“It has definitely felt like a longer-than-normal season,” Lakota West coach Tony Bradberry said. “Long in length, but also with the warmer-than-normal weather, I think it has just added to the feel that we have been at this forever.”
Forever will end 122 days from the first practice, at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus on March 11 for those capable of running the postseason gauntlet.
Sectional tournaments begin Friday at Lebanon, Hamilton and Centerville in Division I, Batavia and Graham in Division II, and Blanchester in Division III. The top four in each weight class advance to the district tournament.
“It has been a challenge to keep the kids engaged and focused,” Fairfield coach Jason Laflin said. “We have broken the workouts up, and we don’t practice for long amounts of time.”
West, Fairfield and Lakota East — and the rest of the Greater Miami Conference — have been idle for the most part since the conference tournament Feb. 4.
Normally, schools roll straight from league meets into sectionals. Not so this year.
“It does seem a bit weird,” East coach Jim Lehman said. “The three full weeks from GMC to sectional is something that we have never dealt with before.”
With the long layoff, most schools have dialed back training some.
“The main benefit is to get guys that are injured healthy and get guys that were out for a part of the season due to injury more time to get prepared for the postseason,” Lehman said. “The longer break is good for those guys.”
The hard part is reining in a group accustomed to a daily schedule of cranked-up practices.
“We have tried to incorporate more time off than usual,” Bradberry said. “I think the old-school mentality is to keep grinding, but the reality is that just isn’t possible for this long of a time span. With less depth you really can’t afford to take any injuries this time of the year, so we have tried to do things a bit more analytical down the stretch.”
Class act: Madison coach Stan Oligee started the second day of the Southwestern Buckeye League tournament with a touch of class.
Oligee had every team sign a special poster that was presented to Monroe 170-pounder Will Striet.
Striet weighed in on Friday but forfeited his first-round match to attend a memorial service for his mother, who died earlier in the week after a bout with cancer.
The Hornet won his first match before losing his placement match 2-1.
Ross second: Ross finished second at the Southwest Ohio Conference tournament behind Harrison.
The Rams had 139 points, 11 clear of third-place Edgewood. Talawanda was fifth.
Ross got a title from Karson Chasteen (285), while Edgewood got titles from Justin Boyle (126) and D.J. Whiles (160).
Francisco Allen claimed the lone title for Talawanda at 182.
Price hits 100: Madison junior Drew Price joined the 100-win club last Saturday at the SWBL tourney.
Price claimed career win No. 100 with a 8-4 decision over Eaton’s Chris Weadick in the semifinals at 126.
About the Author