COLUMBUS — Mitchell Hurlbut’s state wrestling tournament ended the same way it started — in overtime against Genoa’s Noah Koch.
Fredericktown’s senior 285-pounder, Hurlbut dropped a 3-1 sudden victory decision to Koch in the Division III third-place match on Saturday at Ohio State’s Schottenstein Center.
It was Hurlbut’s second loss to Koch in the three-days. He dropped a 3-1 overtime tiebreaker decision to Koch on Thursday.
In between setbacks, Hurlbut rattled off four straight wins — three via pin — to reach the consolation championship match. It was perhaps the most grueling way to reach the state podium, but the affable Hurlbut was only slightly worse for the wear. His bloodied nose dripped like a leaky fawcet during his post-match interview but the Indiana Wesleyan football recruit didn’t seem to mind.
“I can’t be mad. I mean, thank the Lord I made it this far,” said Hurlbut, who broke his own single-season record for pins with 38. “I was predicted to not even make it past Friday.
“Fourth in the state. I’m not complaining.”
Hurlbut (45-7) earned his spot in the third-place match with a pin of Ashtabula St. John’s Derek Elrod in the consolation semifinals Saturday morning. He couldn’t get anything going against the taller Koch, a junior.
“He’s really good and he’s just a junior,” Hurlbut said. “I’m scared for everyone else who will have to wrestle him.
“He’s a good competitor. We were a good match.”
As Hurlbut and Koch were duking it out, Mount Vernon’s Ashton Spurgeon was putting the finishing touches on his impressive 8-4 win over Michael Drobnick of Cleveland St. Ignatius in the Division I seventh-place match. Spurgeon took control early and won going away.
“It was my last match in my high school career and probably my last match ever, so I was giving it everything I had,” said Spurgeon (46-5), who will play baseball at Division I Mississippi Valley State. “I know I could have probably done better, but I’m on the podium so I can’t complain.”
Mount Vernon coach John Frye agreed.
“I know you always want to go one (place) higher, but we couldn’t be happier for him,” Frye said. “He deserves to be here and he deserves to be on the podium.”
