GALION — The Tigers wrestling team is enjoying a good season both individually and as a team.
Galion has wrestled in some of the toughest tournaments in the Maumee Bay Classic and Mansfield J.C. Gorman Invitational. These are the exact kind of matches that head coach Brent Tyrrell wants his team competing in.
“They are tough and they have wrestled a lot. We have a lot of leaders on the team. You don’t have to be a senior to be a leader,” Tyrrell said.
Galion has just two seniors on the varsity squad, as well as a pair of juniors.
Leading the way is Landon Campbell, who is rolling along with a 23-1 record. The sophomore has suffered just one loss on the season and has placed first in three tournaments, as well as a fourth place finish at the Van Buren Invite. Galion took home a first place finish at Van Buren.
“At 190, Landon Campbell is a sophomore who was a district placer last year. He has only lost one match and is doing very well,” Tyrrell said.
Campbell is not the only stud sophomore wrestler this young team. Alex Griffith is 26-5 and has wrestled one of the toughest schedules. It is encouraging for a wrestler that went to the state tournament as a freshman.
“We have a sophomore heavyweight (Griffith) who was a state qualifier last year as a freshman,” Tyrrell explained. “He is having a great year and is being tested every week. He has wrestled all of the ranked kids, he has lost some matches, but you either win or you learn.”
During a time that COVID-19 is affecting everything — including high school sports and how they operate — the Tigers have worked through it without much of a problem.
“We have had a couple kids test positive; luckily they were not with us when it happened. Our kids are pretty healthy.”
To this point Galion has perfomed to the exact expectation that they are capable of. The team holds itself accountable as much as the coaching staff does, Tyrrell said.
Sam Wegesin is a senior with 23 wins on the season, which makes it three Galion wrestlers with at least 20 wins to this point. Junior Kiddren Clark has 19 victories.
“I had high expectations and we had high expectations from the beginning. It has went really well and I am excited for this group,” Tyrrell stated.
Galion will host the Mid Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament on Feb. 19. Tyrrell is hoping to see his team grab a huge victory at home, after coming in second place last year. Clear Fork edged Galion 193-165 in last year’s MOAC Tournament.
“Our number one goal is to win the league, that is in a couple weeks at home. We were second last year, which we thought we could win last year. It is loaded and it is going to be tough.”
Galion has seen some of the younger kids make huge strides, one of them being a freshman wrestler in the 113-pound class.
“At 113 we have a freshman Falco Frank. In the first tournament of the year I think he went 0-5. He has steadily improved and placed in the last two tournaments,” Tyrrell said.
While Galion is enjoying a really good year and still has goals to reach, the future looks just as bright. That is something that excites Tyrrell.
“We have a great group of eighth graders coming up. The middle school just won the MOAC tournament. They are some little guys. We are going to have a 106-pounder next year. We do not currently have a wrestler at 106 pounds.”
