McClain senior Ethan Hill is headed to this week’s OHSAA Division II State Wrestling Tournament after grappling his way to a second place finish last weekend at the district tournament held at Gallia Academy High School.

Hill won his first three matches before finally falling in the championship match. His three match victories were nearly half the total of seven individual wins recorded by eight Highland County wrestlers that qualified for the district tournament.

Wrestling at 285 pounds, Hill (25-3) opened the district tournament by pinning Devin Waggy of Morgan in 23 seconds. In the quarterfinals he pinned Hillsboro junior Ian Lawson in 4:57. In the semifinals Hill beat Mason Wilt of St. Clairsville, 2-1. In the championship match he was pinned by Garrett Dillon-Rhine of New Philadelphia in 2:30.

Hillsboro senior 175-pounder Gary Reno (38-9) won two matches at the district but fell just a bit short of moving on to the state tournament. In his first match Reno beat Cadyn Riggs of Indian Valley, 7-1. In the quarterfinals Reno lost to Cole Hines of Gallia Acadeny, 3-1. Reno came back in the consolation bracket to pin Denvar Nelson of Buckeye Local in 2:52, but then lost his next match to Cole Porter of West Holines, 3-1, and was eliminated.

Hillsboro junior 285-pounder Ian Lawson (29-19) opened the district by pinning Morgan’s Aidan Shaw in 2:56. But then he was pinned by McClain’s Hill in 4:57 and by Minerva’s Hatcher Sabatin in 1:56.

Ryan Burns (22-13), a 157-pound junior, picked up the only other win for Highland County. He lost his first match to Savier Faulks of Stuebenville when he was pinned in 36 seconds, but rallied to knock off Hayden Steven of Tri Valley, 11-6, in the consolation rounds. He was eliminated in his next when he was pinned by Gavin Pownall of Indian Creek in 2:58.

At 144 pounds, McClain sophomore Carlos Gonzalez (15-17) was pinned by Landon St. Clair of Miami Trace in 5:05 and then was pinned by Caleb Monlux of Maysville in 1:18.

At 157 pounds, McClain freshman Joshua Smith (14-14) lost to Gavin Pownall of Indian Creek, 14-0, and to Garrett Carson of Miami Trace, 14-1.

At 165 pounds, Hillsboro sophomore Mathias Hostetler (28-18) was pinned by Steven Davis of Gallia Academy in 35 seconds then was pinned by Ethan Llewellyn of Indian Creek in 30 seconds.

At 215 pounds, Hillsboro freshman Andrew Shelton (17-16) lost to Michael Henry of Gallia Academy, 14-6, then was pinned by Damien Robbins of New Philadelphia in 47 seconds.

At the state tournament Thursday through Saturday at Ohio State University’s Jerome Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Hill will open with a match against Jeffery Blair (41-2) of Chaminade Julienne. Blair finished third in his district tournament.