Baughman falls agonizingly short
Grizzly junior loses state title match in overtime
Wadsworth junior Joey Baughman battles an opponent at the state wrestling tournament in Columbus. Photo by MATT SHIARLA
Joey Baughman got closer. As close as one can get, in fact.
The Wadsworth junior wrestler, already with one state runner-up finish to his credit, added a second last weekend when he finished second at 170 pounds. This time was more agonizing. The title match went into overtime.
Baughman went as far as a wrestling season should be able to go – six minutes in the state championship match – and then had to go even farther.
Baughman steamrolled into the finals with a major decision, a 42-second pin and a convincing decision in the semifinal. Waiting for him was Massillon Perry junior Emil Soehnlen
The two wrestled to a 1-1 draw through three periods, with Soehnlen staying on the defensive side of things. The Perry wrestler went into attack mode in the sudden-victory period and caught Baughman a bit off-balance, taking him down for the decisive points.
“I was in on a couple shots in the first period and didn’t finish,” Baughman said. “We got into a scramble in the third, and I was close to getting two (points) with 10 seconds left. In overtime he shot a low-single. He was wrestling pretty defensively all match and he just kind of waited for my mistake. I wrestled well and made one mistake and was a little out of position. He took advantage.”
Pouring a bit of salt into Baughman’s wounds, he pinned Soehnlen a week earlier in the district semifinals.
For most people, a silver medal at state would be a great accomplishment. For those who already had one, though, not so much.
“I feel like it was a great let-down,” Baughman said. “My goals I set after I lost last year were to win. It definitely makes it worse, knowing I was that close. I was even in on his legs at the end. I was that close. That makes it worse.”
Wadsworth coach John Gramuglia acknowledged the difficulty of losing a state final in any way, let alone overtime. The Grizzlies’ longtime mentor was quick to point out what Baughman meant to the team this year, leading Wadsworth to Suburban League, sectional and district championships and capping things with a fourth-place state finish.
“(He had) a perfect season except for that one take down,” Gramuglia said.
Led by Baughman, Grizzlies’ names were all over the placers list. Michael North wrapped up a splendid season with a third-place finish at 126 pounds. Luke Baughman finished fourth at 132. Jordan Ernest also placed fourth, doing so at 285. Cody Surratt, in maybe the best weight class in the big-school division, placed fifth at 160.
Every wrestler that took the mat in Columbus for the Grizzlies won at least one match. Jimmy Carmany won once at 113, as did Zin Tittle at 138 and Alex Jones at 182.
Add up all the Grizzlies’ performances and you get the fourth-place team in Division I. Wadsworth totaled 84.5 points, trailing only Lakewood St. Edward’s 151, Elyria’s 128.5, and Olentangy Liberty’s 122.
“Our youth, middle school and high school just kind of the follow the business model that we follow,” Gramuglia said. “(We are) one family, we work together, keeping the egos out, and that’s why we’ve have so many banners, a state championship and more on the way.”
The Wadsworth junior wrestler, already with one state runner-up finish to his credit, added a second last weekend when he finished second at 170 pounds. This time was more agonizing. The title match went into overtime.
Baughman went as far as a wrestling season should be able to go – six minutes in the state championship match – and then had to go even farther.
Baughman steamrolled into the finals with a major decision, a 42-second pin and a convincing decision in the semifinal. Waiting for him was Massillon Perry junior Emil Soehnlen
The two wrestled to a 1-1 draw through three periods, with Soehnlen staying on the defensive side of things. The Perry wrestler went into attack mode in the sudden-victory period and caught Baughman a bit off-balance, taking him down for the decisive points.
“I was in on a couple shots in the first period and didn’t finish,” Baughman said. “We got into a scramble in the third, and I was close to getting two (points) with 10 seconds left. In overtime he shot a low-single. He was wrestling pretty defensively all match and he just kind of waited for my mistake. I wrestled well and made one mistake and was a little out of position. He took advantage.”
Pouring a bit of salt into Baughman’s wounds, he pinned Soehnlen a week earlier in the district semifinals.
For most people, a silver medal at state would be a great accomplishment. For those who already had one, though, not so much.
“I feel like it was a great let-down,” Baughman said. “My goals I set after I lost last year were to win. It definitely makes it worse, knowing I was that close. I was even in on his legs at the end. I was that close. That makes it worse.”
Wadsworth coach John Gramuglia acknowledged the difficulty of losing a state final in any way, let alone overtime. The Grizzlies’ longtime mentor was quick to point out what Baughman meant to the team this year, leading Wadsworth to Suburban League, sectional and district championships and capping things with a fourth-place state finish.
“(He had) a perfect season except for that one take down,” Gramuglia said.
Led by Baughman, Grizzlies’ names were all over the placers list. Michael North wrapped up a splendid season with a third-place finish at 126 pounds. Luke Baughman finished fourth at 132. Jordan Ernest also placed fourth, doing so at 285. Cody Surratt, in maybe the best weight class in the big-school division, placed fifth at 160.
Every wrestler that took the mat in Columbus for the Grizzlies won at least one match. Jimmy Carmany won once at 113, as did Zin Tittle at 138 and Alex Jones at 182.
Add up all the Grizzlies’ performances and you get the fourth-place team in Division I. Wadsworth totaled 84.5 points, trailing only Lakewood St. Edward’s 151, Elyria’s 128.5, and Olentangy Liberty’s 122.
“Our youth, middle school and high school just kind of the follow the business model that we follow,” Gramuglia said. “(We are) one family, we work together, keeping the egos out, and that’s why we’ve have so many banners, a state championship and more on the way.”