Twenty-nine local boys wrestlers are headed to Independence for Division III district wrestling, seeking their shot at state.
That total includes four state qualifiers from a year ago — Garfield’s Landon Andel and Cam Lewicki, Rootstown’s Alex Ely and Southeast’s Dominic Kemble. Kemble remarkably went from third at last year’s district tournament to fifth in the state.
The first day of competition on March 6 — with wrestling from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. — will include the first two rounds of the championship bracket (first round and quarterfinals) as well as the first consolation round.
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Wrestling on the second day of competition, March 7, begins at 10 a.m., with the second consolation round. Then, it’s time for the championship semifinals and the third consolation round. Finals are projected to begin 30 minutes after the fifth- and sixth-place matches conclude. They’re tentatively set for 4 p.m., but that time could certainly change.
Check back here for our live updates from Independence:
Southeast with a couple of sensational semifinal wins
The old guard and the new guard came through with a couple of thrilling semifinal wins for the Pirates.
Dominic Kemble gets the takedown in the closing seconds of overtime to cement his third consecutive state berth. Also some of the best sportsmanship you’ll see as the Southeast senior 138-pounder immediately gave Waynedale’s Stephen Patterson a couple of consoling words and a hug after his winning move.
Right after, on the same mat, Pirates freshman 144-pounder Gavin Cantera delivered his own thrilling victory, topping Waynedale’s Riley Greathouse with a third-period takedown. Until then, there were only escapes. Cantera escaped to start the second, then let Greathouse out to start the third. The two were tied at one until Cantera’s winning move with 10 ticks remaining.
Full list of local wrestlers entering the consolation quarterfinals
Here’s who remains in contention in Independence:
Headed to the semifinals (9): Damian Kemble (Southeast 120), Rocco Wrobel (Crestwood 126), Dominic Kemble (Southeast 138), Gavin Cantera (Southeast 144), Tye Berquist (Crestwood 175), Michael Berquist (Crestwood 190), Landon Durstine (Southeast 190), Kiel Reuting (Rootstown 215), Dylan Benedum (Mogadore 215)
In the consolation semifinals (11): Nick Coffman (Southeast 106), Cam Lewicki (Garfield 113), Levi Daniels (Crestwood 113), Tyler Devlin (Crestwood 120), Caileb Tompkins (Mogadore 126), Jacob Morris (Crestwood 132), Alex Ely (Rootstown 138), Luke Kaufman (Garfield 138), Carson Saltsman (Rootstown 144), Landon Andel (Garfield 144), Chase Moyer (Rootstown 285)
Slew of local wrestlers advancing to the consolation quarterfinals
Portage County’s young wrestlers are battling.
Crestwood, in particular, continues to impress.
Sophomore Tyler Devlin won an absolute thriller against Lake Catholic’s Maclain Chase at 120 pounds. Trailing 3-0 entering the second, he worked brilliantly from underneath to hook and near-fall his opponent as part of a six-point swing. He left himself exposed early in the third and fell behind again, but managed to work his way out from underneath for the match-winning reversal (followed by a near fall) with 11 seconds remaining.
Crestwood freshman Jacob Morris was equally impressive at 132 pounds. Chippewa’s Drew Nesity was in control for much of the match, starting with a first-period takedown. But Morris hung around, scored a key reversal toward the midpoint of the third and ended up pinning Nesity to win a match he never led.
Crestwood, Southeast among leading stories entering day two of district wrestling
The Red Devils and Pirates are both in the top five of the team standings after the first day of district wrestling. Crestwood sits fourth with 48 points, highlighted by the two Berquist cousins making their way into the semifinals — Tye at 175 and Michael at 190 — along with Rocco Wrobel. Southeast is fifth with 44 points and has an area-best four wrestlers in the semifinals. That includes the Pirates’ own pair of family members (brothers Damian and Dominic Kemble) as well as Gavin Cantera and Landon Durstine.
Mogadore and Rootstown also landed a semifinalist apiece, both at 215 pounds, in Dylan Benedum and Kiel Reuting, respectively.
Cantera, a Southeast freshman, delivered one of the more impressive wins of the day when he pinned Garfield’s Landon Andel, a 2025 state qualifier, in the first round. Andel remains alive in the consolation bracket.
Pirates freshman Damian Kemble, the younger brother of 2025 state qualifier Dominic, had his own big win in the quarterfinals, edging Independence’s Mitch Meyer on his home mat. Kemble delivered a takedown in the closing seconds of the first period, rolled his way out of trouble in the second and played stellar defense in the third for a 4-1 win.
