Redemption: Kordell Ford State Wrestling Runner-Up
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
COLUMBUS — What a difference one year made for Hillsboro senior Kordell Ford.
Ford, who is now a two-time state placer, finished the 77th Annual Division II State Wrestling Championships as the state runner-up at 160 pounds and gained all the redemption he needed and then some by wrestling four of the best matches of his entire wrestling career.
With his second-place finish over the three-day tournament at the Jerome Schottenstein Center on the campus of The Ohio State University, Ford (34-4) became just the second wrestler in the history of Hillsboro High School to finish as a state runner-up in the sport of wrestling, joining Richard Burns in a very elite class at HHS.
Last year, Ford was forced to miss the state wrestling championships due to a medical default.
Not this time around.
Ford, wearing a white singlet, trimmed in red, along with a red H on the back, wrestled the match of his life on the state championship match against Graham Local sophomore Alex Marinelli, falling just short by a 9-8 decision.
[[In-content Ad]]"I think I had a great tournament. I wrestled as hard as I could," Ford said. "I knew this would be my last tournament as a Hillsboro Indian. I just tried to fight every period and tried to do the best I could.
"Winning the semis, that felt great. I let out the biggest scream of my life. I was really trying to pull out a victory for a state champ for Hillsboro, but I can honestly look back here in a few years and know that I left it all out here. I tried my hardest, and that's all I can say."
The win by Marinelli give him a record for the season at 49-2.
No matter the outcome, it was very evident as Ford kneeled near the center of the mat with the time expired in the match and his high school wrestling career over that he had left everything he had "on the mat."
"My coaches would agree I wrestled one of the better tournaments I've ever wrestled," Ford said. "I knew it was my last one, and I knew what was on the line, and that was a state title."
With the spotlight on the two grapplers in the center of the stage, Ford and Marinelli put on a wrestling showcase with Marinelli striking first with the first two points of the match, but Ford responded by escaping a hold by the Graham sophomore for a 2-1 score with 1:31 remaining in the first period.
Ford then scored two more points near the end of the first period for a 3-3 tie after two minutes.
Looking up to the crowd before the start of the second period, Ford continued his battle with Marinelli, giving up a point as Ford wanted to start to his advantage by standing, with Marinelli taking a 4-3 advantage.
Following a timeout for blood from the nose of Ford, around the 1:45 mark of the second period, the HHS senior trailed by three points following a takedown by Marninelli with 1:11 left in the period.
With 59 seconds left in the second, Ford gained a point from an escape to cut the deficit down to two points. Ford continued to fend off takedown attempts by Marinelli, but with Marinelli being the challenger he is, Ford eventually trailed 8-4 with a few seconds left in the second after another takedown.
The third and final period of the match and of Ford's wrestling career was a two-minute fury of pure grit, toughness and focus as he looked up to the crowd one final time before the final two minutes began to tick off the clock.
Ford began the third by escaping a hold by Marinelli, inching closer for a 8-5 deficit, followed with two points from a takedown with 1:20 left on the clock for an 8-7 score.
With their match being the only one taking place by this time, all eyes were on the center mat as the score went to 9-7 in favor of Marinelli.
As Marinelli knew he had the advantage, he stalled just the slightest in the final second, fending off a quick attack attempt by Ford, but Ford was awarded one last point following a stalling penalty on the Graham sophomore. The clock finally hit 0:00, and with that, the season and Ford's career had come to a close.
"Kordell is the best wrestler that I've coached, and he's placed the highest in our school's history, along with Richard," Horne said. "He's going to have a legacy, always. He'll go up on our wrestling room wall.
"He qualified every year the last three years and placed two times. That's a huge morale booster for the program. Young kids see that, they read the paper about being in the state finals. If that doesn't motivate them, then I don't know what will. He's a good role model for the kids, very polite and a gentleman all the way. You can't ask for more."
The HHS senior spoke what it was like waiting all day for the match to begin.
"I was nervous all day long. Just sweating bullets, not talking very much," he said. "I watched that match from last year and at districts (against Marinelli) probably ten times (Saturday), just thinking about what I'm going to do, how awesome it's going to be if I win.
"It's been the most nerve-wracking day of my life. I stopped being nervous the minute we walked out there, when we were drilling. I was like all right, I'm taking it all in, now I'm good and I can settle down."
Ford ended the state tournament with a 3-1 record and in his two years at the state tournament became a two-time state qualifier. In his sophomore year at the 2012 state championships, Ford placed fourth.
His state tournament overall record in two appearances is 6-3 as he was 3-2 his sophomore season.
In his three years where he qualified for the state tournaments, Ford finishes with a three-year overall record of 124-13. In the past three seasons, Ford has had no more than five losses in a season, finishing 34-5 as a senior, 46-3 as a junior and 44-5 his sophomore year.
Getting to wrestle in front of around 10,000 fans of the sport didn't leave the mind of Ford, as he said it was something he won't soon forget.
