State wrestling tournament is best OHSAA offers

I like calling it a threeday extravaganza. The crowd yelling “twoooooooo” when a favorite of theirs scores two points. Coaches getting on their knees as their wrestler is nearing a big move. The bright lights. And, of course, the parade of champions. The OHSAA state wrestling tournament will run from March 7-9 at the Jerome Schottenstein Center. And there’s no state tournament or games the OHSAA offers that compares. I’ve covered state football, basketball, soccer, cross country, track and field, softball and swimming. But the state wrestling tournament is the place I feel the most intensity. Maybe because it’s three days or maybe because I see the emotions of the wrestlers that I don’t see anywhere else. When a basketball or football team loses, it’s a team thing. The players share the grief together. In wrestling, it’s mano a mano and when someone loses, nothing hurts the ego more. But when they win, the emotions erupt unlike anything I’ve seen before. The crowd at the Schott is incredible. Anywhere who’s been there knows what I mean. In a state football game, the stakes are obviously higher than the regular season, but the game is still 2.5 hours and the crowd is loud like it is in October. It doesn’t really feel any different. Same goes for basketball. But in wrestling, most of the season is watched by sparse crowds. And then the state tournament hits and it’s a whole different animal for everyone involved. This week, I encourage anyone who attends to soak in the moment, the crowd noise and emotion for a three-day period that is better than anything else the OHSAA has to offer.

JEN FORBUS — FOR THE MORNING JOURNAL Firelands’ Payton Burgdorf keeps a tight grip on Fairview’s Adam Samad and comes out the winner in the 120 championship round on Feb. 9.