The Greater Toledo Wrestling Coaches Association's Division III poll is going to have to change sooner than later.

First-year coach Bob Bergman's Genoa Comets were ranked fifth in the GTWCA poll last week. But then the Comets went out and beat third-rated Elmwood, Genoa's Northern Buckeye Conference rival, and fourth-rated Liberty Center. Archbold and Delta were rated first and second, respectively.

Genoa beat visiting Liberty Center 39-24 last Thursday and, on the same night, beat Elmwood 36-34 for its first dual-meet win over the Royals in five years.

Genoa grappler Mike Snider takes down an opponent. (Press photo by Harold Hamilton/HEHphotos.lifepics.com)

“We showed that (poll) to them before those matches and used that for motivation,” said Bergman, who was head coach Joe Ziebold's assistant the past two years. “Our goal is to be competitive in every match and win the league. I think that is within our grasp.”

The Comets have a young, but strong, lineup this season. Genoa has three senior starters, including defending 152-pound D-III state champion Felipe Martinez.

Freshman Jay Nino, who bumped up one weight class to 220 pounds, clinched Genoa's win over Elmwood when he earned a 10-2 major decision over the Royals' Devin Vzelac.

“You don't see that often, when a freshman responds like that,” Bergman said. “He welcomed that and wrestled solid. At that weight class as a freshman, he handles himself real well.”

The Comets trailed the two-time defending Suburban Lakes League champion Royals 28-14 before storming back and scoring 22 consecutive team points.

“Every year Elmwood is well coached and they have a huge squad,” Bergman said. “We came off a tough (10-point) loss to Eastwood the week before, so we were a little down, but this was a real tipping point for our kids. They just competed.”

The Comets were awarded two NBC points for beating Elmwood in the first-year conference's round-robin format. The NBC does not host a duals tournament, as the SLL did. Instead, NBC teams earn two points for a head-to-head win against a conference foe. Those points are then added to each team's placing at the NBC tournament to determine the NBC champion.

“We would have been buried (in the conference race) if we had lost to Elmwood after losing to Eastwood,” Bergman said. “The team responded well.”

One of the Comets' top returning wrestlers is sophomore Max Reeder, who will compete at 126 pounds. Reeder, a state qualifier at 119 last year, was just the fourth Genoa freshman to advance to the state tournament.

“I expect him to be on the podium at state,” Bergman said. “He's fully capable. That's his goal, and he's very driven and motivated. He has had three knee injuries and should be back for the Medina Tournament on Dec. 28-29. He's one of our leaders.”

Bergman said he expects Martinez to compete at 160 later in the season, but the three-time state champion has had weight issues early in the season. Martinez won by first-period pin at 182 pounds against Elmwood, and he pinned his Liberty Center opponent in 24 seconds at 195.

“Felipe will go at 170 at Medina and he is working hard now and is on his way down,” Bergman said. “His goal is to go 160, but he's taking it a little bit at a time.”

The Comets' other starters are sophomore Dustin Widmer at 106, freshman Brandon Bates (113), junior Seth Morrison (120), sophomore Nathan More (132), junior Drew Keenan (138), senior Josh Pierce (145), juniors Jake Fejes (152), Ryan Szymanski (160) and Mike Snider (170), senior Jake Sheehy (182, 195), Nino (195, 220) and heavyweights Louis Cutchall, a freshman, and sophomore Cody Buckner.

Sheehy won the SLL title at 189 pounds last year.

“He's a technician,” Bergman said. “He's a smart wrestler and he figures out his opponent's weakness and goes after it. He doesn't just go in there and do whatever.”

Bergman also has high expectations for Keenan and Fejes.

“Keenan only has one loss on the year and he's looked real solid,” the coach said. “He is much improved and one of the hardest workers on the team. He runs extra sprints and his conditioning has really showed in the third period.

“Fejes has state potential. He is Felipe's drill partner and they spent a lot of time in the offseason. He's our most improved and probably our most sound wrestler when it comes to body position, and he has a good head on his shoulders. He learns from his mistakes.”

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