How can anyone be critical of a team that took third place at one of the toughest state wrestling tournaments in the nation?

Oak Harbor coach George Bergman can't, and won't.

Not after his Rockets sent six individuals to last week's Division II state tournament in Columbus. Not after they set school state-tournament records for points (96½) and placers (5). Oak Harbor also qualified four wrestlers to the state finals for the first time in school history.

Coach Bergman is being named Alan Miller Jewelers All-Press Co-Coach of the Year, and six state qualifiers are selected to the All-Press Wrestling Honor Roll.

Alex Bergman

At state, the Rockets took third in D-II behind 11-time defending champion St. Paris Graham (230.5 points) and Walsh Jesuit (108).

“We lost Jonny Bergman to an ACL before the season, and he probably would have been our heavyweight this year,” Bergman said. “We didn't have a heavyweight and our guys, from the first tournament on, performed really, really well. At the State Duals we didn't have Konner (Witt) in the lineup and we took sixth out of eight teams. We got him back and we had 12 weight classes at sectionals and every one of our guys made it to districts.

“The guys fought and improved. Every guy on the team had 20 or more wins and everyone on our team made it to districts. They were real coachable and a pleasure to coach. We worked them hard and they responded.”

The Rockets had one state champion in senior 125-pounder Tyler Hackworth and three runners-up in seniors Ian Miller (152), Witt (160) and Jake Cramer (171). Alex Bergman, a junior, placed sixth at 140 while senior Sean McGee also qualified at 189.

“Sean was 20-17 last year and didn't make it out of sectionals,” coach Bergman said. “He has improved immensely. He got beat in the first round at the district tournament and won five matches in a row to qualify for state.”

Hackworth (38-2) won the state title with a 2-0 win over Canfield senior Robby Reed in the finals.

Alex Bergman (44-8), the coach's son, lost 5-0 in the first round but reeled off three straight victories before a 7-4 loss to the eventual third-place finisher. Bergman lost the match for fifth place, 6-2, to Uhrichsville Claymont junior Kyle Warner, a three-time state placer.

“That was a very competitive weight class,” coach Bergman said. “Alex went to state as an alternate the last two years. He had to come back and win Thursday night and he went on a nice roll there. All three (wins) were tight matches. I was very happy that he placed this year, and now he can go into his senior year and not have that monkey on his back.”

Miller, who won a state title at 145 last year, was the projected 152-pound state champion by the Brakeman Report. Miller had two pins and a 21-6 technical fall in his first three matches before meeting Graham senior Matt Stephens, a three-time state placer, in the finals. Miller was 51-0 entering the match, while Stephens was 47-1.

Jake Cramer

Ian Miller

Stephens won 2-0 in overtime in what many considered the “dream matchup” of the D-II tournament.

“Ian bounced back pretty good (after the loss),” coach Bergman said. “At this level, there's a thin line from winning and losing. I definitely think Ian is the better wrestler, but one of the great things about sports is it doesn't matter. It's about who's going to come out on top.”

Witt, who placed second at 152 last year, was rated No. 2 in the Brakeman this season and made the state finals in impressive fashion. He pinned his first-round opponent in 17 seconds, pinned his second opponent in 1:30 and earned a 9-1 major decision in the semifinals.

In the finals, Witt met projected state champ Isaac Jordan, a junior from Graham. Witt lost 5-3 to Jordan, who scored a takedown with 10 seconds left in overtime. Witt finished 43-3 while Jordan, the 135-pound state champion last year, finished 19-2.

“That was a very good opponent,” coach Bergman said. “Jordan is down at Graham, where they wrestle. They don't play football or baseball, they just wrestle 12 months a year. We knew it was going to be a tough match and Konner did all he could do, and he did a great job. Obviously it didn't turn out the way we wanted it to, but it was a heck of a match.”

Cramer, the projected state champ at 171, lost to Mantua Crestwood senior Cody Ryba, 5-4, in the championship match. Cramer (42-6) won his three previous matches by the scores of 9-2, 12-9 and 5-3.

Ryba (45-3), who placed fifth at 152 last season, pinned Cramer's nemesis, Wauseon senior Nick McCall, in five minutes in the second round. McCall had dealt Cramer three losses this season, including at the sectional and district tournaments. Cramer took fifth at 140 a year ago.

“Jake had a great season,” coach Bergman said. “He knew he had a good draw, but he still had to go through two district champs on his side. Ryba was a bigger, stronger kid than Jake, but Jake fought like crazy.”

Unlike the rest of his teammates, McGee (37-12) was a first-time state qualifier. He was pinned by eventual state champion Chaz Gresham (42-5), a senior from Goshen, in 1:08 in his opening-round match and then suffered a 7-1 loss in the second round.

“That was his first time down there and it's an intimidating environment if you haven't been in that type of environment,” coach Bergman said. “Sean has nothing to be ashamed of. He had a great year.”

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