Sports Editor
Jeffrey Botts took one step closer to the state podium each year he wrestled at Bethel-Tate.
As a sophomore, he was state alternate; as a junior, he was a qualifier; and on Saturday, March 5, as a senior, Botts climbed the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s Division III platform for the first time, placing eighth at 195 pounds.
“(Early-season success) showed him that he was on track to at least be on the podium, if not compete for a state title,” Bethel-Tate head coach Tom Donahue said. “We knew going into (the postseason) that he had a good shot at either 182 or 195, but the week before sectionals, he partially separated his shoulder and then during his quarterfinal match at districts he popped his ankle, had a high ankle sprain, so he kind of limped home fighting these injuries the last couple of weeks.
“(To get on the podium) was a great accomplishment. He had a great season.”
Dealing with the tender ankle led Botts to place fourth at districts and resulted in a difficult draw at the state tournament.
Unable to practice the week leading up to his first match in Columbus and facing the No. 1 seed out of the Garfield Heights district, Will Bolanz of Atwater Waterloo, Botts fell 8-2.
“We knew he’d have a pretty tough draw coming out of the districts as a four (seed),” Donahue said. “It was a 2-2 match and he got hit with a five-point move, so it wasn’t like he couldn’t compete with (Bolanz); he was right with him.”
Botts dropped down to the consolation bracket where he defeated Matt Herrick of Geona Area, 5-2, to advance to the second round of the bracket and a chance to earn a placing position.
“The big match was really the second match that he won against (Jack) Staggs (of Milan Edison),” Donahue said. “(Staggs) was ranked No. 2 in the state and lost a close match early on.
“Jeffrey came out and threw him to his back and pretty much controlled the match. That was a big win. That put (Botts) through to the placement rounds.”
With a podium spot guaranteed, Botts was not satisfied with just losing out and taking eighth. However, an injured ankle and wrestling some of the best grapplers in the state didn’t mix well.
Botts would go on to lose his consolation quarterfinal match to John Kelby of Smithville in overtime, 5-3, and then lose to Caide Bunfill of Barnesville in the seventh-place match by pin.
“Those two matches (Botts) lost after the Staggs match hit him the hardest I’ve ever seen,” Donahue said. “He was more distraught after losing those two matches than I’ve seen him in the past four years.
“I don’t think it was something he took lightly, but he just didn’t wrestle his best.”
With the eighth place finish Botts became Bethel-Tate’s second wrestler to place at state since 1998, joining 2015 graduate Aric Peters.
Peters placed fourth at 120 pounds in both 2014 and 2015.
“We’ve had seven state qualifiers in the last seven years,” Donahue said. “Aric placed twice and now Jeffrey. That brings a little legitimacy to our program.
“Jeffrey has matured a ton. He was a four-time league champ for us. Even as a sophomore, he was a state alternate, so we knew he had the potential to be there. As a wrestler as a whole, he’s developed tremendously over the last three-to-four years.”
Other state qualifiers: Clermont County had a total of five wrestlers qualify for the state tournament. Aside from Botts, no others reached the podium.
In Division I, Glen Este’s Brandon Hertel lost his first two matches at 120 pounds to be knocked out of the tournament.
Hertel’s teammate, Avery Jones won his first-round match by pin in the 182-pound weight class, but fell in the quarterfinals.
After being relegated to the consolation bracket, Jones lost to the eventual third-place finisher.
In Division II, New Richmond’s Brandon Planck lost his first-round match and then lost his first-round consolation match to end his state tournament bid.
In Division III, Williamsburg’s Dawson Davis lost his first-round match, but won his first-round consolation match by pin.
He would go on to lose his second-round consolation match to the eventual third-place finisher.
Complete results are available on a href=”http://ohsaa.org” target=”_blank”>ohsaa.org.