The 65th annual Ohio Valley Athletic Conference Ron Mauck wrestling tournament could be one of the best ever. Less than three weeks away, several teams and individuals have already showed their dominance on the mat.

Parkersburg South has captured six tournament overall championships since joining the bi-state conference seven years ago. Only Steubenville, in 2013, has won in that time period.

The Patriots seem primed to make another title run this season, especially with their showings at the Ironman and last weekend’s POWERade Tournament in Canonsburg, Pa., where they finished third behind Wyoming Seminary (Pa.) and Lake Highland Prep (Fla.).

Big Red, which defeated fellow Ohio powerhouse Carrollton for the Wheeling Park Duals championship last week, along with Wheeling Park, Indian Creek and John Marshall should push the Wood County Patriots in the team race.

Individually, WOW is all I can say.

There are eight returning champions and one wrestler — Steubenville’s Jashon Hubbard — who is seeking to join some elite company by becoming a 4-time OVAC Tournament champion. Should the Ohio State recruit win, he would be the 10th to do so. It would also mark the third consecutive year that an individual has become a 4-time champ as Parkersburg South’s Hunter DeLong achieved the feat last year, while Big Red’s Tariq Wilson did it two years ago. It had been a dozen years since Beaver Local’s Adam Hoppel accomplished it.

Parkersburg South has a pair of defending champions returning in Luke Martin (126) and Zane Hinzman (152). However, they haven’t been the Patriots best two wrestlers this season as junior Josh Humphreys (152) and sophomore Braxton Amos (220) have opened some eyes. Both of them won POWERade titles last week.

Humphreys, seeded 15th, posted a 10-2 major decision over No. 7 Justin McCoy of Chestnut Ridge, while Amos, the second seed, blanked No. 12 Ben Goldin of lake Highland Prep, 4-0. Amos, who was injured and didn’t compete in the OVAC last winter, also captured an Ironman title.

Four other Patriots placed in the top six of their respective weight class.

Kudos Go Out to Ferry Duo

Martins Ferry’s senior duo of Dalton Hoover (195) and Hunter Bodkin (285) came away with victories at the prestigious 57th annual Brecksville Invitational Holiday Tournament over the weekend.

It was Hoover’s first time on the mat this season and he impressed with six consecutive victories. The two-time reigning OVAC champ is on a mission this year — a Division III state title — after finishing second as a sophomore and third as a junior.

Bodkin raised his record to 9-0 with five wins. He is a three-time state qualifier and two-time placer. He was an OVAC runnerup last year after losing in sudden-victory to Brooke’s Alex Edgell.

Congratulations to St. Clairsville

Joel Sansone will admit he has a very, very young squad this year, but the Red Devils are talented.

Last weekend, St. Clairsville captured the team title at its own 24th annual Americas Best Value Inn tournament for the very first time.

The Red Devils had four individual champions, two of whom are promising freshmen, one a sophomore and a senior. Frosh Koen Kish never made it past the first period in pinning all of his opponents. Austin DaRe won at 126.

Sansone and Co. should make some noise in the Class 4A portion of the OVAC Tournament.

No Longer Unbeaten

Gavin Teasdale, of Jefferson Morgan High School in southeastern Pennsylvania, had won his first 134 matches of his illustrious high school career. However, his unbeaten streak came to a screeching halt this past weekend at the POWERade event when he lost4-3 to Wyoming Seminary’s Beau Bartlett in the 126-pound class.

However, Teasdale was quoted on Twitter as saying, “I don’t care bout no loss or record. I care about having fun with the sport I do.”

Teasdale took part in the Buckeye Local Panther Classic last season.

Matches of the Week

Harrison Central and Indian Creek will compete at Martins Ferry tonight in a triangular match set for 6 p.m.

The Shadyside Last Man Standing Tournament is set for Saturday at Shadyside High School.