West Geauga wins sectional with 11 qualifiers

With all the high-powered, state-ranked wrestlers at the Division II sectional wrestling tournament at Lake Catholic on Feb. 27, few would have forecasted the tournament coming down to a kid named Nathan

Meyers.

That includes Meyers himself. But when West Geauga’s junior 195-pounder decisioned Lake Catholic’s Danny Morgan for third place at the 195-pound match, that gave the Wolverines a sectional team title that few — if any — gave them a chance to get when the season started.

That includes Coach Ben Stehura.

“Uh, no,” said Stehura when asked he he foresaw a sectional title at season’s start. “But you know what? This team is really a team. I think people doubted us because we didn’t wrestle our traditional schedule. This type of performance is what this team has done all year long.”

West Geauga had a one-point lead over Lake Catholic in the team race heading into the Meyers-Morgan match. Whichever wrestler won — their team won.

It was a 1-1 match midway through the third, with each wrestler getting an escape point. Meyers took down Morgan and rode him out the remaining 50 seconds or so.

“I knew it was close, but I didn’t know it was THAT close,” Meyers said of the team score heading into his consolation final. “I just wanted to wrestle to the best of my ability. Obviously, the best part was afterward when all of my teammates were hyping me up. That was cool.”

West Geauga advanced 11 wrestlers to next week’s district tournament at Perry. Jack Sparent (126) and Lucas Sadler (285) were individual champions.

Stehura credited the entire team, noting that 11 of the 13 Wolverines he took to the tournament moved on to the district tournament, and that all 13 placed in the top six.

“Every single point counted today,” Stehura sad. “We needed every point our kids got us to win it. The kids earned it. I’m proud of them.”

Sectional runner-up Lake Catholic crowned six champions — Joey Romano (113), Brendan McCrone (120), Ethan Smith (138), Anthony Trivisonno (152), Rob Boley (160) and Cole Hivnor (182).

Nine Cougars qualified for next week’s Perry District.

“We have 15 days left to be standing on the top of the podium,” said McCrone, a junior and three-time state qualifier. “I have every determination to get there.”

McCrone went into detail the battle he, his teammates — and wrestlers in general — went through the past two years. Last year’s state tournament was derailed by the coronavirus pandemic.

“I worked really hard last year. To see taken away like that, it stings on the inside,” McCrone said. “It stings on the outside. All the hard work you put in and to have to taken away like that? It’s not their fault - it’s just a disease they couldn’t control. But one of our core values is control what you can control, and we’ve done that this season.”

Chardon will send eight wrestlers to the district level, including sectional champs Jaden Farris (145) and Alex McDonald (220).