Photo by Kim North Pictured are four Barensville wrestlers who will be competing in the Ironman Invitational at Walsh Jesuit High School in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, this weekend. Pictured, front from left, are Johnny Huntsman and Reese Stephen. In back, from left, are Ayden King and Skyler King.

BARNESVILLE — It’s an old adage, but it still holds true. “If you want to be the best, you’ve got to beat the best.”

That’s what a handful of Ohio Valley wrestlers will experience this weekend as they compete in the 29th annual Ironman Invitational at Walsh Jesuit High School in Cuyahoga Falls just outside of Cleveland.

The Ironman is one of the most prestigious and competitive high school wrestling tournaments in the country. It draws some of the best wrestlers from all across the United States and is expected to draw more than 600 wrestlers from 150 schools in 23 different states.

Barnesville and Steubenville are the only two local programs to have entrants, along with fellow OVAC Parkersburg South and University High.

The Shamrocks, who are the preseason Division III favorites, are taking four of their top matmen to the event, which begins Friday at 10 a.m. and runs until Saturday’s finals that begin at 4:30 p.m. Big Red has two entrants in junior Brody Saccoccia and sophomore Cooper Smith. Saccoccia is a two-time state placer with a runner-up finish in 2022 as a freshman. He was fifth at 132 last season.

“Several years ago they were sending invites out to schools that had some pretty good wrestlers and I jumped on that email because I thought I had a few that met their qualifications,” Barnesville head coach Jayson Stephen said. “I plan my schedule around it now.

“This year we’ve got another group that we feel good about,” Stephen noted. “All four of them have been state placers and can compete at this level.”

Barnesville will be sending seniors Johnny Huntsman (113), Reese Stephen (150), Skyler King (157) and junior Ayden King (165). Huntsman took seventh at 106 last year. Stephen was a D-III state champion last winter. He placed fifth at 106 as a freshman. Skyler King has placed fifth and sixth, respectively, at 138 the past two seasons. Ayden King was fifth at 157 last winter.

“Johnny didn’t go (to Ironman) last year but after placing at the state tournament and winning the OVAC Ron Mauck Tournament, I thought he could go and compete,” Stephen said. “I thought he needs to experience a tournament like the Ironman.

“Reese went last year and competed. He went 3-2 and those were his only two losses of the season, but I think he is more prepared and more ready this year.

“Skyler went last year and went 2-2. He is looking to improve on that and looking to get on the podium,” the coach noted. “He wrestled at 138 last year, so he is going to make a big jump. I think that weight is the right fit for him.

“Ayden didn’t go last year and he is the only junior for me that is going. He has bumped up from 157 last year but has bumped up.”

Senior Dakota King was going to go, but he tweaked his knee a little and decided to stay back and compete at the Rick Link Tournament at Union Local instead. King is already a three-time state placer, taking third the last two seasons at 132 and 120, respectively, and sixth as a freshman at 113.

“He’s disappointed,” Coach Stephen said of the Ohio State University recruit. “But we felt it best for him to stay back and get healthy for the rest of the season. It was just a little too early to throw him out there against the type of competition that will be at the Ironman.”

Speaking of the Rick Link Union Local Invitational on Saturday in Morristown, Union Local head coach Nate Starkey said 21 teams are expected. Included in that total is Waynesburg (Pa.) who has two-time defending Ironman champion Rocco Welsh, who is ranked No. 1 in the nation.

However, according to Starkey, Welsh is likely to wrestle at the Ironman.