Lake Catholic sending six to state tournament

Lake Catholic takes second place in the team race at the Division II Alliance District, qualifying six wrestlers to state. In Division III, VASJ heavyweight Pat Sheridan continues his pinning prowess.

ALLIANCE >> When you have the title “returning state placer” or “returning state qualifier” attached to your name, the road to the state wrestling tournament can be that much more turbu- lent.

The Lake Catholic wrestling team found that out this weekend at the Division II district tournament in Alliance. But with six wrestlers qualifying for next weekend’s state tournament, including five repeat performers, it’s safe to say the Cougars passed their test in flying colors.

Led by Kevon Freeman’s district championship at 145 pounds, Lake Catholic finished second in the team race behind tournament champion Canfield.

Joining Freeman in Columbus for the second straight year are sophomore Conor McCrone (second at 113), Hunter Ryan (fourth at 120), Mitch Skleres (second at 132), Luke McKeon (third at 138) and Collin Langer (fourth at 152).

All but Langer, who is making his first trip to the state tournament, is a state tournament veteran.

“I was really happy with our weekend,” Coach Eric Lakia said. “We got runner-up as a team, and that shows a lot about the team itself. It’s a testament to everybody.”

Especially because most of Lake Catholic’s wrestlers had state experience, thus putting a target on their backs.

“I think a lot of kids wrestle me different because I won a state title,” said Freeman after pinning West Branch’s Dylan Miller in the final. “It’s made me work harder than I did last year.”

McCrone agreed. After gutting out a hard-fought semifinal win by one point to earn a second straight state tournament bid, he wrestled possibly his best match of the tournament in a 10-9 loss to CVCA’s Matthew Cardello in the 113-pound title match.

“Last year I was a young freshman, an underdog with nothing to prove to anyone but myself,” he said, comparing this year to last year when he placed fourth at the state tournament. “This year, a target is on my back. People want to knock off someone supposed to be ahead of you. The pressure is greater.”

Ryan, a returning stateplacer, found that out the hard way. He was upset in the semifinal match by Coventry’s Joe Wright, 2-1, when he gave up a controversial stalling penalty with nine seconds left. Just prior to that call, Ryan thought he had a cradle locked up on the edge of the circle, but didn’t get the call.

“I’ll be ready (next week),” said Ryan, a fourthplace finisher who will face a to-be-determined district champion in the first round of the state tournament.

Skleres forfeited his championship match at 132, but said it was a precautionary measure to protect his aching knees.

This will be Skleres’ third state bid, two coming at Lake Catholic and one at Pymatuning Valley.

“It’s been a long road this year,” he said. ‘It’s been tough. Not one (bad) knee, but two. But I got back to where I wanted to be.”

McKeon placed third when his consolation opponent forfeited the finals. Langer lost a 6-4 decision to place third, but after missing a good hunk of the season with a knee injury, he will take it.

Joining the six Lake Catholic Cougars in Columbus will be Perry 170-pounder Evan Schenk (third at 170), Harvey 195-pounder Demetrius Mitchell (fourth at 195) and West Geauga 220-pounder Kyle Gallagher (fourth at 220).

Schenk lost his semifinal, but came back for a 3-1 win in his consolation semifinal to clinch a state berth. He then got a takedown in overtime for a 6-4 win against Woodridge’s Spencer Robinson to place third.

With the two wins, Schenk has 153 career victories, passing two-time state champion Billy Miller (152) and moving into second place on Perry’s alltime wins list behind older brother Alec Schenk (162).

“It’s not what I wanted,” he said of his third-place finish, “But it’s better to lose now than next weekend. I’ll go in next weekend giving it my all.”

Mitchell lost his opening match of the tournament, but won four straight in the consolation bracket to get a state bid. He lost in the finals, 11-0, to place fourth, but was happy nonetheless.

“It feels amazing, there’s no other feeling like it,” Mitchell said. “My freshman year, I saw people making it to districts. I saw Alonzo (Turner) make it to state. That motivated me to get better every day.”

Gallagher had a losing record as a freshman and sophomore, but is statebound as a senior. He clinched his spot with a 3-2 decision over Perry’s Nick Mason, the third time this year he’s bested his CVC foe.

“I was so mad losing my semifinal,” he said. “My coaches told me, ‘Hey you’ve got to reset.’ That’s what I did, and I went out and got it done.”