Shawnee’s Preston Coppler, left, works to get out of a hold by Spencerville’s Maddox Jurek during Friday’s Allen County Tournament at Bluffton High School. Coppler picked up a 6-5 decision, and Shawnee edged Allen East for the county title.
BLUFFTON — The last time Shawnee won the Allen County Tournament in wrestling, some of its current wrestlers were not even in grade school yet.
At last year’s Allen County Tournament, Shawnee placed a distant second to Allen East by a 56-point margin.
At Friday’s Allen County Tournament, Shawnee finally broke through.
Shawnee edged out Allen East for the team title on Friday, 256-255 in a field of 10 teams. Bluffton (179), Elida (147.5) and Delphos St. John’s (142.5) rounded out the top five squads.
Shawnee coach Collin Wise said that it was a long time coming to the Shawnee program.
“It’s been 11 years (2012) since we won our first county title. It’s much deserved. These guys put in the work, day in and day out, every day in the room. They deserve it,” Wise said. “We were pretty confident (coming into the tournament). I told the guys before we left (practice) yesterday, I said, ‘Nothing less than a championship is going to make me happy.’ So, here we are. Having a team trophy and four individual champions, we’re going home pretty happy.”
Tate Ditto (113-pound weight class), Kael Dodson (126), Kayne Brown (150) and Preston Coppler (190) all notched titles for Shawnee on Friday.
In Friday’s finals, Brown held off Allen East’s Miles McDorman in the 150-pound weight class for a hard-fought 6-4 overtime victory.
“At 150 – it was us against Allen East. (It was) 4-4, going into overtime,” Wise said. “Kayne Brown wins 6-4; and we win the county tournament by one. … That was a difference maker.”
Added Brown, “I thought we had an amazing chance (to win the team title). We had a lot of people (only two open weight classes). So, that helps. But that also means that we are giving up points when we lose.”
In finals of the 190-pound weight class, Coppler, a Shawnee senior, battled back from a 3-1 deficit to defeat Spencerville senior Maddox Jurek, 6-5.
Last season, Jurek was a Division III state qualifier. Both Jurek and Coppler are state-ranked this season. Coppler is now 14-0 on the season.
“Two state-ranked kids, and it was a 6-5 match. … Holy cow. You can’t ask for anything more,” Wise added. “That’s wrestling. It flips, just like that.”
Added Coppler, “The whole match, he (Jurek) just wanted to throw. He would get up high. So, I just flopped him over the top of me. I scrambled around and got my two (points).”
Dodson, Shawnee’s 126-pounder, notched his first-ever Allen County title on Friday.
“It’s awesome. We’ve been working for this for a long time. We’re just glad we got it,” Dodson said.
Allen East notches six individual titles
Allen East recorded the most titles on Friday, notching six first-place finishes.
Aizik Myers (106), Jordan Neal (144), Trenton Gatchell (157), Jacob Pinks (165), Brogan Paxson (215) and Kyden Culbertson (285) all won titles for the Mustangs.
Neal, a freshman, was named the most valuable wrestler of Friday’s tournament.
Neal defeated Lima Central Catholic’s Antwain Adams in the championship match, 6-2. Adams was the No. 1 seed in the 144-pound weight class, while Neal was the fourth seed.
“He (Adams) dropped down a division (weight class), so that we could wrestle,” Neal said. “It’s something I liked. … He wanted the competition. So, I gave it to him. (Winning) twice (against Adams) on the same day is really nice. I won in double overtime the first time (in the third round of the pool) and then beat him in three periods the second time.”
Neal, who placed second at last year’s middle-school state tournament, is now 9-0 in his first high school campaign.
“This is the one sport that I know is my sport,” Neal said. “It’s something I can continue with, wrestle year-round and just become the best that I can become.”
Aizik Myers, a senior, notched his second consecutive Allen County title on Friday. Myers did not start wrestling until his sophomore year.
“When I first started, I thought it was going to be something to do after school,” Myers said. “But now, I love this sport. I want to go as far as I can. It’s my senior year. The goal is to make it to state.”
DSJ’S Kessen dominates
Delphos St. John’s sophomore Edward Kessen improved to 10-0 on the season after Friday’s stellar performance.
Kessen, a Division III state qualifier last season, won the title in the 138-pound weight class on Friday by going 5-0 in his pool.
Kessen recorded four pins and one tech-fall on Friday.
“I had a good day. … I had four pins,” Kessen said. “I try to get a couple takedowns before I end the match. I want to get a little bit of work on the mat.”
Kessen set some high goals for this season.
“My goal is to win a district title and to place at state,” he said.
Elida’s Kirk remains undefeated
Elida senior Skyler Kirk won the title at 132 on Friday and improved his record to 13-0 on the season.
Last season, Kirk qualified for the Division II state tournament. However, he failed the skin test before the tournament began and was disqualified.
Kirk wants to close out his high school career on a high note.
“I want to get the takedown record at Elida, go to state and hopefully place,” Kirk said.
Other champions
Bath’s Carter Deppe (120) and Bluffton’s Kyle Basil (175) also won titles on Friday.
