Harry Steel Classic (London) article

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As submitted to the Madison Press


The Harry Steel Classic Wrestling tournament will be held this Saturday at London High School.
The host team, the London Red Raiders, expect to have a strong showing, led by the lone Senior, Tony Morris.  Morris is 11-2 for the year and recently placed second at the Logan Elm Duals at 135 pounds. Morris was runner up in the 140 weight class in the Classic.  152 pounder, Jeremiah Jones was a runner up last year and is 11-6 for the year finishing third at Logan Elm.  London has a young team that includes 9 freshman wrestling varsity.  Other contenders for London are: Ronnie Colvin (9-9) at 103 who won the Logan Elm Duels, Mike Morris (12-3) at 112 who finished as runner up at Circleville and third at Logan Elm, Pablo Feltz (12-7) with a second place at Logan Elm, Seth Nelson (3-12) at 140, Austin Bauer (5-12) at 160, Adam Eades (8-9) at 171, Shane Silvers (5-12) at 189, Raymont Napper (3-13) at 215 and Sean Kelly (12-4) with a runner up finish at Circleville JV tourney.

"The London wrestling team I feel is about to turn the corner", Coach David Kennedy said.  "Watch for Adam Eades and Austin Bauer to start dominating opponents.  Expect Colvin, Both Morris's, Jones and Feltz to do well" this weekend.  Even though London has a young team there are a few diamonds in the rough.  Sean Kelly is a "pleasant surprise.  It's his first year out, and I expect him to be in the finals", said Kennedy.

Stiff competition is expected in the form of State and District qualifiers from other schools including Blaine Bailey of Washington Court House, a returning champ who won the Classic at 152 last year and qualified for Districts; Nick Buckner at 119 was a District Qualifier and was a runner up in the Classic, Jamison Morris (11-2) who has won 2 tournaments this year will wrestle at 130 and Larry Redden (145) is 11-1 and a District Qualifier, all for the Blue Lions.

Logan Elm, had four individual champs in winning their own tournament.  Daniel Gifford at 135 is the career leader in wins, with over 100 wins,  at Logan Elm and last years Champ.  His brother Shane (140), Dustin Gatewood (130) and Dustin Dexter (171) also won their respective weight classes last weekend.  Justin Duehren will try to defend last years Classic title at 215, as will Cody Smith in the 189 weight class, and Corey Johnson (103).

Whetstone's Matt Tuttle returns to defend  at 140.  Tuttle is 14-1 on the year.

Springfield South's Jason Wray (125) and Thomas Stickney (285) both finished third at the Xenia Invitational.

Whitehall finished second at the Ready Classic and will be led by 145 pounder Corey Dulaney who is 19-1 and qualified for districts last year.  Chris Parker (18-4) won the 112 class last year. Rusty Clickenger (15-3) and Floyd McDuffie (13-5) also sport impressive records for the Rams.

Greenfield McClain brings a small squad, led by Dustin Osterloh (130) who qualified for State last year.

 The victor at 119 last year, Paint Valley's Clark Graves, also qualified for Districts.


 
Northeastern, which finished second in their tourney earlier this year, has a formidable lineup led by State Qualifier Matt Taylor at 160, who was a Classic Champ last year.  Nate Marshall (145) and Ryan Krugh (285) were each runners up in last years Classic.  Marshall and Broc French (152) each qualified for Districts last year.  Newcomer Dylan Gross (135) is 20-1 so far this year.

The London Invitational was renamed the Harry Steel Classic after a former Olympic wrestler who made London his home as a farmer.  Steel was a Collegiate football player at OSU who took up wrestling as a way to stay in shape during the off season.  He earned a gold medal in the 1924 Olympic Games.  The wrestling program at the tournament includes a reprint of the Madison Press article about Steel.

Even with all of the high caliber competition, Kennedy is optimistic.  "Hopefully we can put everything together this weekend for a championship".

Last years team champion, Northeastern, returns to try to defend their title.  Last year London finished fourth.   Wrestling starts at 10AM at London High School.