COLUMBUS — It was the end of an era. Southview ended its remarkable wrestling history with two more state placers giving the Saints 43. Senior Uland Ralston won twice on Saturday to repeat his third place finish of his sophomore year. Junior Narcisco Inchaurregui placed eighth after placing seventh as a junior.

“That was state qualifier 81 and 82,” head coach Billy Kopp said. “It is kind of emotional. We don’t know what they are going to do with the head coaching position. Hopefully I am the coach to lead the new era but seeing the Southview uniform for the last time it is kind of bittersweet.

“I told the kids they both wrestled a good tournament but the results were not what they wanted but for them to come represent. It is a fitting way to close the school.”

Ralston defeated Sandusky’s Davion Caston 4-3. It was the final wrestling match of his career.

“I am happy with how it played it out,” Ralston said. “I am happy with third again. It still hurts from yesterday but I will be proud of it one day.

“That was my last match. Of course I will come back and help out. It feels good to go out with a win.”

Ralston will always have a place in history of one of the two final state placers.

“To be a part of the last group of state placers and be a part of history but you wish what it could continue but it is what it is,” Ralston said. “But the tradition will continue at Lorain High and it will be even better because we will have Admiral King with us.”

Inchaurregui said his eighth place finish would motivate him this summer. He hopes Kopp will still be the head coach.

“I am hoping it is my same coach,” Inchaurregui said. “He has been my coach since the second grade but there is so much motivation. I have a lot I have to improve on- work ethic, I have to condition a lot better and listen to my coaches a lot more. I have to work a lot harder.”

Burns wins five straight

Edison sophomore Kyle Burns lost his opening match at 130 to Manchester’s Shane Burns. He rebounded to win five straight including a rematch against Burns to place third in Division III.

“I learned my lesson and battled back and got the next best thing,” Burns said. “I had to get over it to wrestle but it still hurts.”

“He did a great job fighting back,” head coach Davy Hermes said. “He learned an important lesson that you can’t take anything for granted down here. It is not easy coming back and winning five straight matches at the state tournament and he did that.”

Edison’s Cam Michel placed eighth at 103 pounds.

“Cam was in a couple matches I thought he could have won,” Hermes said. “He is coming back again next year and he gained some great experience.”

A little extra

Wellington senior Josh Roberts defeated Crestview’s Joe Whisler in overtime to place seventh at 215 in Division III.

“It is a great way to end it on a high note,” Roberts said. “It has been my goal all year. (Overtime) is where all the conditioning paid off. It came down to who wanted it and I had to stay focused.”

Roberts paid a toll both physically and emotionally over the course of the tournament.

“My body feels like I fell down a flight of stairs and mentally I am drained,” he said. “I had to stay focused for three days. I need a break.”

His head coach John Sedlick said it is something Roberts will never forget.

“You want to go out with a win and win that last match.,” Sedlick said. “It is what you will remember.”

Dempsey closes career with win

Westlake’s Conner Dempsey placed seventh with a pin over Elder’s Devon Range.

“I thought we wrestled well,” Dempsey said. “I lost two close matches by one point including to a state champion in double overtime. But it is nice to go out with a win.

I was going for a pin. I hurt my knee and little so I really didn’t want to go to the down position.”

Westlake head coach Mike Antonyzyn was proud of his senior.

“He pulls the program together,” Antonyzyn said. “We have class kids and it is a reflection of the program. When you have good kids, it makes coaching enjoyable. Conner is a good kid. I will take 13 more of him.”

Lang places as freshman

Norwalk’s Kyle Lang was the first freshman ever to qualify for state from his school. He placed eighth at 103 pounds in Division II.

“All the work I did in the offseason paid off,” Lang said. “It was great to be the first Norwalk freshman to make it to state.”

His coach Danny Helton believes this year will be a stepping-stone.

“We will chalk this up to experience,” Helton said. “The ultimate goal for him is to be a state champion. You have to gain experience to do that. He has the first year under his belt and the jitters out. Now the goal is to be on top of that podium starting next year.”

Injury

A matchup of local wrestlers for fifth place at 112 in Division III never materialized. St. Mary’s Joe Dauch injured his shoulder and medically defaulted giving Keystone sophomore William Spangler fifth.

Pair of fifths

St. Paul junior Mitchell Gross lost his first match on Saturday but rebounded with a pin over Martins Ferry’s Jeff Oberdick to finish fifth. Sandusky senior Jerrell Valliant also opened Saturday with a loss but also rebounded to decision Brecksville’s Kyle Roddy to place fifth.

Former MJ editor honored

Former Morning Journal sports editor Kermit Rowe was voted by his peers as the recipient of next year’s Coaches Association Media Services Award. Rowe will be honored at the state meet in 2011. He is the third former Morning Journal writer to receive the award since 2007. Rowe is now the editor of the Springfield News-Sun.