By MICHAEL S. BURICH

Assistant Sports Editor

COLUMBUS — Six area Div. II wrestlers won their opening-round matches on Friday during the first day of the state boys wrestling tournament at the Schottenstein Center.

Beaver Local freshman Jordan Bates, East Liverpool junior Kyle Ingram, Beaver Local senior Bobby Buchheit, West Branch senior Beau Nezbeth, Beaver Local sophomore Jake Hughes and Beaver Local junior Evan Ours all won to advance to the championship quarterfinals.

Bates, ranked first at 106 pounds by DubStat, bested Streetsboro’s John Bollinger with a pin in 2:30. Bates will get Alter freshman Blake Foucht, ranked fifth, in the quarterfinal.

Also at 106 pounds, eighth-ranked Ingram was an 8-2 winner over seventh-ranked Cole Palma of Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary. Ingram gets No. 3 ranked Zane Russell of Wakoneta in the quarterfinal.

Buchheit, ranked third at 150 by DubStat, scored a 3-2 ultimate tiebreaker win over No. 8 ranked Gavin Miller of Ontario in the opener. Borofan Almanac had predicted this match to be one of the top five best opening round bouts. Buccheit will get No. 5 ranked and Kenston district winner Chance Schlauch of Perry in the quarterfinal.

Hughes, who is ranked second at 157 in the state, pinned Upper Sandusky’s Ethan Lewis in 1:40. Hughes is slated to take on Chaminade-Julienne’s Ronald Johnson, ranked fourth, in Saturday’s quarterfinal.

Also at 150 pounds, sixth ranked Nezbeth had a 7-0 win over Columbus DeSales’ Reed Bodie in the first round. Nezbeth will take on Gallia Academy district champion and seventh ranked Marshall Laishley of Cambridge in the quarterfinal.

Ours, ranked third at 165 pounds, claimed a 7-1 win over Luke Sanchez of Granville. Ours will be paired with No. 1 Cael Gilmore of Marengo Highland in the quarterfinal.

Beaver Local’s John Burkett, East Liverpool’s Wyatt McCune and East Liverpool’s Xavier Lara were eliminated with two losses on Friday.

In Div. III, Southern’s Rowan Wiley lost his first match, but stayed alive for a podium spot with a first round consolation win.

Action continues at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday.

Jordan Bates

Beaver Local Beavers

106 pounds

Fr., 45-2

FIRST ROUND: Bates pin John Bollinger (Streetsboro), 2:30

QUARTERFINAL: vs. Blake Foucht (Alter)

Kyle Ingram

East Liverpool Potters

106 pounds

Jr., 39-5

FIRST ROUND: Ingram dec. Cole Palma (Akron SVSM), 8-2

QUARTERFINAL: vs. Zane Russell (Wapakoneta)

John Burkett

Beaver Local Beavers

113 pounds

Soph., 31-20

FIRST ROUND: Caleb Snyder (Clear Fork) pin Burkett, 3:22

FIRST CONSOLATION: Henry Geiger (Granville) dec. Burkett, 4-2

Wyatt McCune

East Liverpool Potters

132 pounds

Sr., 33-12

FIRST ROUND: Dareyan Egner (Franklin) dec. McCune, 2-1, TB

FIRST CONSOLATION: Payten Staugler (Celina) dec. McCune, 8-4

Bobby Buchheit

Beaver Local Beavers

150 pounds

Sr., 31-2

FIRST ROUND: Buchheit dec. Gavin Miller, 3-2 TB

QUARTERFINAL: vs. Chance Schlauch (Perry)

Beau Nezbeth

West Branch Warriors

150 pounds

Sr., 49-1

FIRST ROUND: Nezbeth dec. Reed Bodie (Columbus DeSales), 7-0

QUARTERFINAL: vs. Marshall Laishley (Cambridge)

Jake Hughes

Beaver Local Beavers

157 pounds

Soph., 42-4

FIRST ROUND: Hughes pin Ethan Lewis (Upper Sandusky), 1:40

QUARTERFINAL: vs. Ronald Johnson II (Chaminade-Julienne)

Evan Ours

Beaver Local Beavers

165 pounds

Jr., 36-9

FIRST ROUND: Ours dec. Luke Sanchez (Granville), 7-1

QUARTERFINAL: vs. Cael Gilmore (Highland)

Xavier Lara

East Liverpool Potters

190 pounds

Jr., 22-12

FIRST ROUND: Rod Owens (Alter) pin Lara, 1:17

FIRST CONSOLATION: Thomas Zemaitis (Bowling Green) dec. Lara, 7-0

Rowan Wiley

Southern Indians

157 pounds

Sr., 47-10

FIRST ROUND: Lane Lopez (Delta) dec. Wiley, 8-1

FIRST CONSOLATION: Wiley major dec. Brady Volz (Finneytown), 12-4