Allen County Tournament
December 22, 2023
Team scores: 1. Shawnee 256.0, 2. Allen East 255.0, 3. Bluffton 179.0, 4. Elida 147.5, 5. Delphos St. John’s 142.5, 6. Bath 122.0, 7. Spencerville 116.5, 8. Lima Central Catholic 89.0, 9. Lima Senior 73.0, 10. Delphos Jefferson 28.0
Seventh Round
106:1×6 Aizik Myers (Allen East) pin Corbin Phillips (Lima Senior) 0:35
113:1×6 Gabe Miley (Elida) pin Analeigh Hood (Spencerville) 0:18
Tate Ditto (Shawnee) pin Wyatt Knauss (Bluffton) 2:57
120:2×4 1st- Carter Deppe (Bath) dec. Parker Will (St. John’s) 9-4
3rd-Branden Cross (Bluffton) dec. Donovyn Campbell (Shawnee) 5-1
5th- Keith Noble (Elida) pin Chester Blevins (Lima Senior) 0:31
7th-Tanner Braun (Spencerville) pin Isiah Hook (LCC) 1:30
126:1×6 Kael Dodson (Shawnee) pin Vanisa Sinthalaphone (Lima Senior) 0:30
Sam Burkholder (Bath) maj. dec. Grady Holdgreve (St. John’s) md16-2
132:1×6 Logan Miller (Del. Jefferson) pin Tyler Sherard (Allen East) 3:05
Austin Owczarzak (Bath) pin Logan Tolliver (St. John’s) 1:25
Skyler Kirk (Elida) dec. Alejandro Reyes (Shawnee) 4-0
138:1×6 Edward Kessen (St. John’s) pin Austin McMichael (Spencerville) 3:14
Matthew Schum (Elida) pin Cory Wannemacher*SP (X1) 3:44
Chace Rhine*EL (X2) pin Cayden Edwards (Shawnee) 1:37
144:2×4 1st- Jordan Neal (Allen East) dec. Antwain Adams (LCC) 6-2
3rd- Micah Rehm (Bluffton) dec. Austin Shafer (St. John’s) 5-2
5th-Royce Kill (Spencerville) maj. dec. Cole Brickner (Shawnee) md10-0
7th-Zach Bockey*DSJ (X1) Bye
150:2×4 1st- Kayne Brown (Shawnee) dec. Miles McDorman (Allen East) 6-4
3rd- Kizer Young (Bluffton) pin Christian Young (St. John’s) 4:25
5th-Samuel Mattox (Elida) pin Luke Krendl*DSJ (X1) 0:32
7th-Aaron Parrish (Lima Senior) Bye
157:2×5 1st- Trenton Gatchell (Allen East) pin Landon Gallegos (Shawnee) 2:40
3rd- Isaac Leppert (LCC) pin Riley Mueller (St. John’s) 2:18
5th-Braylon McNett (Spencerville) pin Garrett Beamer (Elida) 2:45
7th-Leyton Parent (Del. Jefferson) pin Dylan Painter (Bluffton) 3:55
165:2×5 1st- Jacob Pinks (Allen East) maj. dec. Nolan Deppe (Bath) md15-7
3rd- Evan Grothause (Bluffton) dec. Camden Gable (St. John’s) 7-3
5th-Braeden Stiles*SHA (X3) dec. Zach Kreider (Shawnee) 4-2
7th-Wylex Lloyd (Spencerville) pin Eli Case (Del. Jefferson) 1:32
175:2×4 1st- Kyle Basil (Bluffton) dec. Drew Neidemire (Shawnee) 10-7
3rd- Jameson Wicker (Lima Senior) pin Nick Zellmann (Allen East) 2:35
5th-Blaze Young (Spencerville) pin Adrian Timmerman (Elida) 1:41
7th-Carter Johnson*SP (X1) Bye
190:4×3 1st- Preston Coppler (Shawnee) dec. Maddox Jurek (Spencerville) 6-5
3rd- Ethan Kohli (Bluffton) dec. Javier Franco*SP (X3) 1-0
5th-Braylen Paxson (Allen East) pin J.J. Murphy (LCC) 1:38
7th-Gabe Kline (Elida) pin Elijiah Carmean*AE (X4) 0:46
215:2×4 1st- Brogan Paxson (Allen East) pin Mason Shank (Bluffton) 2:11
3rd- Ethan Gullett*AE (X1) pin Caden Falke (LCC) 1:50
5th-Kenny Schultheis (Elida) pin Junior Anjerok (Spencerville) 4:40
7th-Harley Klett (Lima Senior) Bye
285:2×5 1st- Kyden Culbertson (Allen East) pin Kyle Slaght (Bath) 4:47
3rd-Javion Anderson (Lima Senior) pin Gabe Jamison (Shawnee) 1:35
5th-Zane Newland*AE (X1) pin Braylon Goings (Bluffton) 2:05
7th-Elijah Fish*LSE (X3) pin Murat Akkoc*AE (X2) 3:18
