Olentangy Orange’s Idell Ferguson looks to score in a first-round matchup against Dublin Coffman’s Sammy Moloney on the first day of the Division I district tournament Friday night in Hilliard.
Ben Stroup | The Gazette
Day one of the Division I district wrestling tournament is in the books, and more than a few area wrestlers are poised to book spots in next weekend’s state showcase thanks to 2-0 starts Friday night at Hilliard Darby.
Olentangy’s Kurt Mokros and Olentangy Liberty’s Huggy Williams could be on another collision course in the 106-pound division. After Williams edged Mokros 8-5 in the sectional tourney’s championship match, both are a win away from meeting in the district final.
Mokros pinned Westerville North’s Colton Russell in his opening match, then blanked Dublin Coffman’s Nick Lawrensen 3-0 to set up a showdown with Watkins Memorial’s Nolan Perry in one of today’s semifinals.
Williams, who will take on Mount Vernon’s Brock Blankenhorn in the other semi, pinned Groveport’s Josh Morrison and Grove City’s Denten Zinn in back-to-back matches to keep his championship hopes alive.
Two-time state champ Dylan Russo (215) is well on his way back to the state’s biggest stage, picking up a pair of first-period pins, the first of which took just 15 seconds. The Patriot standout will take on Mount Vernon freshman Alex Taylor for a spot in the district final.
He’s not alone, either, as Liberty, including Williams and Russo, has a combined 11 wrestlers in still alive in championship semifinals. Others include Jaxson Rosselli (113), Prestyn Parks (120), Zade Archibald (126), Lincoln Gardner (138), Tyler Deericks (150), Broc Fitzpatrick (157), Gabe Pence (175), Brady Quillin (190) and Luke Fleet (285).
Olentangy Orange will also be represented in the semis as Idell Ferguson (165) and Connor Garren (285) are both still unbeaten.
Ferguson outlasted Dublin Coffman’s Sammy Moloney 10-6 in OT before edging Watkins Memorial’s Hunter Lowery, the top seed from the Watkins Memorial sectional, 4-3. He’ll take on Marysville’s Carson Mize, who earned a hard-fought quarterfinal win over Delaware Hayes’ Devin Halliday, for the a spot in the championship finals.
Garren, meanwhile, will get Fleet in today’s semis thanks to an 8-0 win over Gahanna Lincoln’s Griffin Flusche and 2-0 victory over Hilliard Davidson’s Luke Sparkman.
The first and second consolation rounds are slated to get underway this morning back in Hilliard. The championship finals and third round of consolations will follow around 1 p.m. with the finals slated to get going around 7 p.m.
