Louisville Claims Team Title at North Canton Holiday Tournament – Wrestling

Louisville 214 (1st Out of 54)

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The Louisville Leopards put together an outstanding team performance at the North Canton Holiday Tournament, winning the 54-team mega-event with 214 team points — a 39-point cushion over runner-up Ashland (175 points). Louisville’s depth showed up all over the bracket, with 10 placers and bonus points sprinkled throughout the day as the Leopards consistently kept wrestlers alive deep into the championship and consolation rounds.

By the end of the weekend, Louisville’s trophy haul included a tournament champion, a pair of third-place finishers, and a long list of podium performances: Emilio Rodriguez (5th – 106), Paxton Laughlin (4th – 113), Xavier Pollard (7th – 120), Colton Rhoads (1st – 126), Liam Montgomery (4th – 132), Kaiden Barker (3rd – 138), Aric Criss (4th – 144), Lucas Neff (6th – 165), Micah Bricker (5th – 190), and Jake Beard (3rd – 215).

Team Results | Individual Results | Day 1 Broadcasts | Day 2 Broadcasts

Friday – Day 1 – Straggat Media Broadcast

Broadcasts Courtesy of Straggat Media Network

Saturday – Day 2 – Straggat Media Broadcast

Broadcasts Courtesy of Straggat Media Network

Champion Spotlight: Colton Rhoads Wins 126 Title

If you want to point to the centerpiece of Louisville’s championship push, start at 126 pounds, where senior Colton Rhoads powered through the bracket to claim 1st place.

Rhoads’ title run featured a mix of what makes him so tough in tournament settings: early-match control, bonus-point bursts, and poised finishing in the late rounds. He advanced with multiple falls and a technical fall, then closed the tournament with a 5-0 decision in the championship bout over Gamble Gossett (Union Local) to lock up Louisville’s biggest individual score of the day. That kind of “scoreboard certainty” at a loaded weight is exactly how team trophies get won and Rhoads delivered.

Third-Place Finishers: Barker and Beard Bring Home Bronze

138 – Kaiden Barker Takes 3rd

Kaiden Barker put together a strong run at 138 to finish third, battling through a weight that included elite opponents and high-end seeds. Barker closed his tournament with back-to-back placement-round wins — including a tight 4-2 decision over Preston Schuler (Olentangy) — to climb onto the podium and add a huge placement score to Louisville’s team total.

215 – Jake Beard Finishes 3rd

At 215, Jake Beard turned in another big placement for the Leopards with a 3rd-place finish. Beard had a key pin in the late rounds (including a semifinal-side rebound win over Alex Thompson of Madison Comprehensive) and then capped his tournament with a 3-1 decision over Kolten Snyder (Union Local) in the bronze bout. In a tournament this deep, a third-place finish at 215 is a major swing — and Beard delivered it.

Other Louisville Placers: Depth Wins Championships

Louisville’s team title wasn’t just about the top of the podium — it was the constant production across the lineup.

• 106 – Emilio Rodriguez (5th): Rodriguez battled through a deep field and earned a major placement, highlighted by multiple bonus-point wins earlier in the tournament.

• 113 – Paxton Laughlin (4th): Laughlin made a strong run to the placement rounds, piling up points with pins and a tech fall before finishing just off the podium’s top four.

• 120 – Xavier Pollard (7th): Pollard navigated a loaded bracket and finished seventh, including a placement-round 7-1 decision over Terry Osborne (Ripley).

• 132 – Liam Montgomery (4th): Montgomery fought for every point at a stacked weight, finishing fourth after winning key bouts to reach the placement rounds.

• 144 – Aric Criss (4th): Criss put Louisville in scoring position all day with a blend of pins and high-control wins before dropping a one-point decision in the placement round.

• 157 – Lucas Neff (6th): Neff’s path included tough matchups and late-round battles; his sixth-place finish added valuable team points at a weight full of state-level talent.

• 190 – Micah Bricker (5th): Bricker produced bonus points and kept Louisville’s momentum rolling at 190, ultimately finishing fifth after a 10-4 decision over in the fifth place bout over Luke Mullins (Mount Vernon) in another stacked bracket. 

Notable Teams and Individual Standouts Across the Tournament

Louisville won the overall title, but the North Canton Holiday Tournament always features top-end individual performances across the board — and this year was no different.

Among the champions outside of Louisville:

• 106: Constantinos Paxos (North Canton Hoover)

• 113: Chance Wuhr (Lake Catholic) took 1st.

• 120: Brice Lafleur (Saline)

• 132: Rocco Czarnecki (CVCA)

• 138: Mason Bauer (Ashland)

• 144: Anthony Oscar (Clear Fork)

• 150: Carter Price (Ripley)

• 157: Mavrik Gregory (Mount Vernon)

• 165: Isaac Sands (Wheeling Park)

• 175: Landon Crosier (Steubenville)

• 190: Paul Tepley (CVCA)

• 215: Trevor Jones (Mount Vernon)

• 285: Jordan Earnest (Wadsworth)

In the team race behind Louisville, Ashland finished as the runner-up (175.0), while Lake Catholic edged into third (172.0) in what turned into a tight battle at the top of the standings. Louisville, however, separated itself with the most complete lineup in the building — a champion up top, bronze medals in two more weights, and a steady stream of placers that kept the Leopards scoring from start to finish.

UP NEXT: The Leopards will next compete at the Medina Invitational on Monday, December 29 and Tuesday, December 30 at Medina High School.

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