It was a roller coaster of emotions for the Lehman senior throughout the day and the end result is he will be wrestling in the state tournament.
After losing to unbeaten and eventual district champion Daniel Beemer of Ottawa-Glandorf 6-1 in the semifinals, Long faced a pivotal match.
He faced Wyatt O’neil of Bethel-Tate in the consolation semifinals needing a win to get to state.
“I was (upset) about losing that match (in the semifinals),” Long said. “But at the same time I had to get focused for the next match. It’s just ridiculous when you think about everything that was at stake. This was my chance to do something — to get to state, which would mean something after all the hard work.”
And Long did exactly that, dominating O’Neil for a 12-3 major decision.
“I pretty much dominated the match,” Long said. “I gave up a takedown late and held on from there. It was just incredible realizing I was going to state.”
He finished fourth, losing to Deandre Nassar of Bluffton 6-1 in the third-place match.
“It was tough focusing,” he said. “I was really tired by that match. But it is great knowing I’m going to state.”
Purk places 6th
Sidney High’s Javon Purk was hoping to follow up Friday’s two wins with a berth in the state meet on Saturday, but he came up short, finishing sixth at 220 pounds.
Purk started off the Division 1 District well, with two pins on Friday to put himself in the semifinals.
But on Saturday, he faced 41-2 Antonio McCloud of Cincinnati Elder in his first match. McCloud won by a pin with just seven seconds left in the match.
He still had a chance to clinch a state berth when he took on Michael Carter of Cincinnati Northwest. A win would have put Purk in the match for third and fourth, and the top four qualify for state.
But Carter pinned Purk in 2:33. It dropped Purk down to the match for fifth and sixth, and Purk defaulted.
He finished an injury-plagued season at 23-5.
Versailles sends three
Three Versailles wrestlers punched their tickets to the D-3 state tournament on Saturday at Hobart Arena.
Versailles senior Tanner Bey finished as the runner-up in the 145-pound class, senior Bo Bey was runn er-up at 182, and senior Jonathan Moorman placed third at 170 to qualify for the state tournament.
Freshman Cael Bey at 106 and junior Preston Platfoot at 126 each placed fifth to finish as state alternates.
Tanner Bey began his road to state by pinning Ridgedale junior Steven Loper in 1:14. He then beat Allen East junior Luke Brown 9-4, and Triad senior Zack Zizzo 12-6, before being pinned in 1:58 in the championship match.
Bo Bey pinned Blanchester sophomore Steven Latchford in 3:39, beat Columbus Grove junior Enoch Jones with a 20-1 technical fall, beat Ottawa-Glandorf senior Tyler Ebbeskotte 5-3 in overtime and then lost 3-1 to Patrick Henry freshman Wil Morrow in the championship match.
Moorman pinned Fairbanks junior Trevor Chippas in 4:55, beat Bethel-Tate junior Owen Holtke 9-4, lost 6-0 to Delphos St. John’s senior Brett Vonderwell, beat Coldwater senior Tyler Hemmelgarn in a 13-5 major decision and then beat Ottawa-Glandorf sophomore Danny Rosales 12-6.
The state qualifiers will compete at the state tournament Thursday through Saturday at Ohio State’s Schottenstein Center in Columbus.
