MOUNT VERNON — Baseball will have to wait a few more days.
Ashton Spurgeon is busy this weekend.
The Mount Vernon senior will make his second straight trip to the state wrestling tournament at Ohio State’s Jerome Schottenstein Center after finishing runner-up at 195 pounds at the Division I Hilliard Darby district last weekend. Spurgeon, who will pitch for Mississippi Valley State next year, will be joined in Columbus by teammate Max VanFossen.
Spurgeon and VanFossen (160 pounds) are two of the six Knox County wrestlers who punched their tickets to the state meet with top-four finishes at last week’s district tournaments. Fredericktown’s Skylar Davis (120) and Mitchell Hurlbut (285), Centerburg’s Dallas Scott (138) and Danville’s Brice Berger (182) all qualified in Division III.
Both Spurgeon and VanVossen won individual Ohio Cardinal Conference championships as the Yellow Jackets finished third in the team standings behind champion Ashland and runner-up West Holmes and they each captured sectional championship at Newark.
A junior, VanFossen (38-11) finished fourth at last week’s district tournament. He dropped a 1-0 decision to Watkins Memorial’s Cole Foor in the consolation finals.
Spurgeon (43-3) pinned his way to the finals before falling to Hilliard Darby senior and projected state champ Jared Ball 10-1 in the championship match. Spurgeon, who was 1-2 at state at 195 last year, is projected to finish sixth.
VanFossen will open against Cleveland St. Ignatius’ Najee Lockett. Spurgeon drew Cincinnati LaSalle’s Michael Baker in the first round.
Fredericktown’s Davis (37-8) will open against Ashland Crestview’s Clay Eagle (24-4) after taking runner-up honors at 120 at last week’s Division III Heath district meet. Hurlbut finished third at 285 at Heath and will put his 41-5 record on the line against Genoa’s Noah Koch in the opening round.
Centerburg’s Scott (41-3) won a district title at 138 last week at Heath and is the projected seventh-place finisher. He will open against Allen East’s Lucas Freeman.
Danville’s Berger (37-5) was third at 182 last week at Heath. He will face Genoa’s Xavier Beach in the opening round.
The state tournament begins Thursday and runs through Saturday.
