For Matt Webster, the question was never whether he was strong enough to compete in the state wrestling championships.
But the Jefferson senior has learned that earning a ticket to Columbus requires more than just being the strongest man on the mat.
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Webster will compete in the Division II regional tournament Friday night as the top seed in the 215-pound class at Kenston High School.
Webster enters the second-to-last weekend of the playoffs with a 40-7 record after winning the division title last weekend at Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary.
He won two tournaments this season: the Ashtabula County Championship and the St. Clairsville Whiteside Invitational.
Webster finished third at the competitive conference tournament and second at the Chagrin Valley Conference tournament before losing in a late comeback to Madison’s Chase White, a state-ranked player a year ago.
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This will be Webster’s third trip to the districts, and he hopes to be a little more cautious in his actions, which will be the difference between going to Columbus instead of going home.
“Last year, I lost in the bloody round,” he said. “I got kicked and he rolled me onto my back. That’s where I won a big decision against a kid earlier this year.”
However, similar experiences have given Webster confidence that he can go further this time.
“I actually wrestled heavyweight this year,” he said. “It helped me wrestle more fundamentally and I didn’t want to take any risks. I learned to wrestle smarter.”
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Falcons head coach Cody Lewis said there was serious consideration in keeping Webster at 285 for the entire season.
He has two matches with potential state qualifiers Ben Griswold of Conneaut and Beau Hudson of Steubenville, who wrestles in Columbus in 2025.
“We thought ‘Should we make him a fast heavyweight?'” Lewis said. “But, in terms of his style, I think he’s more suited to 215.”
Webster has the ability to grapple with competitors weighing up to 70 pounds.
“I’ve never been on the mat with anyone better than me,” he said.
Lewis has known this for some time.
“I’ve been coaching him since he was in sixth grade and he’s always been really strong,” the coach said. “He’s just a weird athlete.”
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The strength has always been there and now he’s putting all that experience together this weekend.
“He was in the perfect position last year,” Lewis said. “He made a mistake, a wrestling mistake, and it cost him. He anchored himself in a defensive position in this critical state game.
“That’s one of the things we’ve been looking at, ‘Hey, we’re big and powerful, but let’s make sure we’re still making good wrestling decisions.'”
Webster will face senior Owen Drehar, who has a 27-12 record and a fourth-place finish in the West Branch tournament, in the tournament opener.
If he takes care of business in the first round, he’ll face the winner of Cleveland Villa-Angela St. Joseph sophomore Jordan Taylor and Northwestern senior Jackson Silman.
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According to Borofan.net, if Webster reaches the semifinals, he will likely face West Branch senior Gavin Hang, who has a 43-1 record this season and is ranked third in the state.
“His draw is pretty much set and if he can do what he needs to do, he has a good chance to advance,” Lewis said. “I’m not guaranteeing anything, there are a lot of good wrestlers in our area. But, I like the path we’re on and I like the way he’s wrestling right now. He’s as big and strong as any 215 you can find.”
“I’d love to do it,” said of heading to Columbus. “I felt like I had a good chance the last two years and I need to do that this year.”