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St. Marys' Tate Hisey has his arm raised after winning the Division II 126-pound state championship on Sunday at the Schottenstein Center at The Ohio State University.
COLUMBUS - The clock struck zero for Tate Hisey on Sunday evening.
And then the celebration began.
A year after losing in overtime in his last match of the tournament, the St. Marys junior ran the table and won the Division II 126-pound state championship at the 87th state wrestling tournament at the Schottenstein Center on the campus of The Ohio State University.
Hisey, who pinned Indian Valley's Leroy Steagall, becomes the first St. Marys wrestler - and first Grand Lake area wrestler overall - to win a state title.
Roughrider teammate and classmate Bo Hertenstein nearly made it a title double-play, reaching the 150-pound final before losing to Steubenville's Brody Saccoccia.
St. Marys' Bo Hertenstein, left, tries for a takedown on Steubenville's Brody Saccoccia in the Division II 150-pound final.
Celina's Zach Greber smiles towards his coaches as he pins New Lexington's Harrison Ratliff in the Division II 144-pound seventh-place match.
Celina's Zach Greber wrapped up his career with a win earlier in the day, taking seventh place at 144 pounds earlier in the day.
After losing 6-4 in overtime last season in the 113-pound third-place match, Hisey made getting back and winning his main focus.
"After that loss, I set a calendar on my phone to this day," said Hisey, who finishes the season at 45-2. "It's ticked down every day. I wake up and check my phone, and every day was a day closer. It lit a fire under me."
Standing between Hisey and his goal on the mat was Steagall, who entered the final match at 40-5 and had finished eighth at 126 the season before. The two tried to look for an opening early on, with Steagall getting a point when Hisey was called for an illegal hold with 42 seconds remaining in the first period.
Hisey chose the down position to start the second period and needed just 28 seconds to get a reversal, then went to work getting Steagall into position for the pin.
Finally with 57 seconds remaining in the period, the referee slapped his hand to end the match and give the jubilant Hisey his first title.
St. Marys' Tate Hisey gets a reversal on Indian Valley's Leroy Steagall.
"When I got that opportunity, I knew I was not going to let it go," said Hisey of the finish. "I thought I could do better on my feet, even when I got down a point. I knew my technique was better, my gas tank was better. When he gave me the opportunity to put it away, I took it.
"It feels amazing. It feels like everything I have done has led to this moment, and it paid off. I don't know if it's set in yet. I just want to get to my parents, give them a hug and tell everybody thanks for coming."
After winning his opening match Friday, Hisey started Saturday against Logan Elm's Gavin Hoover in the quarterfinals. A first period takedown gave Hisey the lead while holding Hoover to just a point after being called for stalling for the 1-0 win to ensure a third-straight All-Ohio finish.
Next up was Kolten Barker of Louisville in the semifinal. Barker got the first takedown, but Hisey quickly reversed to tie the match after one period. In the second, Hisey escaped and got a takedown, then allowed just one point the rest of the way for the 5-3 win.
St. Marys' Bo Hertenstein attempts to escape from Steuebenville's Brody Saccoccia.
Hertenstein was also looking to improve on last season, when he won his opener at 144 pounds before losing two straight.
Saccoccia opened with a takedown 23 seconds in. Hertenstein broke free for an escape with under a minute to go in the first, but Saccoccia got another takedown to take a 4-1 lead.
Saccoccia chose down to start the second period, and Hertenstein nearly made it beneficial, getting his opponent into a cradle and getting three back points. However, Saccoccia managed to get a reversal and three back points of his own before Hertenstein got an escape and later a penalty point when Saccoccia pushed him out of bounds late in the period.
Down 9-6 with two minutes remaining, Hertenstein chose down and got the quick escape, only to have Saccoccia quickly get a takedown. Hertenstein escaped again, but could not get a takedown as Saccoccia sealed the state title with a late takedown for the 13-9 victory.
"Fatal mistake," said Hertenstein, who ends his season at 40-4. "I had him in a cradle. Didn't put the knee in the side and he popped out of it. That's what can cost you in the state tournament. One mistake."
Before Sunday, the last Grand Lake area wrestler to reach a state championship match was Celina's Jim Gray, who finished second at 145 pounds in 1982.
Hertenstein began Saturday with an 8-3 win over Athens' Luke Kaiser in the quarterfinals. Next up was Perkins' Braxden Martin in the semifinals. Hertenstein got the early takedown, then added an escape and takedown in the third period for the 5-0 shutout to reach the final.
Celina's Zach Greber takes down New Lexington's Harrison Ratliff.
After staying alive on Friday with a win in his first consolation match, Greber needed just one win to clinch a podium berth in facing Ethan Kuhns of Jonathan Alder. Greber broke open a 2-2 match in the second period with an escape, takedown and three-point near fall, then added another three-pointer and a reversal late to win a 15-6 major decision to clinch a podium spot. In the consolation quarterfinal, Greber faced West Holmes' Louden Dixon for a chance to move up the podium, but Dixon held on for a 5-2 decision to relegate Greber to the seventh-place match.
Greber faced New Lexington's Harrison Ratliff in his final match of his career. After a scoreless first period, Ratliff chose the down position and got the escape, but Greber wasted no time in getting Ratliff down via a headlock and hip-toss to get Ratliff on his back. A few seconds later, Greber had the pin.
It took him just 90 seconds to become the first Celina boys placer since 2010, when Alex Dues finished sixth at 152 pounds and Codey Welker was eighth at 285 pounds.
"He was going to be tough to hold down, and when he got up, I thought 'You know, I'm going to circle this way, (he takes a shot) and I whiz him (around) hard and hopefully get him," said Greber, who ends his season at 47-9. "I got him."
"I've set a lot of goals this year and surpassed a lot of them," he continued. "I came in here thinking I needed one more (goal accomplished) and place. I did it. Ended my career with a win."
Coldwater's Austin Hamilton had his season end on Saturday in the second round of consolation matches at 132 pounds. Hamilton faced Covington's Michael Hagan, losing via pinfall to end his season with a 34-16 record.
