Miller State champ, Rockets take second

By Lenny Appelhans

Sports Writer

Sometimes second place isn't really that bad. The Oak Harbor Rockets took home their 'first' place crown even though on the scoreboard it read second.

The Rockets turned in a sparkling performance as a team finishing second to St. Paris Graham at the 2010 Division II OHSAA State Wrestling Championships held March 4-6 at the Jerome Schottenstein Center on the Ohio State University campus.

National power St. Paris Graham would grab the team title with 223 points and 6 individual champions compared to Oak Harbor's second place 78.5 points of the 89 teams that accumulated at least a point in the tournament.

Ian Miller, junior, 145 lb weight class would become Oak Harbor's 20th individual state champion. Ian would technical fall Dylan Ice of Lisbon Beaver high school 19-4 in the championship match. Ian would finish the season 41 wins and only 1 loss.

Miller would start his journey toward the state title opening the tournament with a pin over Jordan Harble of Newark Licking Valley in 3:22. In the second round Ian would pin Jordan Fraley of Washington Court House Miami Trace in 1:51.

Semi-final action would see Ian defeat his opponent, Conrad Rousch, of Canal Winchester in 10-3.

Miller had to carry on the family tradition as his father Ferd was a two-time state champion for Oak Harbor winning the 185lb weight class in both 1986 & 87.

Uncles Tait and Chad would also garner state championships for the Rockets, Tait winning the 135lb weight class in 1995 and Chad the 152lb weight class in 1989.

Drew Stone and Konner Witt also contributed heavily to the 3rd runner up performance in Rocket wrestling history, both with second place finishes.

Drew wrestling at 125 lbs would fall so disappointingly short of his 40th victory of the season losing to Johnni DiJulius of Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit, 5-1 in the championship match. It would be a rematch of last years state final where DiJulius also topped Stone, 1-0.

Drew still turned in an outstanding senior season at 39-2 and a future in wrestling obliviously waiting on the horizon at the Ohio State University.

Konner Witt, Oak Harbor other junior wrestler would also advance to the championship match winning his first three matches before dropping the final match to Harrison Hightower of Huntington Valley University School.

Konner would win both of his first two matches, 8-5, and his semi-final match 11-4. Konner would have an outstanding season with 48 wins in 52 matches with his senior season ahead of him at OHHS.

Junior Jake Cramer would add to the Rocket point totals by finishing in fifth place in the 140 lb weight class. Cramer would win 3 of his 5 matches at State, finishing with a 42-9 record during this season's wrestling campaign.

Senior Mike Mallernee would win one of his three matches during his time on the mats over the weekend.

Junior Tyler Hackworth and Senior Zach Sandwisch would lose both of their two matches.

Besides the individual accomplishments the team turned in a 17-1 meet record, losing only to St Paris Graham. Five team tournament championships, 2nd place at Medina, and 14th at the Iron Man, the highest finish ever by a Rocket team.

A fine season by a fine group of athletes and coaches and a well deserved HUGE pat on the back for all of their accomplishments this season. Great job Rockets!