Sectional Wrestling: Elyria's Bennett Wachter, Blake Cancel, along with Amherst's Isaac Vasquez advance to districts

AUSTINTOWN — Lorain County will send a trio of sectional champions to the top line of the Wadsworth district next weekend.Behind champions Bennett Wachter (106) and Blake Cancel (144), Elyria finished seventh in the team standings Saturday with 122.5 points at the Division I Austintown Fitch sectional.Amherst finished eighth with 88 team points and sectional champion Isaac Vasquez (175).Host Fitch won the team crown with 241 team points, easily outpacing runner-up Medina (180.5).Wachter, a returning state qualifier, was the first county wrestler to take home a sectional title with a hard-fought 6-3 win in overtime."It feels good," Wachter said. "To come out on top against a good opponent is good and get a good seed for districts."The junior fell behind early after being taken down by Chayce Kemble of Austintown Fitch in the opening period. He responded with two nearfall points in the second period and an escape in the third to force extra time."I know how hard I work," Wachter said. "I think I deserve it. I think my mindset is what had changed the most. I have always known my capabilities, but I wasn't able to pursue that."He picked up the win with a dramatic takedown with just three second remaining in the first sudden victory period.Cancel was dominant in his first two matches with a 30-second pin and a second-period technical fall on his way to the final."I just set myself up better for next week," Cancel said. "I give myself a better chance to make it down to state. That is my main goal. I want to place at state."He scored a first-period takedown in his finals match against Nathan Craig of Fremont Ross and then rolled Craig, who chose bottom in the third period, and picked up the pin with five seconds remaining."I feel a little bit nervous going out there," Cancel said. "Me and my coach have been talking about it and don't put pressure on myself. I have a feeling during the match I tell myself just to keep scoring to keep my mind off of the nerves and that is what I did."Comets junior Isaac Vasquez picked up a pin and major decision on his way to the final, before picking up a second pin in the championship bout."It was a big step," Vasquez said. "But we're not satisfied yet. We have to compete next week too. Keep getting after it and keep getting after myself."Vasquez was taken down early in the first period but got a huge reversal and finished with the pin over Timmy Jesenovec of Eastlake North with 13 second left."This time of year, every match is going to be a grind," Vasquez said. "You just have to keep wrestling. I kept wrestling and I got into position to pin him."Joining the two Pioneers champions in Wadsworth next weekend are Gatlin Hassler (third, 150), Blake Bernath (third, 157), Marlon Charley (fourth, 126) and Xaiden Natal (fourth, 215). Aaden Feliciano snagged the alternate spot at 113 by winning his fifth-place match.Amherst's Jax Percival won his third-place match at 106 to guarantee his place at district and Trae Thompson (fifth, 120) and Mathew Vidovich (fifth, 144) secured alternate places.Division I Austintown Fitch SectionalSTANDINGS: 1. Austintown Fitch 241; 2. Medina 180.5; 3. Painesville Riverside 144.5; 4. Brunswick 144; 5. Fremont Ross 137; 6. Barberton 133; 7. Elyria 122.5; 8. Amherst 88; 9. Eastlake North 60; 10. Cleveland Rhodes 54.5; 11. Lyndhurst Brush 53.5.106: Bennett Wachter (Ely) d. Chase Kemble (AF) 6-3 (SV-1). THIRD: Jax Percival (Amh) m.d. Landon Stolz (Med), 11-0. 113: Dominic Difilippo (Med) m.ff. Gaspar Raymundo-Marcos (Barb). THIRD: Ryan Shannon (AF) d. Danny Gamer (Brun) 6-3 (SV-1). FIFTH: Aaden Feliciano (Ely) d. Collinn Ollom (Fre) 4-0. 120: Teagan Gilmore (Med) Kamauri Jordan (Pain). THIRD: Cayden Gagliardo (AF) p. Elijah Nelson (Rho) :24. 126: Cooper Kaplack (Med) d. Alessio Ferrell (AF), 9-3. THIRD: Jacob Kash (Brun) p. Marlon Charley (Ely), 0:46. 132: Josiah Sims (Brus ) inj. Tyler Bradshaw (Med) 3:23. THIRD: Dominic Fantone (AF) m.d. Nick Hanson (Pain), 14-5. 138: Evan Protopapa (AF) d. Aiden Autullo (Fre), 4-0. THIRD: Tristan O'Kelley (Pain) m.d. Malachi Robinson (Barb), 13-5. 144: Blake Cancel (Ely) p. Nathan Craig (Fre) 5:55. THIRD: Mason Cline (Barb) d. Jaylin Danko (AF) 1-0. FIFTH: Mathew Vidovic (Amh) m.d. Rickey Sims (Pain), 15-4. 150: Brayden Miles (Brun) t.f. Rion Dancy-Toma (East) 15-0. THIRD: Gatlin Hassler (Ely) d. Adam Morris (Barb) 7-6. 157: Travis Latta (Brun) d. Stephen Pontius (AF) 7-3. THIRD: Ben Hainzey (Pain) p. Blake Bernarth (Ely), 2:59. FIFTH: Jack Storm (Med) d. Gabriel Shumney (Amh), 10-5. 165: Carter Wickes (Brun) t.f. Sidiq Chenault (Barb), 16-1. THIRD: Ronell Strickland (AF) p. Lazar Kovacevic (Med), 1:26. 175: Isaac Vasquez (Amh) p. Timmy Jesonovec (East) 1:47. THIRD: Dayne Howey (Fre) p. Logan Matousek (Brun), 0:32. 190: Stephen Medved (AF) d. Kyan McGee (RHO) 9-6 (SV-1). THIRD: Anthony Salazar (Fre) p. Dominic Bottiggi (Pain), 3:48. 215: Jackson Phillips (Barb) p. Xzavior Mayo (AF) 3:56. THIRD: Mason VanPelt (Pain) d. Xaiden Natal (Ely) 4-1. FIFTH: Eugene Platts (Rho) ff. Javiaun Bush (Amh). 285: Cliff Nicholson (Med) t.f. Noah Bolen (AF), 17-1. THIRD: Lamarious Byrd (Fre) p. Jamari Campbell (Rho) 2:38.