Berkshire Badgers’ senior Danny Tiller ended the program’s three-year drought of not fielding a state placer at the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division III state tournament, when he compiled a 2-3 record to take eighth place last weekend at The Ohio State University’s Jerome Schottenstein Center.
“It means a lot to come down here and see what I can do with a full season,” Tiller said. “It means a lot to just do what I can and get a placement in the first place. You have to take what you can get so it means a lot to me.”
Tiller not only found redemption at the state tournament this season after his state debut during his junior year had him go 0-2, but also becomes the first Berkshire wrestler to place since standout Lucas Stoddard, who won a state title in the 190-pound weight class in 2022.
For the Badgers’ senior, it has been a long time coming as his last two years were plagued by injury, missing nearly half the season in each of his sophomore and junior years. With a healthy season under his belt, Tiller wrapped up his Berkshire wrestling career with a coveted state placement.
“It is great,” said Coach Dave Malkus. “He is our first place since Lucas Stoddard. It was not the outcome we wanted at the end, but he gave everything he had so we are ultimately proud of him.”
On Friday, Tiller captured his first state tournament victory by pinning Fort Recovery junior Jake Meyer with 39 seconds remaining in regulation in the first period.
According to Tiller, it was a huge weight off his shoulders to advance out of the first round with a victory and avoid history repeating itself when he was ousted from the championship bracket in his junior year.
“Last year I was nervous and didn’t know how it was going to go but this year I had a get after it attitude and just took it to him and was more confident,” Tiller said.
On Saturday, Tiller was defeated by junior Malakil Pinkleton from Union Local by a 5-2 decision in the quarterfinal.
That left the Badgers’ senior in a familiar position, one loss away from once again going home empty-handed.
Tiller’s time appeared to be dwindling as he had a challenging start in his second-round consolation match against Garaway senior Dillon King, trailing 7-1 in the third period.
Tiller acknowledged that he even thought things were looking bleak but was far from ready to concede defeat.
“If you want to lose, that can be it, but you have to go out and get the win, so it was just more motivation,” Tiller said.
Tiller quickly scored a takedown, surrendered an escape but recorded another three-point takedown in the final seconds to knot the score at 8-8, sending it to a one-minute sudden victory overtime period, where the first wrestler to score a point would win.
The Badgers’ senior executed a reversal, scoring three points to end the match and claim an 11-8 sudden overtime victory, officially earning a state placement.
“He was winning,” Tiller noted. “In my mind I thought I was done, and this is the last match I was ever going to wrestle but, in my head, it clicked that it does not have to be so I turned it around and eventually got some takedowns and won in overtime.”
Later that evening, Tiller held a 1-0 lead after recording an escape in the second period but surrendered eight points in the third period, including a takedown and near fall, losing by an 8-1 decision against senior Trent Johnson from Patrick Henry, sending him to the seventh-place championship match.
On Sunday, Tiller dueled against Huntington junior Carson McNeal in the seventh-place championship and fell by a 4-2 decision.
“He was putting a lot of pressure on himself,” the third-year coach noted about Tiller’s final two matches. “When he was able to wrestle that Garaway match, that third period just opened everything up and he got into his offense, and it was the same thing in the first round.”
Ultimately, Tiller concluded his Berkshire wrestling career by carrying on the standard set by his predecessor Lucas Stoddard, who earned a state placement in his final season and is excited to pass the torch to his successor.
“It has been everything to me,” Tiller said of his Badgers’ tenure. “It has been one of the greatest experiences I can think of. Just so much fun at all times, and I love my teammates and my coaches.”
