Season Preview: Boasting great depth, Wrestling excited for 2021-22 season
By Wes Mayberry
ADA — Coming off a 2020-21 season featuring just four matches, the Ohio Northern wrestling team is excited to return to the mat for 2021-22.
With a talented freshman class joining 19 returning lettermen, including several starters, from the group that went 3-1 last year, 34th-year head coach Ron Beaschler believes his team is primed for a successful season.
"Development is going to be the key this year," Beaschler said. "We have a good group of upperclassmen back, and we have some really talented freshmen that are going to help us out."
A roster of 41 wrestlers helps provide quality workout partners in practice, which will help the less experienced team members get up to speed faster after last season's shortened schedule. But Beaschler is ready to see them in competition in what lines up to be a busy November and December.
"There's no substitute for being out on the mat in competition," he said. "All of our guys will be getting matches every weekend, so by the time we hit Christmas break, they should have 15 to 18 matches under their belt."
At that point, the Polar Bears will be shooting for a conference title.
Leading that title chase are the team's returning All-Ohio Athletic Conference selections from last season in juniors Chase Sumner (Ada) and Ben DePrest (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier).
As a freshman in 2019-20, Sumner went 37-6 with 13 pins and 11 major decisions as the starter at 149 pounds and qualified for the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships as an alternate after placing fourth at the Midwest Regionals. Sumner went a perfect 4-0 with two pins at 149 pounds last season.
"Chase is the cream of the crop," Beaschler said.
Joining Sumner in wrestling at 149 this year are juniors Luke Deweese (Hilliard/Davidson) and Bailey Gibson (Elida), sophomore Matt Dewitz (Oak Harbor) and freshmen Cody Kaufman (New Alexandria/Greenburg Salem) and Austin Smith (Saint Louisville/Utica).
Deweese is looking to see more action after dealing with injuries during his first two seasons, and Gibson and Dewitz have moved up to 149 after previously wrestling at 141.
DePrest, meanwhile, is the returning starter at 285 pounds following a 3-1 sophomore season. As a freshman, he went a combined 11-12 with five pins and two major decisions wrestling at 184 and 197 pounds.
Junior Logan Painter (Marysville/Early College) was the starter at 285 two seasons ago when he placed seventh at regionals.
The Polar Bears' heavyweights also include sophomore Jadon Brownlee (Powell/Olentangy Liberty) and freshman Brodie Stevens (Swanton) in what Beaschler described as a very tight-knit group.
"Jadon is getting better by leaps and bounds and works hard and does everything we ask him to do, and Brodie finished third in the state in Division III last year," Beaschler said.
At 197, the Polar Bears are led by returning starter Cash Thompson (Lake Odessa, Mich./Lakewood), a fifth-year senior who has a career record of 86-39 and was a national qualifier two seasons ago after placing second at regionals. His 86 victories rank 25th all-time at ONU, and he is looking to join the program's 100-Win Club, which currently includes 13 members.
Thompson's backup is freshman James Paletta (Brook Park/Benedictine).
ONU has a five-man group at 184, which includes junior Connar Davis (Lebanon) and freshmen Zac Dabney (Lake Villa, Ill./Warren Township), Gavin Layman (Chesterton, Ind.), Adam Myers (Springfield/STEM Academy) and Will Weinberg (Ashley/Buckeye Valley).
At 174, Northern has its returning starter in senior Connor Kwiat (Bloomville/Tiffin Calvert) as well as sophomore Adam Dillon (Lebanon).
Kwait put together a 27-18 record and placed sixth at regionals two seasons ago.
The Polar Bears' 165-pound group is led by a returning starter in senior Jordan Hardrick (Dayton/Wayne), who went 23-11, placed sixth at regionals and was named Second Team All-OAC as a sophomore.
That group also includes junior Noah Williamson (Conklin, Mich./Coopersville), sophomore Nick Machuca (Dayton/Chaminade-Julienne) and freshmen Nick Campbell (Brecksville/Broadview Heights) and John Radey (Matthews, N.C./Butler).
ONU has seven wrestlers at 157 led by a returning starter in fifth-year senior Schuyler Caprella (Bluffton/Allen East), who boasts a career record of 79-53. His 79 victories rank 32nd all-time at ONU, and he is looking to join the program's 100-Win Club this year.
Caprella went 43-10 as a junior in 2019-20, which tied him for second-most victories in a season in ONU history, and he placed fifth at regionals.
Caprella is joined at 157 this year by senior Shaun Wagner (Southington, Conn.), junior Antonio Gonzalez (Delaware/Dublin Coffman), sophomore Ross Rayfield (Delta), and freshmen Karam Abuhelal (Dayton/Wayne), Teagan Hendricks (Jamestown/Greenview) and Jayden Jones (Ashland).
Rayfield is moving up after posting a 4-1 record at 141 last season.
ONU's lineup at 141 pounds is comprised entirely of freshmen in Lincoln Kuba (Beavercreek), Brandon Lee (La Plata, Md.), Jacob Reed (Canal Winchester/Lancaster) and Cael Vanderhorst (Covington).
At 133 pounds, the Polar Bears have sophomore Devon Harbison (Beloit, Wis./Turner), who posted a 4-1 record with three pins last season, as well as freshman Dylan Le (Powell/Dublin Scioto).
Rounding out ONU's 2021-22 roster are junior Camden Spears (Plainfield, Ind.) and freshman Colin Mellott (Wapakoneta), who will compete at 125 pounds.