Kordell Ford advances to Division II State Wrestling Semifinals

COLUMBUS — Hillsboro senior Kordell Ford has wrestled his way to the Division II State Wrestling Semifinals with a victory Friday morning.

Ford (33-3), who wrestles at 160 pounds, won his quarterfinal match against Painesville Harvey senior Alonzo Turner (33-3) by a 7-3 decision.

That match was one of the more methodical matches at the tournament with both Ford and Turner sizing each other up for around the first minute of the match.

It was Turner who went for the first strike, but he gained no points as Ford fended off the quick strike and eventually grabbed the leg of Turner with 1:01 left in the first period, but still to no avail on the scoreboard with Ford and Turner wrestling their way out of bounds.

In the second period, Ford was the aggressor, gaining the first point of the match by breaking out of the grip of Turner, followed by Ford gaining two points on a takedown of Turner at the 1:40 mark of the second period for a 3-0 advantage.

Turner countered with a one-point maneuver, and following two timeouts for blood from Ford's nose onto the mat, the HHS senior had built a 3-1 lead after the first two 2:00 rounds.

Before the end of the second, Ford battled tough against Turner, with the former state placer fighting off a hold by Turner where he had Ford balancing himself on one leg, while avoiding the takedown to keep the lead.

Turner made the match score closer at the start of the third as he escaped a hold by Ford for a 3-2 score. A few seconds later, Ford gained two more points on his side with another takedown with 1:24 left in the match and a 5-2 advantage.

Ford gave up another point with 1:13 left for a 5-3 score, but Ford managed to keep battling and reversed his way out of a hold by Turner, eventually gaining his final two points for the four-point decision.

Ford will wrestle in Match 917 against Benjamin Schram (34-4) of Bellbrook in the semifinals. Schram defeated Brendan Scherer, who was a perfect 52-0 before the loss.

Hillsboro senior Ryan Kelley lost his 120-pound quarterfinal match Friday morning against Dustin Warner, a senior from Uhrichville Claymont, by pin with 25 seconds left in the second period.

Warner placed third in the state at 113 pounds last year.

Kelley (37-4) trailed 2-0 after the first and later was down 4-0. The HHS senior, Kelley maneuvered his way out of hold for one point with 1:00 left in the second, but eventually fell by the pin fall.

Kelley will wrestle again Friday in Match 740 against Sal Ferrise (34-17) of Akron St. Vincent St. Mary.