Riverdale's Phelps, a state-placer last year, returns to Columbus

Riverdale's Grady Phelps has appeared ready for big things all season.The Riverdale sophomore is coming off a fifth-place finish last year at state.He was at 132 pounds last year; now he's competing at 138.This year, Phelps has established himself as one of the best wrestlers in the state, collecting Blanchard Valley Conference and sectional championships.At the end of February, Phelps was rated by BorofanOhio.net – a wrestling projection site – as the second-best wrestler in the state at 138 pounds.Only Lima Central Catholic's Antwain Adams was ranked higher.Phelps entered last week's district tournament at Rossford with a 36-3 record, and appeared to be ready to roll into another state appearance.Then, in his second-round match against Ashland Crestview's Brayden Parrigan, Phelps was pinned in 3:22.Suddenly, Phelps was a loss away from elimination.But the sophomore rebounded. He defeated Delta's Thomas Hernandez by technical fall, scored a major decision over Willard's Luke Slone, then secured his spot at state with a 16-1 technical fall over Tinora's Brandon Gill.Phelps was then set for a third-place rematch with Parrigan, but Parrigan forfeited the match.Both will be at state this weekend, so there's potential for a rematch.Before that, though, Phelps will compete against West Liberty-Salem's Kyler Langhardt in a first-round match.Phelps is one of two Riverdale wrestlers in Columbus this weekend. The other is 190-pounder Kydin Reed.Reed, ranked 14th in Division III by BorofanOhio, is coming off a fourth-place finish at the district meet in Rossford last week. His final match, for third-place, was against Patrick Henry's Trent Johnson. Johnson – 10th in D3 according to BorofanOhio – will also be competing this weekend.Reed will have a tough opening match, against 46-1 Budder Manley from River Valley. Reed enters with a 35-11 mark.Johnson (41-3) will take on Huntington's Carson McNeal (43-7) in the first round.Carey is the only area school with two representatives at the boys tournament: 120-pounder Fisher Montgomery and 157-pounder Jordan Hertel.Each are making their first appearances at the Schottenstein Center.Montgomery, ranked 11th in his weight class, is coming off a third-place finish at the district meet last week.At 46-5, Montgomery will take on Allen East's Langston McLain. Both competitors are freshmen.Hertel, a junior who is ranked 17th at 157-pounds, was fourth at Rossford last week. He comes in with a 48-6 record, and will go against Beachwood's Caleb Greenwood (46-3) in his opening match.Three more wrestlers – all from the Blanchard Valley Conference – will be competing in the Division III tournament.Ben Beard, a 165-pound senior from Liberty-Benton, Elmwood 132-pounder Zachary Schafer and Van Buren 144-pounder Brooks Hill will all be competing Friday.Beard, a senior with a 45-9 record, will face Waynedale's Maddox Kidd (39-10) in an opening-round match.Beard is coming off a third-place finish at Rossford.Hill, who like Beard is a senior with a 45-9 record, will take on Lake Catholic sophomore Giovanni Magistrelli (38-12) in his first bout. Beard finished second in the district.Schafer (33-12), who was runner-up last week, will open the tournament against Sandy Valley's Owen Simpson, who comes in at 42-5.The Division III tournament will begin Friday at 1 p.m., with the championship preliminaries.The area has one athlete competing in Division II: Upper Sandusky's Ethan Lewis.Lewis, a senior who is in the 157-pound weight class, finished fourth at the Norwalk district meet last week. He enters with a 37-6 record, and will face Beaver's Jake Hughes (41-4) in the first round.The Division II tournament is scheduled to start at 2:15 p.m. Friday.