By Jordan Miller
FPS Editor
Carrollton High School will be represented at the OHSAA state wrestling tournament by two sophomores, Cael Lowdermilk and Sawyer Broadwater, after strong performances at the district tournament at Steubenville High School.
Lowdermilk (113 lbs.) earned his trip to the state tournament in dominant fashion, claiming the district championship. He opened the tournament with a first-period pin of Hillsboro’s Landon Frazier in just 56 seconds. He then secured a 14-3 major decision over Steubenville’s Cole Harvey in the quarterfinals.
The semifinal round, which guaranteed a state berth, saw Lowdermilk notch another major decision, defeating Dawsen Hudson of Logan Elm, 9-1. In the district championship match, he earned a 12-6 decision over Indian Valley’s Bronko Braun to cement his title.
Broadwater (106 lbs.) battled his way to a third-place finish to punch his ticket to the state tournament. He began with a pin of Circleville’s Drace Johnson in 3:16 but suffered a quarterfinal setback, falling in a 12-4 major decision to Beaver Local’s Justice Fisher.
Facing elimination, Broadwater fought back through the consolation bracket. He earned a 12-3 major decision over New Lexington’s Ashton Thurman, followed by a 22-6 technical fall against Wyatt Crabb of West Holmes. In the consolation semifinal, he secured his state berth with a hard-fought 4-1 decision over Ziggy Sandobal of Maysville. He closed out the tournament with a 4-0 victory over Zanesville’s Vince Coleman in the third-place match.
Carrollton entered the district tournament with 11 qualifiers, but Lowdermilk and Broadwater were the only wrestlers to advance to the state tournament. The OHSAA state championships will take place this weekend (March 7-9), where both wrestlers will look to continue their postseason success.