ROSSFORD — After five years of rebuilding and a runner-up finish in 2010, the Perrysburg Yellow Jackets
re-solidified themselves as a perennial wrestling powerhouse in the Northern Lakes League. PHOTO GALLERY
The ’Jackets took
home their first NLL team title since 2004 with an outstanding tournament performance Saturday.
Perrysburg captured four individual titles and placed 10 wrestlers en route to a first place 1721?2 point
finish, despite the fact that the ’Jackets have no seniors in their lineup. Springfield finished second
with 1651?2. Bowling Green finished fifth with 921?2 and Rossford finished sixth with 88.
“There has always been a lot of talent here,” first-year head coach (and former Elmwood standout
wrestler) Sam Cotterman said. “I am going to get a lot of credit because I am the head coach, but I just
have so much respect for these kids because they respected me enough to work for me.
“They believed in us and we believed in them and that is why they are champs.”
Yellow Jacket title winners were; JP Newton (140), Kadin Llewellyn (152), Luke Boff (171) and Micah
Carter (285), who captured his second consecutive championship.
Rossford senior D.J. Recknagel took home his third consecutive NLL title, surpassing the mark set by his
father, Bulldog head coach and former wrestler Ron Reckangel.
“I’m feeling sky high right now. It is a great feeling to surpass my dad’s two league titles,” D.J
Recknagel said. “You would think the intensity goes down with every (title) that you win, but the
feeling is great.”
This NLL tournament was the final for the Bulldogs, who move to the Northern Buckeye Conference next
season.
“My son being a three-time league champion, it is something really special,” coach Recknagel said. “We
had some tough goes as a team tonight, but some of these are young kids. Out of everyone that wrestled
today in the finals, only DJ is not coming back. I’m already looking forward to next year.”
Bowling Green wrestled strong preliminary and semifinal rounds, placing seven wrestlers and winning one
individual title. Bobcat senior Jared Goris (160) capitalized on his dynamic takedown skills to beat
Perrysburg’s Connor Hoffman 9-4, securing his first NLL championship.
NORTHERN LAKES LEAGUE
WRESTLING MEET
At Rossford High School
Meet standings: 1) Perrysburg, 172.5; 2) Springfield, 165.5; 3) Maumee, 110; 4) Northview, 93.5; 5)
Bowling Green, 92.5; 6) Rossford 88; 7) Southview, 80; 8) Anthony Wayne, 54.5.
Dual-meet records: 1) Springfield, 7-0, 14 points; 2) Perrysburg, 6-1, 12; 3) Bowling Green, 4-3, 8; 4)
Anthony Wayne, 3-4, 6; 4) Northview, 3-4, 6; 6) Rossford, 2-5, 4; 6) Southview, 2-5, 4; 7) Maumee, 1-6;
2.
Final NLL standings (combines meet standings with dual-meet records): 1) Perrysburg, 36 points; 2)
Springfield, 35; 3) Northview, 21; 4) Bowling Green, 20; 4) Maumee, 20; 6) Rossford, 13; 7) Southview,
10; 8) Anthony Wayne, 9.
CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES
103 — Schneider (AW) d. Burlage (R), 2-1; 112 — Ibarra (Sv) d. Ball (R), 7-6; 119 — Elden (Nv) t.f.
Waltermeyer (P), 15-0; 125 — Shiekh (Sp) m.d. Herhold (P), 16-8; 130 — Gearig (Sp) d. Roth (P), 4-2 OT;
135 — Newland (Nv) d. Zastrow (Sv), 6-4; 140 — Newton (P) d. Biscoff (M), 14-9; 145 — Decavitch (Sp)
m.d. Fleming (P), 12-4; 152 — Llewellyn (P) d. DiLucia (R), 12-11; 160 — Goris (BG) d. Hoffmann (P),
9-4; 171 — Boff (P) p. Kohlhofer (Sp), 1:47; 189 — Recknagel (R) p. Bridges (AW), 2:51; 215 —
Gzegorzewsi (M) p. Smith (Sp), 1:18; 285 — Carter (P) p. Getzinger (M), 1:57.
CONSOLATION FINALS
103 — Connors (Nv) p. T. Ruiz (Sv), 3:29; 112 — Nguyen (Sp) d. Harder (Nv), 5-2; 119 — Stephenson (Sp)
t.f. Goldsmith (R), 16-1; 125 — Tarschis (Sv) d. Morelock (BG), 9-7; 130 — Enis (Nv) d. Straub (M), 9-2;
135 — Hickerson (M) p. Horrigan (BG), 1:43; 140 — Sargent (Nv) d. Yoder (Sp), 6-5; 145 — Cleghorn (M) d.
Spotts (AW), 3-1; 152 — K. Ruiz (Sp) p. Spencer (BG), 2:04; 160 — Caywood (M) p. Johnson (R), 4:08; 171
— Osinowo (AW) p. Parker (Sv), 4:04; 189 — Bembry (BG) p. Morse (P), 4:22; 215 — Topolski (Sv) p.
Arellano (BG), 1:25; 285 — McNeal (Sp) p. Allen (BG), 2:38.