Patchen, Reer advance to finals

COLUMBUS — Monroeville's Owen Patchen and Edison's Cohen Reer earned their spots in Division III state title matches Saturday night at the OHSAA wrestling championships. Reer, who has been dominant at 106 pounds all season, scored a 12-1 major decision against Archbold's Brenden Bosco in the semifinals. The Edison star will take a 48-2 record into the Sunday finals against Eastwood's Gabe Brough (38-7), who he beat by a 21-6 score in the semifinals of the district tournament on March 7. Brough won three major decisions to get to Sunday night. Reer has pins in 1:06 and 52 seconds to go with his win Saturday night. Patchen thought he had a late takedown to win his 132-pound semifinal with less than a minute remaining, but didn't get the call. Unfazed, Patchen got a takedown with 23 seconds left to win 3-1. "I knew I could come back," Patchen said. "I always push the pace the pace so I get the next takedown. It was just a matter of time before I got into his legs and got a takedown. "It's natural instinct, I guess. He stopped moving, which I noticed and I got the cradle and put him to his back. It feels amazing to win that match, especially in the last couple seconds when I knew he was stalling." Patchen, a junior who already has two podium finishes to his credit, takes a 21-2 record into his final against Legacy Christian's Nathan Attisano (44-2). Patchen missed much of the year after an early-season concussion. "I didn't do the right stuff to come back," he said. "I wasn't honest with my coaches about when I wasn't feeling good and when I was. I tried to come back too early. My coaches told me to rest. I came back and I feel the best I've felt all year. "My coaches pushed me hard (when he returned to practice in February). I came back from my concussion and ran every sprint and worked hard in conditioning." Monroeville fans thought Patchen won the match earlier in the third when he tried to take control right in front of his coach. "I thought it was a takedown," Monroeville coach Jerrel Valliant said. "The referee didn't consider it a takedown. He didn't have enough coverage on the hips according to the referee. It didn't stop the way he wrestled. He was still hungry and kept pushing forward. A shot opened up and he took advantage of it." Also Saturday, St. Paul junior Rafael Gross is again one win away from the third-place match for a second straight season. Gross started Saturday with a 19-4 loss by technical fall to St. Paris Graham's Jake Hoke, the projected state champion at 165. He responded with a pin in 1:24 over Enoch Patterson (Symmes Valley) and an 8-0 major decision over Maddux Kidd of Waynedale. Gross is in the consolation semifinals Sunday morning looking for a spot in the third place match against Delta's Gunner Taylor. In the district title match on March 7, Taylor edged Gross by a 4-3 score. Also Saturday, Brycen Dunlap assured he will be on he podium for a third straight year. The Monroeville heavyweight lost his first match of the tournament on Friday. After a pin in 2:44 later Friday night, Dunlap then pinned Martin Hernandez (Newcomerstown) in 4:23 on Saturday before falling by a 4-2 decision to Liberty Center's Logan Sifuentes. Dunlap will wrestle for seventh place on Sunday against Brandon Walters of Waynedale. Five other area state qualifiers competed n Friday and Saturday in Columbus. At 106 in Div. III, Willard senior Jose Figueroa (37-8) lost by fall in 1:12 to Sugarcreek Garaway's Bryce Broke. He lost his first consolation by major decision, 11-3, to Canfield South Range's Ralph Stellato. South Central's Wyatt Martin and Western Reserve's Jaxson Davidson each made it to the second day of action Saturday morning before their seasons came to a close. A junior, Martin opened with a loss by pin in 1:26 at 113 pounds to Martins Ferry's Jayce Nixon. He extended his season with a 6-4 decision over Rocco Castricone (Mount Gilead) in the first consolation, then lost by major (17-3) to Defiance Tinora's Jaxten DeWeese. Martin finished with a 43-9 record. A 138, Davidson lost by a 9-4 decision to Baltimore Liberty Union's Jimmy Landis in the first round. He bounced back with a pin in just one minute over Mechanicsburg's Hayden Smith. In the second consolation round, Davidson lost a 9-0 major decision to Mentor Lake Catholic's Tyler Ineman. The sophomore finished with a 37-8 record this season. Also for Edison, freshman Brayden Barker also went 1-2 at 120 pounds. He opened with a 20-3 technical fall loss to Miami East's Spencer Shore, then claimed a 4-0 decision victory over Buckeye Local's Nathan Dentz. His season ended with a 37-18 mark in the second consolation with a 20-4 technical fall loss to Harrod Allen East's Langston McClain. In Div. II, Norwalk senior Gavin Lepley fell by fall in 3:37 to West Geauga's Brian Denamen in the first round at 165 pounds. Needing a win to extend his season, Lepley (34-11) fell by an 8-5 decision to Washington Courthouse Washington's Malachi McCullough.