Division III Independence District tournament to compete for state berths this weekend at the Independence Field House beginning on Friday at 5 p.m.
“I believe our guys are battle-tested,” added the third-year coach. “I know that they can get ready mentally this week and we can get them mentally prepped. I know that we can get some kids to qualify down for Columbus. Districts is always hard, but I am willing to see who will step up this week to take that jump to get to Columbus.”
Senior 190-pound Danny Tiller posted a 4-0 record to defend his sectional championship and finish in first place in his weight class.
The Badgers’ senior automatically advanced to the semifinal on two byes and won his semifinal bout against Geauga County rival and Chagrin Falls’ freshman Jack Bundy by pinning him with 12 seconds remaining in the first period.
Tiller emerged victorious in the championship round by defeating sophomore Gunnar Osbourne from Canton Central Catholic 10-6 to seal his sectional title and wrap up his final home match in style.
“It is starting to set in for me as well because he is someone that I have known since he has been a little bitty kid and now, he is a man,” Malkus said.
Sophomore Estevon Huesca netted his first district berth by tallying a 3-1 record to finish as the runner-up in the 157-pound weight class.
“I personally keep telling him that I think that he can be a state qualifier, he is really buying into it for himself now,” Malkus said. “It is good to see that confidence coming into these guys especially this late.”
Huesca advanced to the quarterfinal on a bye and earned a semifinal bid when he pinned junior Mike Shenberger from Hillsdale with 1:04 remaining in the first period, then pinned South Range junior Ryan Ruthrauff with only 26 seconds left in the first period to qualify for the district meet.
The Berkshire sophomore was then defeated by senior Bennett Claypoole 7-1 in the championship round.
Junior 132-pound Caden Klingman captured a district bid when he went 4-1 to take third place.
Klingman soared into the semifinal round after pinning Chagrin Falls’ freshman George Stewart at the 1:17 mark of the first period in his first-round match then pinned freshman Dominic D’Aiuto with 25 seconds left in the first period of the quarterfinal bout.
The Badgers’ senior was ousted from the championship bracket when he lost 4-3 against South Range sophomore Sam Vivo in the semifinal match but rebounded and netted a district berth in the consolation semifinal match, triumphing against Pymautning Valley sophomore August Marrison by a 13-2 major decision.
Klingman stayed sharp in the consolation championship, pinning freshman Isaiah Criss from Girard with 1:19 remaining in the second period to net third place.
Freshman Josh Heiden amassed a 5-1 record to take third place in the 113-pound bracket.
“In the back half of the consolation bracket, he was very calm and knew that he had that confidence of I know that I can win and went out did what he needed to do to make sure he needed to make it to districts,” Malkus said.
After advancing to the quarterfinals on a bye, Heiden lost by a 19-4 technical fall against Garfield senior Camron Lewicki, and received two consecutive byes in the consolation bracket to qualify for the consolation semifinal round.
Heiden secured his district berth when he pinned sophomore Ethan Myers from Hillsdale with 28 seconds remaining in the first period then captured third place by pinning South Range sophomore Devin Pal at the 1:26 mark of the second period in the consolation championship.
Freshman Alex Sustin posted a 4-1 record to place third in the 106-pound bracket.
Sustin advanced to the semifinal round on consecutive byes, then lost by an 11-1 major decision against sophomore Ralph Stellato from South Range, but automatically finished in third place as he received two additional byes in the consolation bracket.
Sophomore Jacob Ulatowski earned a district berth by going 3-2 in the 120-pound bracket, followed by freshman 150-pound Trent Holland who netted fourth place by recording a 4-2 record, junior Danny Auth went 5-2 in the 126-pound weight class to finish in fifth place as a district alternate, followed by sophomore 175-pounder Vance Rice who tallied a 4-2 record to earn fifth place and a district alternate bid as well.