"Oh man, that was one of the best feelings ever," he said. "Just all those people cheering. Every takedown, the majority of the crowd's going crazy, because I know a lot of people were excited and anticipating that match.
"It was just a great experience. I loved every minute of it, win or lose. It was great."
As for the rest of his 2014 state tournament run, Ford clapped his hands and let out a yell of pure emotion, as he became the second wrestler in Hillsboro wrestling history to reach the state finals following his championship semifinal win over Bellbrook junior Benjamin Schram by a 3-2 decision, Friday.
In his semifinal match, Ford and Schram went face-to-face with each other to a 0-0 score after the first 2:00 period. The first period saw lots of maneuvering and grappling from both wrestlers.
However, in the second period, Ford had a quick attack, fending off Schram and escaping a hold for the first points of the match around the 1:41 mark. With the clock reading 55 seconds, Ford lifted Schram and put his opponent on the ground for a takedown, for two points and a 3-0 advantage.
Schram continued to give Ford a quality match, scoring his first point with an escape with 46 seconds left in the second period, but Ford ended the second with a 3-1 advantage.
In the third and final 2:00 period, Ford began the match on top, but Schram was able to escape to score his second point with 1:47 left in the match.
Ford, being the aggressor in the match, continued to pressure his opponent. During a timeout for blood with Ford being less than a minute from earning a spot to the state finals, Coach Horne yelled to his senior wrestler, "Wrestle to win!" That's what Ford did, as he kept Schram from scoring any more points, and fighting his way out of a final effort by Schram to earn a spot in the finals.
Ford won twice on Friday, earlier defeating senior Alonzo Turner of Painesville Harvey by a 7-3 decision in the quarterfinals.
On Thursday, Ford defeated Aldin Leaker, a senior from Eaton, by a 12-4 decision.
Ford thanked his parents and coaches for everything they've done.
"Coach (Nathan) Horne, he pushed me and pushed me and pushed me all four years because he knew the potential I had," Ford said. "Greg Rhoads, he did a lot for me also. He sharpened everything and just got me where I needed to be to get in the finals.
"James Jones, he's a real motivation for me. I love James Jones. He was a great coach of mine, too. He just got me there mentally. All three of them together, that's just a great coaching staff.
"My mom and my dad, they are just the most wonderful parents. I could not ask for any better parents ever, supporting me through everything, always getting in my head, telling me what I need to do, keeping my focused. My uncle Bryce, he is there for every single tournament."
Coach Horne summed everything up perfectly.
"You win some, you lose some," Horne said. "I thought he had a great tournament all the way around, and he went after him in the finals. Kordell has nothing to be ashamed about, that's for sure."
Ford, who is now a two-time state placer, finished the 77th Annual Division II State Wrestling Championships as the state runner-up at 160 pounds and gained all the redemption he needed and then some by wrestling four of the best matches of his entire wrestling career.
With his second-place finish over the three-day tournament at the Jerome Schottenstein Center on the campus of The Ohio State University, Ford (34-4) became just the second wrestler in the history of Hillsboro High School to finish as a state runner-up in the sport of wrestling, joining Richard Burns in a very elite class at HHS.
Last year, Ford was forced to miss the state wrestling championships due to a medical default.
Not this time around.
Ford, wearing a white singlet, trimmed in red, along with a red H on the back, wrestled the match of his life on the state championship match against Graham Local sophomore Alex Marinelli, falling just short by a 9-8 decision.
[[In-content Ad]]"I think I had a great tournament. I wrestled as hard as I could," Ford said. "I knew this would be my last tournament as a Hillsboro Indian. I just tried to fight every period and tried to do the best I could.
"Winning the semis, that felt great. I let out the biggest scream of my life. I was really trying to pull out a victory for a state champ for Hillsboro, but I can honestly look back here in a few years and know that I left it all out here. I tried my hardest, and that's all I can say."
The win by Marinelli give him a record for the season at 49-2.
No matter the outcome, it was very evident as Ford kneeled near the center of the mat with the time expired in the match and his high school wrestling career over that he had left everything he had "on the mat."
"My coaches would agree I wrestled one of the better tournaments I've ever wrestled," Ford said. "I knew it was my last one, and I knew what was on the line, and that was a state title."
With the spotlight on the two grapplers in the center of the stage, Ford and Marinelli put on a wrestling showcase with Marinelli striking first with the first two points of the match, but Ford responded by escaping a hold by the Graham sophomore for a 2-1 score with 1:31 remaining in the first period.
Ford then scored two more points near the end of the first period for a 3-3 tie after two minutes.
Looking up to the crowd before the start of the second period, Ford continued his battle with Marinelli, giving up a point as Ford wanted to start to his advantage by standing, with Marinelli taking a 4-3 advantage.
Following a timeout for blood from the nose of Ford, around the 1:45 mark of the second period, the HHS senior trailed by three points following a takedown by Marninelli with 1:11 left in the period.
With 59 seconds left in the second, Ford gained a point from an escape to cut the deficit down to two points. Ford continued to fend off takedown attempts by Marinelli, but with Marinelli being the challenger he is, Ford eventually trailed 8-4 with a few seconds left in the second after another takedown.