Day one district wrestling summary
Here’s a quick summary of where we stand after day one at Independence:
Headed to the semifinals (9): Damian Kemble (Southeast 120), Rocco Wrobel (Crestwood 126), Dominic Kemble (Southeast 138), Gavin Cantera (Southeast 144), Tye Berquist (Crestwood 175), Michael Berquist (Crestwood 190), Landon Durstine (Southeast 190), Kiel Reuting (Rootstown 215), Dylan Benedum (Mogadore 215)
Alive in the consolation bracket (18): Nick Coffman (Southeast 106), Cam Lewicki (Garfield 113), Braxton DeAngelis (Rootstown 113), Levi Daniels (Crestwood 113), Tyler Devlin (Crestwood 120), Caileb Tompkins (Mogadore 126), Jacob Morris (Crestwood 132), Trevor Osborne (Southeast 132), Alex Ely (Rootstown 138), Luke Kaufman (Garfield 138), Gio Brock (Crestwood 144), Carson Saltsman (Rootstown 144), Landon Andel (Garfield 144), Nate Marzec (Rootstown 150), Aiden Long (Rootstown 190), Doug Sipes (Crestwood 215), Matthew Trusky (Mogadore 285), Chase Moyer (Rootstown 285)
Eliminated (2): Warren Hartung (Rootstown 106), Peyton Custer (Mogadore 165)
First round highlights
We’re off to a really strong start locally with a pretty dominant won-loss record in the first round.
Two all-local quarterfinals loom that should be fascinating. At 144 pounds, 2025 state qualifier Landon Andel, a Garfield junior, faces one of the area’s top freshmen in Southeast’s Gavin Cantera. Meanwhile, at 126 pounds, Crestwood junior Rocco Wrobel faces Mogadore freshman Caileb Tompkins.
Headed to the quarterfinals (19): Cam Lewicki (Garfield 113), Levi Daniels (Crestwood 113), Damian Kemble (Southeast 120), Tyler Devlin (Crestwood 120), Rocco Wrobel (Crestwood 126), Caileb Tompkins (Mogadore 126), Jacob Morris (Crestwood 132), Trevor Osborne (Southeast 132), Dominic Kemble (Southeast 138), Luke Kaufman (Garfield 138), Alex Ely (Rootstown 138), Gavin Cantera (Southeast 144), Landon Andel (Garfield 144), Nate Marzec (Rootstown 150), Tye Berquist (Crestwood 175), Michael Berquist (Crestwood 190), Landon Durstine (Southeast 190), Kiel Reuting (Rootstown 215), Dylan Benedum (Mogadore 215)
Into the consolation bracket (10): Nick Coffman (Southeast 106), Warren Hartung (Rootstown 106), Braxton DeAngelis (Rootstown 113), Gio Brock (Crestwood 144), Carson Saltsman (Rootstown 144), Peyton Custer (Mogadore 165), Aiden Long (Rootstown 190), Doug Sipes (Crestwood 215), Matthew Trusky (Mogadore 285), Chase Moyer (Rootstown 285)
Full list of Independence district qualifiers
Here’s a full list of the local wrestlers competing at Independence. To make their way to Independence, they had to record a top-four finish at their sectional. One fifth-place finisher advanced as well as an alternate.
Crestwood district qualifiers (8): JR Rocco Wrobel (1st, 126), FR Jacob Morris (1st, 132), JR Tye Berquist (1st, 175), SR Michael Berquist (1st, 190), SO Levi Daniels (2nd, 113), SO Tyler Devlin (3rd, 120), JR Gio Brock (3rd, 144), JR Doug Sipes (4th, 215)
Rootstown district qualifiers (8): JR Kiel Reuting (1st, 215), SR Alex Ely (2nd, 138), SR Nate Marzec (2nd, 150), SO Chase Moyer (2nd, 285), SO Braxton DeAngelis (4th, 113), SO Carson Saltsman (4th, 144), FR Aiden Long (4th, 190), FR Warren Hartung (5th, 106, will wrestle as an alternate)
Southeast district qualifiers (6): SR Dominic Kemble (1st, 138), FR Gavin Cantera (1st, 144), FR Damian Kemble (2nd, 120), SR Trevor Osborne (2nd, 132), SR Landon Durstine (2nd, 190), FR Nick Coffman (3rd, 106)
Garfield district qualifiers (3): SR Cam Lewicki (2nd, 113), JR Luke Kaufman (2nd, 138), JR Landon Andel (2nd, 144)
Mogadore district qualifiers (3): SR Dylan Benedum (1st, 215), FR Caileb Tompkins (2nd, 126), SR Matthew Trusky (3rd, 285), FR Peyton Custer (4th, 165)
Contact Jonah L. Rosenblum at jrosenblum@recordpub.com and follow him on Twitter at @JLRSports.
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Ohio high school wrestling results, Independence district live updates
Reporting by Jonah Rosenblum, Ravenna Record-Courier / Record-Courier
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