Findlay wrestling to start season with home meet this weekend

Ben Kirian loves the fact he sees a ton of familiar faces every time he runs a Findlay High wrestling practice. He just wishes he didn't have to run those practices in shifts. "We're very excited about the return of so many underclassmen, although the COVID pandemic is playing havoc with our team and our numbers in practice," said Kirian, beginning his 17th season as FHS head coach. "Currently we have 39 wrestlers on the roster, but we've never had more than 26, total, between the two practice sessions." Three Findlay High wrestlers were packing their gear for the 2020 state tournament when the OHSAA shut things down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Kirian lost two of the three to graduation: 145-pounder Jonah Smith, a two-time state qualifier who went 36-8 in earning a third straight Three Rivers Athletic Conference title, and Jacob Noon, who was 33-10, TRAC runner-up in his weight class and a state qualifier at 220. Micah Jackson and Logan Owens also graduated, but the Trojans featured a young roster last season and varsity veterans return in almost every weight division, including the third state qualifier, Hudson Goebel. Goebel made an immediate impact at the high school level, compiling a 40-9 record, finishing second in the TRAC 106-pound class, winning a Division I district title and becoming the first Findlay High wrestler to qualify for state as a freshman. Jimmy Phadphom, who won a TRAC championship at 126, returns for his senior season. Junior T.J. Barnes, at 113, and sophomore Ethan Mitchell, at 120, are coming off third-place finishes in the TRAC tournament. Senior heavyweight Max Farmer was fourth in the TRAC, then rebounded to win a Division I sectional title. Goebel will be wrestling at 120 this season and is currently ranked No. 9 in the state at that weight. Farmer is ranked 11th among Division I heavyweights. Barnes (126/132) and Mitchell (138/145) will be bumping up a weight class or two this season. Kirian will also be looking for solid seasons from freshman John Paul Smith (126.132), Johan's younger brother, seniors Kevin Strawbridge (145/152), Grant Jolliff (152), Da'Shon Jackson (170/182) and Allen Peters (182/195) and junior Tyler Treft (220). "The key for our team is developing a culture that reaches across the whole district and throughout the state," Kirian said. "We've built a reputation as a staff in terms of producing great wrestlers, having a competitive team overall and showing that we care about our kids. That's really helped keep our numbers high, even during COVID." COVID-related cancellations have been – and will continue to be – a threat to prep sports schedules. But some preemptive maneuvering by Kirian and the FHS athletic department have put Findlay ahead of the curve. In wrestle-ese terms, Kirian went for take downs instead of stalling. "COVID has definitely made scheduling this year an experience. We've experienced the cancellation of all of our major tournaments as well as the modification of the ones we've been able to keep ahold of," he said. "The only way to keep it going is by being flexible and adapting on a minute-to-minute basis. A good example of this was our decision to immediately cancel the tournaments we hosted (re: the Trojan Duals, the Findlay Invitational) and instead move to six-team dual events. "A lot of schools waited a month or more to make that decision; some canceling just a week or so ago. I met with our athletic director (Nate Weihrauch) on a daily basis and I'm unbelievably glad I'm at Findlay and Nate is our AD. He's willing to think outside the box and truly cares about all his teams, not just football and basketball. He's allowed me to add four more home six-team duals to our schedule. "Most schools are shoving wrestling aside to make their schedule issues work. We've not done that; instead we've expanded opportunities. This put me in the scheduling driver's seat, and I'm not at the mercy of the other schools decision making. "It is stressful. Teams are getting shut down all over the state .... It's resulted in a very tough schedule this season. I've been seeking the best teams available, (because) I think we have a very good team this year and no weekend can be taken for granted." Findlay kicks off that schedule on Saturday when the Trojans host an elite field of teams for the Lee's Chicken Findlay Duals. Four schools that are state-ranked in preseason polls – Perrysburg (No. 7, Division I), Walsh Jesuit (No. 11, Division I), Tiffin Columbian (No. 11, Division II), and Miami East (No. 3, Division III) – will join Findlay and Wauseon for the event. A total of 33 wrestlers who are listed in the early state rankings are expected to be on hand, including four each in the 106-, 120-, 132- and 138-pound divisions. Doors open at 8 a.m., weigh-ins will be at 9 a.m. and wrestling is set to get under way at 10:30 a.m. Continuous results can be obtained by following trackwrestling.com.