The third and final period of the match and of Ford's wrestling career was a two-minute fury of pure grit, toughness and focus as he looked up to the crowd one final time before the final two minutes began to tick off the clock.
Ford began the third by escaping a hold by Marinelli, inching closer for a 8-5 deficit, followed with two points from a takedown with 1:20 left on the clock for an 8-7 score.
With their match being the only one taking place by this time, all eyes were on the center mat as the score went to 9-7 in favor of Marinelli.
As Marinelli knew he had the advantage, he stalled just the slightest in the final second, fending off a quick attack attempt by Ford, but Ford was awarded one last point following a stalling penalty on the Graham sophomore. The clock finally hit 0:00, and with that, the season and Ford's career had come to a close.
"Kordell is the best wrestler that I've coached, and he's placed the highest in our school's history, along with Richard," Horne said. "He's going to have a legacy, always. He'll go up on our wrestling room wall.
"He qualified every year the last three years and placed two times. That's a huge morale booster for the program. Young kids see that, they read the paper about being in the state finals. If that doesn't motivate them, then I don't know what will. He's a good role model for the kids, very polite and a gentleman all the way. You can't ask for more."
The HHS senior spoke what it was like waiting all day for the match to begin.
"I was nervous all day long. Just sweating bullets, not talking very much," he said. "I watched that match from last year and at districts (against Marinelli) probably ten times (Saturday), just thinking about what I'm going to do, how awesome it's going to be if I win.
"It's been the most nerve-wracking day of my life. I stopped being nervous the minute we walked out there, when we were drilling. I was like all right, I'm taking it all in, now I'm good and I can settle down."
Ford ended the state tournament with a 3-1 record and in his two years at the state tournament became a two-time state qualifier. In his sophomore year at the 2012 state championships, Ford placed fourth.
His state tournament overall record in two appearances is 6-3 as he was 3-2 his sophomore season.
In his three years where he qualified for the state tournaments, Ford finishes with a three-year overall record of 124-13. In the past three seasons, Ford has had no more than five losses in a season, finishing 34-5 as a senior, 46-3 as a junior and 44-5 his sophomore year.
Getting to wrestle in front of around 10,000 fans of the sport didn't leave the mind of Ford, as he said it was something he won't soon forget.
"Oh man, that was one of the best feelings ever," he said. "Just all those people cheering. Every takedown, the majority of the crowd's going crazy, because I know a lot of people were excited and anticipating that match.
"It was just a great experience. I loved every minute of it, win or lose. It was great."
As for the rest of his 2014 state tournament run, Ford clapped his hands and let out a yell of pure emotion, as he became the second wrestler in Hillsboro wrestling history to reach the state finals following his championship semifinal win over Bellbrook junior Benjamin Schram by a 3-2 decision, Friday.
In his semifinal match, Ford and Schram went face-to-face with each other to a 0-0 score after the first 2:00 period. The first period saw lots of maneuvering and grappling from both wrestlers.
However, in the second period, Ford had a quick attack, fending off Schram and escaping a hold for the first points of the match around the 1:41 mark. With the clock reading 55 seconds, Ford lifted Schram and put his opponent on the ground for a takedown, for two points and a 3-0 advantage.
Schram continued to give Ford a quality match, scoring his first point with an escape with 46 seconds left in the second period, but Ford ended the second with a 3-1 advantage.
In the third and final 2:00 period, Ford began the match on top, but Schram was able to escape to score his second point with 1:47 left in the match.
Ford, being the aggressor in the match, continued to pressure his opponent. During a timeout for blood with Ford being less than a minute from earning a spot to the state finals, Coach Horne yelled to his senior wrestler, "Wrestle to win!" That's what Ford did, as he kept Schram from scoring any more points, and fighting his way out of a final effort by Schram to earn a spot in the finals.
Ford won twice on Friday, earlier defeating senior Alonzo Turner of Painesville Harvey by a 7-3 decision in the quarterfinals.
On Thursday, Ford defeated Aldin Leaker, a senior from Eaton, by a 12-4 decision.
Ford thanked his parents and coaches for everything they've done.
"Coach (Nathan) Horne, he pushed me and pushed me and pushed me all four years because he knew the potential I had," Ford said. "Greg Rhoads, he did a lot for me also. He sharpened everything and just got me where I needed to be to get in the finals.
"James Jones, he's a real motivation for me. I love James Jones. He was a great coach of mine, too. He just got me there mentally. All three of them together, that's just a great coaching staff.
"My mom and my dad, they are just the most wonderful parents. I could not ask for any better parents ever, supporting me through everything, always getting in my head, telling me what I need to do, keeping my focused. My uncle Bryce, he is there for every single tournament."
Coach Horne summed everything up perfectly.
"You win some, you lose some," Horne said. "I thought he had a great tournament all the way around, and he went after him in the finals. Kordell has nothing to be ashamed about, that's for sure."