THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH •  |  Sunday, March 12, 2017 C13

Wrestling notebook Girls basketball

Keaton completes mission for mom Africentric doesn’t

By Ray Stein
miss a beat with Moss
The Columbus Dispatch By Mark Znidar floor."
The Columbus Dispatch But McKinney
Every single day, couldn’t stop talking
Nate Keaton cherishes LEXINGTON, Ohio about Moss, who is
the memory of his late — A year ago in the in her first season as
mother, Angie, and same gymnasium and the No. 1 assistant and
she remains a constant point in the basket- junior varsity coach.
inspiration in his wres- ball season, Tyeasha He was not permitted
tling career. Moss was just another to interact with the
But Keaton, a Cir- proud alumna watch- players before, during
cleville junior, came to ing from the stands or after the game.
this weekend’s state when Africentric won “Tyeasha Moss did
tournament determined yet another regional an impeccable job and
to compete mainly for championship. I’m proud of her, but I
himself, and on Satur- Moss improved her knew she could do the
day night he walked out seating to the bench job," McKinney said.
of Value City Arena as a Saturday as coach for “I wasn’t worried
state champion. a game in taking over about the kids execut-
“I think my mom for a suspended Will ing and knowing what
would be really proud,” McKinney. to do with Tyeasha
Keaton said after grind- The Nubians played there. This whole
ing out a 1-0 victory as though McKinney situation turned out
over Dominic Carone was still leading them to be fantastic the
in a Division II final at rather than perched way Tyeasha handled
113 pounds. “I always in the upper reaches things."
wrestle for her, but I of the building in Africentric (23-3)
think I put too much wiping out Archbold began to dominate
pressure on myself last 60-31 to advance to starting with sopho-
year.” Nate Keaton of Circleville celebrates after winning the 113-pound title in Division II. [Kyle the Division III state more point guard
Keaton entered the Robertson/Dispatch] tournament. Jordan Horston block-
2016 tournament just stopped on his way said. “I’m going to keep Africentric (23-3) ing a shot five seconds
seven months after Scary moment will play Gates Mills after tip-off.
to finishing third at pushing. I’d like to be
Angie’s death at age Marysville coach Gilmour Academy Freshman guard-
182 pounds in Divi- in the state finals.”
48 from breast cancer, Shawn Andrews was (23-6) in a semifinal at forward Alexia Smith
sion I. The only thing
determined to win for End of the line not happy that the 1 p.m. Friday at Value led the Nubians with
that slowed him, in
her. He wrestled well seventh-place match City Arena. 15 points, followed
fact, was a persistent Jake Martinez’s state-
but finished fifth. involving his wrestler McKinney was by senior guard Leah
nosebleed. title dreams ended with
This year, he said, he Tyler Bates was not suspended one game Morrow with 12 and
Ball’s consolation a loss in a Division II
was far more focused halted before the junior and the school was Horston with 12.
final against Kaden semifinal loss Friday
on his task at hand, and suffered a dislocated fined an undisclosed Morrow said it was
Russell of Cleveland St. at 138 pounds. But he
he cruised to the final. left elbow that led to a amount by the Ohio more than differ-
Ignatius was delayed refused to allow his
Once there, though, pin. High School Athletic ent playing without
three times while final day of state-meet
he found a tough nut “Hopefully, there is Association for his McKinney.
trainers worked to stop wrestling to be a bitter
in Carone, and the no ligament damage,” critical comments “That felt really
the bleeding in Hall’s one.
two competitors could Andrews said, before of the officiating in weird because I’ve
left nostril. He still won Martinez won two
barely move each other questioning why the a 39-point regional been with him since
12-3. matches to finish third,
in a defensive match. assistant referee did semifinal vic- the fifth grade," she
“I must have gotten a year after placing
Keaton scored the not notice Bates had tory over Mount said.
hit in my first match,” second at 138.
only point on an escape been put in a poten- Blanchard Riverdale “We said that we
Ball said of his 16-0 “I’m very emo-
in the second period, tially dangerous on Wednesday. were winning it for
technical fall over tional right now. I
then rode out the third situation in his 152- Moss was one of him. (Moss) told us to
Blake Wilson of Cin- can’t believe this is the
period on top, never pound match against McKinney’s first stars play with everything
cinnati LaSalle. “All I last match of my high
giving Carone an inch. Tristan Brady of Elyria. in scoring 1,635 points we had. We’re happy
know is that it started school career,” Mar-
“I was very confi- “You’ve got to get and playing on a state for her. We love Coach
pouring.” tinez said after his 5-3 down and look at it.
dent this week on top; I A little blood, how- win over Anthony Rice championship team in Moss."
was confident all week That’s your job,” 2007 and runner-up
ever, was not going of Steubenville.
in all positions, actu- Andrews said. in ’08 before becom- Waterford 50, Danville 35:
to stop Ball, a junior “It’s a hard feeling
ally,” said Keaton, who Bates was lead- ing a three-year Waterford (24-3) will
who finished third at to describe. It’s a lot of
became Circleville’s ing Brady 4-2 with starter for Xavier. return to the state tour-
160 pounds a year ago disappointment of not 15 seconds left in the
first champion since and lost a narrow 6-5 winning (a state cham- “I don’t really want nament to defend its title
1980. “It was a good second period when the to comment because after it downed Danville
decision in Friday’s pionship) but a lot of
week.” injury occurred. Brady it’s all about the girls (19-7) in a regional final
semifinals. happiness for finishing quickly recorded the
“That loss fueled me how I did. I just can’t and not about me," at Pickerington North.
Messy but happy pin. Moss said. “They were
to come out today and believe it’s over.”
Jared Ball of Hilliard separate myself from the ones who put it mznidar@dispatch.com
Darby could barely be rstein@dispatch.com all out there on the @MarkZnidar
the rest of the field,” he