The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Bay’s Cover prepares for D-II sectionals
Bay High School is hosting the Division II sectional tournament this weekend, and Rockets junior Matthew Cover (195) is ready to embark on a second straight state tournament run.
This year will be a different experience for Cover as he is in his own backyard for sectionals, which should help him and his team, led by father-coach Ryan Cover.
“It’s going to be really cool having
it at home,” said Cover, a two-time sectional champion. “I’ve had that experience once before when I was in the eighth grade. But it’s cool having it home and we’re going to have a good week of practice and pushing my partner. It’s going to be a tough sectional, with teams like Keystone and Padua always bring tough teams.”
Cover is 36-1 and ranked No. 5 in the state.
“I feel like I’ve had a pretty good season,” Cover said. “But I know I need to get ready for the postseason. I don’t really pay attention too much to the rankings. I just go out and wrestle, and whatever happens, happens.”
Cover had a big summer — competing at Fargo, N.D., and finishing as a national runner-up before falling, 6-4, to Folkstyle champion Ashton Sharp of Missouri.
But he has used the Fargo experience to catapult into a dominant season.
“He’s right where I thought he would be,” Coach Cover said earlier this season. “He had a real disappointing end to the season last year, but then in the spring, he went into another level. I don’t know if it’s because he’s gotten to the age of becoming a young man but I kind of expected this out of him.
“He worked hard all spring and summer, and he’s picking up where he left off.”
Matthew Cover has gotten more aggressive on top and smarter on his feet managing his matches. Last year at the state finals, he went two-and-out, losing both matches by one point.
He recalls being a bit shell-shocked from the state experience.
“I think the crowd kind of caught me by surprise,” he said. “I’m going to remember that when I go back down there and just know I’ve been there before and I’m going to wrestle like any other week.”
“Unlike last year at the state tournament — and he admits now what I knew ... that he kind of wrestled not to lose. And because of that, he lost two one-point matches,” Coach Cover said earlier in the year. “He had a real good offseason, including going to Fargo, and now he’s gotten over that not-lose mentality, and he goes out there to score and see what happens.”
Matthew Cover said he’s able to bounce ideas off his father-coach.
“It’s really cool because he’s always on me and pushing me making me work hard,” Cover said. “We see each other at home and we can always talk about matches, study and figure out how to get better.”
By March 10 in Columbus, Cover wants to stand on that No. 1 spot on the podium.
“I’m going there to try win it,” he said. “I feel like if I wrestle my best that week that I can do it. But it’s going to take a lot of good preparation and get mentally prepared for that weekend.”
Bath earns 100th pin
Vermilion senior Tyler Bath (220) earned his 100th career pin at the Sandusky Bay Conference tournament on Feb. 17. Bath finished third overall, and the Sailors were 10th (71.5).
Bath is ranked No. 8 in the state. In an interview earlier in the season, he talked about his determination of getting to the state tournament and placing.
“I definitely want to place,” he said. “I want to be on that podium. I want to be higher on the podium than I think I deserve and have to push myself. I want to exceed my own expectations.”
Teammate Trevor Boyd (160) earned a third-place finish at conference, and has 87 career pins.
Final time
This is the final edition of this season’s weekly wrestling notebook and statistics. I would like to personally thank all the coaches who cooperated throughout the year.