Ford, Kelley advance to State Quarterfinals

COLUMBUS — Hillsboro seniors Kordell Ford and Ryan Kelley have advanced to the quarterfinals of their respective weight classes Thursday afternoon at the OHSAA Division II State Wrestling Championships in Columbus at the Jerome Schottenstein Center, on the campus of The Ohio State University.

Kelley (37-3) was first to wrestle for the Indians at 120 pounds. In his state debut match, Kelley dominated his match at times, keeping his opponent, Juwan Minnifield (28-10), a sophomore from Sandusky Perkins, on the mat and remaining in control of the match.

Kelley won the match via 13-7 decision.

In the first two-minute period, Kelley controlled the upper body of Minnifield, rolling around the mat, while focusing on the shoulders, neck and arms of his opponent, gaining a 5-2 lead after the first period.

The second period saw Kelley flipped to the mat by Minnifield for a 5-4 score with 1:23 left in the second. Kelley didn't budge, though, earning a point for a 6-4 lead, then having a two-point takedown, doubling the total of his opponent at 8-4 with 1:03 left on the clock.

Entering the final period with a lead of 8-4, Minnifield scored a point, but Kelley exceeded that with a two-point maneuver, followed by another three points for a 13-5 lead. In the final 1:05 of the match, Kelley kept his opponent on the mat, but he did allow two more points for the eventual 13-7 final score.

Kelley will wrestle in match 569 on Friday, Feb. 28 against Dustin Warner, a senior from Uhrichsville Claymont, who has an overall record of 29-8.

In his second trip to the state championship, Ford (32-3) didn't disappoint in his first match at 160 pounds, winning by a score of 12-4 over Aldin Leaker (30-10), a senior from Eaton.

In his first-round matchup, Ford built a 2-1 lead with 1:32 left on the clock, followed by Ford slamming Leaker to the mat with 1:00 left in the first period for a 4-1 advantage. Ten seconds later, Ford increased his advantage to 5-1.

Ford, a three-time state qualifier, ended the second period with a lead of 7-2, giving his opponent a point at the start of the period so they could start standing up.

In the final 2:00 period, Ford continued to keep control of his opponent, eventually winning by eight points.

Ford will wrestle again on Friday, Feb. 28 in match 595 against Alonzo Turner, a senior from Painesville Harvey, who has an overall record of 33-2.