Dec 27, 2024
READY — The mats are set up and ready for action today as the 35th annual Wheeling Park Duals will take place inside the spacious fieldhouse at The Highland Sports Complex. The two-day event concludes Saturday. – Kim North
WHEELING — If it’s the week between Christmas and New Year’s, it’s time for high school wrestling action to heat up in preparation for the 71st annual OVAC Ron Mauck Championships on January 16-18, 2025.
This weekend promises exciting action at two different venues as the 35th annual Wheeling Park Duals will get underway today inside the spacious fieldhouse at The Highland Sports Complex. Action starts at 9 a.m. on nine mats, with the final dual set for 5:45 p.m. Action also begins Saturday at 9 and runs until completed. A 10th mat will be available for warmups.
There are 36 teams entered from three different states – Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Entered in the Red Pool from Ohio are Mayfield, Canal Fulton Northwest, Massillon Washington, Steubenville, Shenandoah, Canfield, Loveland, Apple Creek Waynedale, Cincinnati St. Xavier, Union Local and Clermont NW. Fairmont Senior, John Marshall, Beckley Woodrow Wilson, George Washington, Oak Glen and University (JV) represent West Virginia, while Avella and Peters Township hail from Pennsylvania.
The Blue Pool has Ohio schools Garaway, John Glenn, Bethel Tate, Indian Creek, Carrollton, East Liverpool, Massillon Jackson, Jonathan Alder, Fairless, Claymont and Southern Local. West Virginia entrants are Herbert Hoover, Wheeling Park, Hurricane and Cabell Midland. Coming from Pennsylvania are Quaker Valley and West Allegheny
The Highland Sports Complex serves as the third home to the duals as the event started back in 1990 inside the ‘Palace on the Hill’ by then-assistant Wheeling Park coach Steve Shaffer. The event then moved to WesBanco Arena in downtown Wheeling until relocating to The Highlands last winter.
Ironically, the event is now run by Shaffer’s son – Shane – who is also the OVAC Ron Mauck Championships Director.
“The people here (at The Highlands Sports Complex) have been great. We love having it up here,” Shaffer pointed out. “We received a lot of positive feedback from last year. The people up here have really helped us get to where we need to be. It’s been a really great experience up here.”
University is the defending champion, but, according to Shaffer, the Hawks will be sending their ‘B’ team.
There are 11 wrestlers who earned all-Ohio honors last year by placing in the top eight of their respective weight classes. Four of those are local in the Steubenville duo of senior Brody Saccoccia, a returning state champion at 150 pounds and a three-time state placer, and junior Cooper Smith, who placed sixth at 144 a year ago; and the Union Local tandem of sophomores Gunnar Gossett and Brody Perzanowski, who both took sixth at 144 and 157 pounds, respectively.
Across the Ohio River in Belmont County, the 31st annual St. Clairsville/Whitesides Tournament will take place inside the refurbished ECO Center on the campus of Ohio University Eastern on Saturday, with action getting started at 10 a.m.
This will be the first time the event hasn’t been held at John Jenkins Court inside St. Clairsville High School since inception. Six mats will be utilized as teams from Ohio and West Virginia compete in the pool-to-bracket event. This will be the first wrestling venture inside the building since renovations took place.
Those teams include Brooke, Cameron and Nitro from the Mountain State, while representing the Buckeye State are Akron North, Alliance, Archbishop Hoban, Beallsville, Bellaire, Bridgeport, Coshocton, Coventry, Dalton, Dublin Jerrome, Frontier, Green, Hebron, Hubbard, Lakewood, Liberty Union, Madison, Madison Plains, Martins Ferry, Monroe Central, Morgan, Nelsonville-York, St. Clairsville, Tallmadge, Toledo Start, Triway, Union Local and Western Reserve.
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