Louden Dixon lived out every wrestler's ultimate dream this postseason when he had his arm raised in his final match in the OHSAA Tournament.
Even more impressive, Dixon was a perfect 4-0 at Columbus, where he capped a 12-0 run in the OHSAA State Tournament as he earned a sectional title and a district title on his road to a State Title. At Columbus, he entered as the no. 1 seed and didn't disappoint as he finished with a 7-3 decision over Watterson junior James Lindsay to become the Knights fifth state champion.
For all those accolades and more, Dixon highlighted a great season locally on the mats and earned The Daily Record Wrestler of the Year.
"Dixon is one of the most, if not the most, self-motivated individuals I’ve coached," West Holmes coach Scot Vaughn said. "A lot of kids say they want to be a State Champ, but when it comes to doing the things that it takes to be a State Champ, that’s a different story. Louden is willing to make the sacrifices in order to achieve his goals as he never misses a lift or practice and is always doing extra after practice whether it’s conditioning, footwork or working on his technique.
Failing isn’t something that Dixon is afraid of either as he understands that you have to fail in order to improve. During the Knights regional team duals vs Sheridan, he bumped up to wrestle the eventual State Champ at 157, Sheridan's Coltyn Reedy, where he lost the match, but was happy for the challenge.
"His confidence started to grow when he had a few close matches with some really high-level guys at Brecksville," Vaughn added. "Placing eighth there, he really believed he could win after defeating Lindsay in the first round of State Duals vs Bishop Watterson. After that, he was on fire and didn’t look back."
Add on top, Dixon was a willing team player, always working to help the other guys on the mat get better and earned academic All-Ohio for the second year in a row.
"He has turned into a great leader in the room," said Vaughn. "He is going to make a great coach one day."
Finalists for Wrestler of the Year
Robert McCrork, Waynedale: This talented senior was by far one of the best tacticians on the mat in the area at 190 as he skillfully dominated opponents on a consistent basis. There wasn't a lot that McCrork couldn't do as he rattled off a record 52-1 and finished runner-up in his weight class at the State Tournament.
Caden Schmeltzer, Waynedale: Aggression, yet a calm sense just doing what he does, is what embodied this Waynedale senior wrestler at 138. Known for his ability to control a match, at times he just looked too relaxed doing it as he finished with yet his fourth trip to state with a record of 50-3 and a seventh-place finish.
