A mix of veterans and newcomers heading to state in D-II

You'll have to excuse Kenny Lawrence's giddiness.He took over the Columbian wrestling program back in December and has since been rewarded with a pair of conference runner-up grapplers, a sectional champion, a sectional runner-up and, most recently, a state qualifier in the form of 144-pound senior district runner-up Drew Aigler."I've been head coach for (about) two months. I said, 'This is easy, man. I don't know why everybody else doesn't have state qualifiers. I just rolled in and I've got a state qualifier,'" he said with a laugh."Yeah, I'm excited," Lawrence said.He shares that feeling with three other area coaches who, combined, will send eight athletes down to the Division II boys state wrestling tournament Friday.Bellevue tops the list with four qualifiers, with that list topped by senior 150-pounder Ben Jacobs.The three-time state participant returns to the Ohio State University Schottenstein Center this year after taking sixth at 144 pounds last year and reaching state at 132 pounds two seasons ago.He's joined by 113-pound sophomore Thomas Reesman, 126-pound senior Landen Lewis and 138-pound junior Owen Sterritt, all first-time qualifiers for the Redmen.Clyde returns two state veterans of its own.Junior Heath Norris advanced at 120 pounds this year after trips at 113 pounds last season and 106 pounds in 2024, while senior Michael Gessner is back at 144 pounds after finishing seventh at the weight in 2025.This marks the second year in a row Upper Sandusky senior Ethan Lewis has qualified at 157 pounds.Bellevue's quartet represents the most state qualifiers for the Redmen since the COVID-canceled 2020 tournament when the program sent five.Their trip is the latest reward for a program that won titles at the conference and sectional and took third at the district, all after earning a solid fifth a month ago at the Division II state dual tournament."That started off where everybody was rising to the occasion," coach Brett Adkins said. "We didn't have a very good showing at the Napoleon Duals, which was right before the state duals, and then everybody did above and beyond what we expected at the state duals, and it's just been kind of progressing (from there). It's perfect timing, really."That timing gets tested again Friday when the Division II begins at 2:15 p.m.Jacobs (48-5), a district champion, opens against Minerva junior Jason Sivy (37-12), and Adkins thinks Jacobs has a good shot at advancing all the way to the finals."The thing with Ben is, he tends to rise to the occasion, so I see him doing pretty well. He got a pretty good draw in the bracket," he said."You just got to go down there and do it," Adkins said. "Like I said, he tends to rise to the occasion."Bellevue's other opening rounds have Reesman (42-9) taking on Sheridan senior Cash Owen (23-3), Landen Lewis going against Kenston sophomore Carter Baran (42-6), and Sterritt (43-8) tangling with Columbus DeSales freshman Grayson Debevoise (40-9). Baran and Debevoise enter with district titles.While Adkins said Jacobs has the advantage of state experience to rely upon, he said all of his Redmen bring determination and talent. And for the two non-seniors, Adkins added he hopes this year's trip serves as a catalyst for the future."Just getting down there is huge, to get that experience. Next year it just makes it easier," he said. "It's kind of overwhelming sometimes going down there the first time, so it's always nice to get down there as an underclassman."That kind of experience should also help the Clyde duo, according to coach Cliff Andres."It's a world of difference. You're not walking out of that tunnel for the first time with that sense of awe with everybody looking down in the big arena," he said. "It's just a little bit lighter air down there, it seems, and so much going on. You've already wrestled a few matches in it so you're already acclimated to it, I guess."Gessner (42-5) will have his acclimation tested early, opening his final trip to state against unbeaten Benjamin Logan junior Owen Weaks (51-0).Norris (41-5) takes on Granville senior Nash Finley (39-8) in his bid earn his first trip to the podium in his third trip to state."They're just two really good academic kids. They're both there for a reason," Andres said. "They do everything right, on and off the mat. They're great kids. Two very hard workers who do everything right and it's good to see it pay off for the kids that live that way."Like Norris, Upper Sandusky's Ethan Lewis (37-6) seeks a podium spot in a return to state.That faces a stiff challenge early, however, with an opening match against Beaver sophomore Jake Hughes (41-4), who won the Gallia Academy district crown."It's not the ideal scenario, but I think having one year under our belt and realizing it's really no different than any other tournament, I think we're in a better spot than where we were mentally last year," coach Matthew Luikhart said."As long as he's able to keep his feet moving, snapping, moving the opponent, that's usually his strong suit, that's what we try to preach and push into him," he said. "When he's able to do that, it usually goes his way. As long as we continue to do that, I think we'll have a good weekend."While this is Aigler's first trip to state, Lawrence said he knows the TC senior is ready."Drew's a fighter, he faces adversity head on," Lawrence said."He kind of started peaking the way you want the kids to peak right at the end of the season and wrestled really well at the SBC (Tournament) and wrestled well at the sectionals and we were looking at the (district) bracket and I think it all just kind of fell into place," he said. "It was magic."That magic gets tested in the opening round when Aigler (32-8) faces Franklin sophomore Aldin Short (35-7).Lawrence doesn't think first-time state jitters will bother Aigler."I think he'll be alright," he said."Right now, he's peaking and if he goes into this weekend with that mentality that this is just business as usual …, I don't foresee any issues of him rising to the occasion," Lawrence said.