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Trading a feather and a cap for a crown


By MARK HUBER
Sports Editor
Wilmington News Journal

Sports brings about many emotions. Passionate athletes competing at a high level stir the heart and soul of teammates, coaches and fans alike.

High school wrestling is well-known to elicit emotional outbursts unlike many other competitions.

There may not be as many fans at a high school wrestling match as there is at a football game, but the ones who show up are extremely connected to their team, or individual athlete.

When the Ohio High School Athletic Association decided to sponsor a state team wrestling tournament, it added a new dimension to those who participate in the sport.

Sure, every athlete wants to do well which in turn helps his or her team.

But when a team is competing in a one-and-done tournament format, the emotion is ratcheted up a notch or two.

It was evident Wednesday night at Blanchester High School that every fan, wrestler and coach in the gym were ramped up a bit, whether they were pulling for visiting Deer Park or the home team BlanchesterWildcats.

Every ankle pick, every headlock, every injury timeout had a bearing on the individual match as well as the team result.

It was no longer every wrestler for him or herself.

Losing by a simple decision was much better than losing by tech fall or, worse yet, a pin.

Each point meant something for the next wrestler who went on the mat.

Each point meant something for the wrestlers whose blood, sweat and tears formed the foundation of a proud program started some 40 years ago.

Each point was a step toward history, a step toward a goal that was no more part of the Wildcat wrestling landscape a couple months ago than the upcoming senior prom.

Yet as the state team tournament unfolded over the last few weeks, the wrestlers and coaches started to realize a dream was within their grasp, a dream that would take each one of them to historic St. John Arena on the Ohio State University campus Saturday afternoon.

A place in the Division III Elite Eight is a feather in a cap already full of them. There is a spot or two for more.

Come Saturday night, the Wildcats may exchange that cap for a crown, a crown that calls them STATE CHAMPIONS.