COLUMBUS — Mount Vernon’s Alex Taylor would have hugged all 10,000-plus fans inside Value City Arena if time allowed.
It’s probably a good thing the awards ceremony prevented the newly-crowned Division I heavyweight state champ from working his way any further into the crowd.
His back already had taken a beating from all the congratulatory pats he received following his 10-5 victory over Massillon Perry’s Mike Millin in the finals.
“Look at this,” Taylor said to coach Corey Firebaugh as he pulled the straps of his singlet off his shoulders to expose a back turned crimson.
“All those slaps are so worth it,” he said.
The top-ranked Taylor dominated from start to finish. He scored a couple of early takedowns and was never seriously threatened after that.
The final whistle sparked a wild celebration that included a takedown of Firebaugh, a toss of his headgear, some dancing, some flexing and plenty of hugging. Taylor worked through a large contingent of Mount Vernon fans seated not far from the mat where he became Mount Vernon’s first-ever boys wrestling state champ.
Ashlynn Brokaw had become the school’s first-ever wrestling state champ an hour or so earlier when she won the girls 105-pound title.
“I’m the second state champ at Mount Vernon,” the gregarious Taylor said. “I’m so proud of (Brokaw) getting it done early and setting the momentum.”
Taylor shared a special moment with older brother, Jake, who placed sixth in the 165-pound class earlier in the day.
“My brother Jake getting sixth, that means the world to me,” Taylor said. “I cried for him taking sixth and not for me winning it.”
Watch: Championship highlights
Mission accomplished
Sunday’s victory was made even sweeter after Taylor came up empty in his first two trips to the state meet. He placed third at 215 as a freshman and was fifth at 215 last year.
“I knew 365 days ago who was winning it this year,” Taylor said. “I proved it finally. I can’t even explain to you what it means to me.”
Neither could Firebaugh.
“We’ve been after this for decades,” Firebaugh said. “I think we were the leading school in the state with the most runners-up and no champions. That was the infamous record we had.”
The program couldn’t ask for a better ambassador, Firebaugh said.
“He’s such a nice and humble kid, but he’s confident, too,” Firebaugh said. “There’s a fine line between confidence and arrogance and he’s just confident.
“He’s put in the work and he deserves it.”