HARRISON - Canceled a year ago due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Southwest Ohio Wrestling Coaches Association meet returns to Harrison High School this weekend. Commonly known as the Coaches Classic, the meet often is a holiday tradition and often a postseason preview.
The following 43 schools will participate:
Division I
Anderson, Beavercreek, Brecksville, Butler, Centerville, Colerain, Edgewood, Elder, Fairfield, Harrison, Kettering Fairmont, La Salle, Lakota East, Lakota West, Lebanon, Little Miami, Loveland, Marysville, Mason, Middletown, Milford, Moeller, Mount Vernon Northwest, Oak Hills, Princeton, Ryle, Simon Kenton, St. Xavier, Sycamore, Walton Verona, Wayne and West Clermont
Division II
Badin, Bethel-Tate, Indian Hill, Monroe, Norwood, Ross, Taylor and Wyoming
Division III
Clermont Northeastern, and McNicholas
State meet participants in the Coaches Classic include Lebanon's Luke Marsh (152 pounds) and Anderson's Maclain Morency (145) from the Eastern Cincinnati Conference. Marsh was ECC Wrestler of the Year with Lebanon's Nick Hensley winning Coach of the Year. Marsh has wrestled at 165 pounds thus far.
From the Greater Catholic League-South there's La Salle's Jake Niffenegger (138) and Tanner Spaulding (106) and Jonathan Sanchez (182) of Moeller. La Salle is the defending GCL-South champion led by league Coach of the Year Rico Hill.
The GCL-Coed's state qualifiers were Badin's Ely Emmons (195) and Rachel Nusky (126), plus Pierce Taylor (138) of McNicholas. Taylor was last season's league Wrestler of the Year, while Badin's Craig Martin won Coach of the Year.
Sycamore's Eugene Harney, Mason's Skylar Horn and Colerain's Tim Smith represented the Greater Miami Conference. Mason's Nicholas Maffey was GMC Coach of the Year. His Comets are going for their third consecutive league title.
The Southwest Ohio Conference is represented by state girls champion Chloe Dearwester (105) of Harrison, Makarrie Harden (195) of Northwest and Edgewood heavyweight Radical Rothermel. Zach Hagedorn of Monroe was also a state contestant at 220 pounds last season. Rich Dunn of Ross is the defending SWOC Coach of the Year as his Rams took the league crown last winter.
The schedule
Teams will file in beginning at 7 a.m. Saturday with preliminary matches beginning at 10 a.m. Wrestling will continue throughout the day and will wrap up the following day. Semifinals Sunday are at 10:30 a.m. with afternoon finals at 2:30.
Source link