http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/hilliard/sports/2012/01/31/cats-panthers-will-vie-for-title.html
[h=4]restling[/h] [h=1]Davidson, Darby will vie for title[/h]
Enlarge Image Andrea Kjerrumgaard/ThisWeek Davidson’s Nick Lawler (top) battles Thomas Worthington’s Ben Hooff in a match at 126 pounds on Jan. 5. The Wildcats will compete Thursday, Feb. 2, at Darby with the OCC-Central Division championship on the line. The Wildcats are 6-0 in league duals and Darby is 5-1.
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[h=4]At a glance[/h]
Below are the recent results and coming schedules for the Bradley, Darby and Davidson wrestling teams:
BRADLEY
*Jan. 26 — Defeated Franklin Heights 69-11
*Feb. 2 — At Delaware
Feb. 4 — Darby Duals
Of note: The Jaguars are 6-0 in the OCC-Capital.
DARBY
*Jan. 26 — Lost to Dublin Coffman 36-24
Jan. 28 — Finished fourth (334) in 16-team Grizzly Invitational at Wadsworth behind Wadsworth (504.5), Oregon Clay (477.5) and Warren Howland (410.5). Tyler Bowens was first at 170.
*Feb. 2 — Home vs. Davidson
Feb. 4 — Darby Duals
Of note: The Panthers are 5-1 in the OCC-Central.
DAVIDSON
*Jan. 26 — Def. Central Crossing 53-13
Jan. 28 — Finished fourth (191) in 12-team Rieman Invitational at Delaware behind Massillon Perry (341), Olentangy (236.5) and Cincinnati Elder (203.5). Lee Wilson was first at 126.
*Feb. 2 — At Darby
Feb. 4 — Cardinal Invitational at Thomas Worthington
Of note: The Wildcats are 6-0 in the OCC-Central.
*League match
By FRANK DiRENNA ThisWeek Community Newspapers Wednesday February 1, 2012 1:32 PM
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For the second consecutive season, the Hilliard Darby and Davidson high school wrestling teams will face each other with the OCC-Central Division championship on the line.
The match will be held Thursday, Feb. 2, at Darby.
Davidson is first in the OCC-Central at 6-0, with Darby and Dublin Coffman tied for second at 5-1.
“The first big milestone is the league,” Davidson coach Dominic DiSabato said. “We’ll see what happens. It’s always fun to have a big match.”
The Wildcats defeated Central Crossing 53-13 in a league match on Jan. 2. Winning by pin were Lee Wilson at 126 pounds (1 minute, 33 seconds), Nick Lawler at 132 (3:45) and Hannibal Tate at 145 (3:35).
Coffman handed Darby its only league loss, 36-24 on Jan. 26. The only Panther to win by pin was Tyler Bowens at 182 (:23). Davidson defeated Coffman 40-25 on Jan. 12.
“You hate to lose, but I thought it was a well-wrestled match,” Darby coach Brendan Moody said of the match against Coffman. “It was intense and I thought everything was pretty clean.”
Last season, Davidson, which is seeking its 17th league title, beat Darby 45-29 to finish 7-0 in the league. The Panthers placed second at 6-1.
“This is great for the community,” DiSabato said. “Last year, it was down to those two (teams).”
One of the key matchups in the match should be at 113, where Darby’s Sam Valenti is expected to face Jacob Davis. Valenti defeated Davis 9-6 in the Panther Invitational on Dec. 17 at Pickerington North.
“One of our bigger goals is to win the OCC,” Davis said. “We have Darby coming up. Everyone has to show up and wrestle. Everyone is going to have a tough match, so everyone is going to have to wrestle tough for six minutes.”
Other expected key matchups are at 126, where Wilson should face Darby’s Jake Donatelli, and at 170, where Bowens, a two-time state qualifier, should face Davidson’s Clay Kuszmaul.
Both teams have several wrestlers listed in the Brian Brakeman High School Wrestling Forecast.
For Davidson, senior Chase Delande, the 2011 state champion at 145, is second at 152 behind projected champion Zach Dailey of Massillon Perry.
“We still have a long ways to go,” Delande said. “Every one of us needs a lot of improvement and I think we’ll have that improvement when it really matters for March and late February.”
Also in the Brakeman report for Davidson, Wilson is 11th at 132, Alex Mickley is 17th at 160 and Alex Backenstoe is 17th at 220. For Darby, Bowens is ninth at 170, Donatelli is 20th at 126 and Valenti is 21st at 113.
“Our destiny is still in our hands to come out and share (the OCC-Central) title,” Moody said. “We still have a shot.”
•
Bradley will look to secure its first OCC-Capital title when it visits Delaware on Thursday, Feb. 2.
The Jaguars, who are 6-0 in the OCC-Capital, defeated Frank-lin Heights 69-11 in a league match on Jan. 26. Winning by pin were Keegan Driscoll at 126 (1:58), Jake Zoller at 152 (1:37), Hunter Kidd at 170 (:28), Ricky McGrath at 182 (:23) and Tyler Kidd at heavyweight (:16).
In the Brakeman report, Zoller is 17th at 152, McGrath is 23rd at 182 and Driscoll is 24th at 126.
Last season, Bradley finished second in the OCC-Capital at 6-1, behind Mount Vernon (7-0).
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