As I stood in the interview room at the 71st annual Ohio state wrestling championships I listened to the Toledo Blade interview a kid that said he had been wrestling since age four or five. It was so long ago he couldn’t even remember.

So as this eventual four-time champion stepped on the mat to etch in his name into part of Ohio wrestling history, he had 13-14 years of experience under his belt.

Wow!

I love the sport of wrestling. I would rather sit alongside a mat all day than a three-hour basketball game any day, but something has to give. There has to be a point where parents and coaches need to ease kids into wrestling.

I remember the years of being on the mat every weekend from November to April, but it wasn’t always that way. My parents made me run the gauntlet of Pee-Wee wrestling way before we started on a traveling team. Then, once we were on the traveling team we slowly added tournaments every year making sure I didn’t get burned out.

Some may chuckle at being burned out. In between sessions on day two of the state tournament, I was eating with a former fourth-place finisher from the Ohio Valley. His dad was a great guy and still is, but he pushed his son so much by the time he hit the state tournament all he wanted was out.

Give him credit, he did come away with a fourth-place finish, but he was wrestling with no heart. I would rather ease a kid into wrestling, or any sport to make sure they were playing because they loved it.

ONE OF the premier groups in the valley when it comes to youth wrestling in the Ohio Valley Pee-Wee Wrestling League. Housed at Martins Ferry, Buckeye Local, Harrison Central, Bridgeport and Union Local, all of these teams realize the above thoughts of allowing kids to ease into the sport of wrestling.

All of these teams practice in their own district and come together to wrestle in dual meet fashion.

The Purple Riders took home this year’s team crown with a 4-0 record as they defeated runner-up Buckeye Local 28-26. Harrison Central finished third while the Bulldogs and Jets were winless.

The coaches that helped out with this year’s team included Bubba Coleman, John McFarland, Jeff Dobson, Kevin Neavin, George Haggerty, Jim Hoover, Martins Ferry; Mike Slaga, Jim Siburt, Matt Miller, Mike Hudson, Jarrin Robinson Mike Slaga Jr., Cory Slaga, Buckeye Local; Darin Heavilin, John Rocci, Loren Dodds, Tom Ott, Brain Heavilin, Harrison Central; Matt Myers, Jason Aubrey, Bridgeport; and Mike McFarland, Union Local.

IN A notebook during the state tournament, I noted that Johnny Merryman, 152-pounds, was the first state placewinner since 1994. When actually, 1994 was the last time the Tigers had a state champion in Ryan Slack. Since Slack, the Tigers’ Bobby Samsa (6th-2002) and Jesse Irwin (2nd-2004) brought home state hardware.

Hopefully, next season Merryman will be able to return to the state tournament and bring home the big one with a state title.

EVEN THOUGH the high school state tournament is over many local junior high wrestlers will be taking their mat skills to the next level in Athens on March 15-16.

Six local athletes – Dylan Frizzzi, Bellaire; Josh Davis, St. John’s; Jeffrey Oberdick, Martins Ferry; Mason Gulash, Ike Williams and Alex Quinn, Shaydside – have qualified for this two-day grind. Having one of my own junior high wrestlers compete last year, I have experienced the tournament and know it is great to see where these wrestlers are at as they enter high school.

The competition is similar to what they will see one day in Columbus and can only make them better.

To get to this tournament these six had to qualify at the East Liverpool District Championships in February. The top four in their respective weight classes advanced.

THE WEST Liberty State College mat program has qualified six wrestlers for the NCAA Division II National Tournament to be held in Cedar Rapids, Iowa March 14-15. Check in The Times Leader for a tournament preview Monday, March 17 and up-to-date coverage.

FOLLOWING THE sport of wrestling closely every season is a true joy. Seeing wrestlers mature from freshman into OVAC and state champions is priceless, but you always have some bumps along the way. Here are some of the my joys from the season:

? Wheeling Park, my alma mater, capture the overall OVAC Championship

? Beallsville’s Jimmy Reisz capturing the all-time OVAC wrestling win record

? Having 37 OVAC grapplers make the Ohio state wrestling tournament

? Bishop Donahue revitalizing its wrestling program

? Bellaire capturing the Ohio Division III East Sectional title

? St. Clairsville’s Dominic Prezzia being the only OVAC Ohio freshman to make the state tournament.

? Schuyler Bondy of Monroe Central turning it up to place seventh at the state tournament. This junior grappler surprised many people with his wrestling late in the season.

? Dan Doyle stepping up to take the reigns of the Ron Mauck OVAC Wrestling Tournament as he was announced the new tournament director beginning with the 2009 tournament.

? The possibility of the West Virginia state tournament to come to the WesBanco Arena beginning in 2009.

Here are some of the my lows from the season:

? Wheeling Park’s Jason Waugh losing three liters of blood from an internal injury that occurred during the OVAC tournament. The injury forced Waugh, the No. 1 ranked wrestler in West Virginia Class AAA at the time, out the rest of his senior season.

? Union Local’s Chase Clark cracking two vertebras and keeping the two-time state placer from competing in the state tournament.

? Wheeling Central’s Zach Basich having to injury default his OVAC final’s match, which he was the favorite to repeat.

? Watching Bridgeport senior Bryan Skoff step off the mat for the last time in his prep career. Skoff was one of the better wrestlers to interview during my writing stint at The Times Leader and I enjoyed to see him on the mat.

? Ron Mauck stepping down as tournament director of the OVAC wrestling tournament.

Cook can be reached at bcook@timesleaderonline.com