Western Brown High School head wrestling coach, Wendel Donathan (right), recorded his 82nd career dual win on Jan. 17 to tie the school’s record for all-time dual victories with 82.

 

Coach Donathan ties school record for all-time dual wins – 

By Wade Linville – 

This year’s Western Brown High School varsity wrestling team made its mark in the school’s history books on Wednesday, Jan. 17, as the Broncos dominated the mat for a 70-12 team victory over the visiting team of Clinton Massie for their 15th dual team win of the season. The 15 dual wins marks the most in school history for a Western Brown varsity wrestling team, and after Wednesday’s team win the Broncos stood at an overall record of 15-1.
Not only did Wednesday’s win set the single-season dual wins record for head wrestling coach Wendel Donathan and his Broncos, but it also marked Donathan’s 82nd career coaching win to tie former Western Brown wrestling coach Scott Smith for most all-time dual victories in school history. This is Donathan’s eighth year as head coach of the Western Brown High School wrestling program.
The Broncos were able to win all but two matches in Wednesday’s dual victory over Clinton Massie.
The Broncos took an early 6-0 advantage, winning the first match by forfeit.
It was Western Brown junior Tanner Donathan giving the Broncos a 12-0 lead by claiming a win by pin in the 132-pound match.
Bronco senior Seth Taylor dominated for a win by pin in the 138-pound match, expanding the Western Brown lead to 18-0.
The Broncos rose to a 24-0 lead as senior Jordan Hamblin claimed a win by pin in the 145-pound match.
Clinton Massie won the 152-pound match to cut the Broncos’ lead to 24-6.
Clinton Massie didn’t have a competitor for the 160-pound match, giving the Broncos a 30-6 lead.
Int he seventh varsity match of the night, it was Bronco junior Dylan Mosher claiming a win by pin in the 170-pound bout to lift Western Brown to a 36-6 lead.
It was Western Brown senior Eric Altman winning the 182-pound battle by pin to up the Broncos’ lead to 42-6.
Western Brown senior Davey Stamper kept the streak going by capturing a victory by technical fall in the 195-pound match to lift the Broncos to a 47-6 advantage.
Western Brown senior Justin Noble led the 220-pound match 7-0 after the second round and held a 10-4 lead late in the third round, but suffered a loss by pin with just 0.1 seconds to go in the match. With the win in the 220-pound bout, Clinton Massie trailed 47-12.
Bronco senior Seth Jermer claimed a win by pin in the 285-pound match, and the Broncos capped off the 70-12 team win with Western Brown senior Brandon Lucas winning the 113-pound match by pin.
The Broncos’ win over Clinton Massie came on Senior/Parent Recognition Night at Western Brown High School.
The Broncos rose to an overall record of 14-1 on the season by topping West Clermont 64-12 in the Battle of 32 dual on Jan. 10.
It was West Clermont’s Ryan Walker defeating Western Brown’s Owen Bingamon in the 106-pound match.
Lucas pinned West Clermont’s Dylan Rowland to win the 113-pound match, and Bronco Jed Marlow pinned West Clermont’s Luigi Lattero via technical fall to win the 120-pound battle.
In the 126-pound showdown, it was Western Brown’s Ezra Marlow defeating Landon Hatley by way of technical fall.
The Broncos continued their winning streak with Tanner Donathan pinning West Clermont’s Chase Henderson to win the 132-pound match.

Western Brown’s Eric Altman wrestles his way to a win in the 182-pound match of the Broncos’ dual team victory over Clinton Massie, Jan. 17.

 

It was Western Brown’s Seth Taylor defeating West Clermont’s Nick Sutter via technical fall to win the 138-pound class, and Western Brown’s Jordan Hamblin pinned West Cerlmont’s Noah McCune to win the 145-pound match.
Western Brown’s Derek Spears won the 152-pound match by pinning West Clermont’s Brendan Imhoff.
One of West Clermont’s few wins in the dual was Mitch Mentzel’s win by pin over Western Brown’s Kennedy Sizemore in the 160-pound match.
Western Brown’s Dylan Mosher pinned West Clermont’s David Jones to win the 170-pound match, and Bronco Eric Altman pinned West Clermont’s Noah Mirick to win the 182-pound match-up.
Int he 195-pound match, it was West Clermont’s Joe Wahl defeating Western Brown’s Davey Stamper by 9-3 decision.
Western Brown’s Justin Noble pinned West Clermont’s Ben Berger to win the 220-pound match, and Western Brown’s Seth Jermer claimed a win by pin over West Clermont’s Will Young in the 285-pound match.
After winning the Battle of 32, the Broncos went on to finish second of nine teams in the in the Western Brown Hammer and Anvil Invitational on Jan. 13, a tournament in which there were approximately 11 teams that did not attend due to weather.
Winning the Hammer and Anvil was the team of Mason High School with a score of 363.5. The Broncos finished the Hammer and Anvil with a team score of 301.5.
In seventh round Hammer and Anvil action, it was Lucas claiming a 17-8 major decision over Mason’s Pacey Najdusak to place first in the 113-pound weight class.
Jed Marlow placed third in the Hammer and Anvil after claiming a seventh-round win by pin over Wilmington’s Sam Eastes in the 120-pound class.
Ezra Marlow claimed a 5-3 decision win over Western Brown’s Gage Daugherty in the seventh-round, 126-pound battle.
Tanner Donathan pinned Ezra Marlow for a sixth-round win in the 126-pound weight class, but Donathan would fall to Mason’s Dylan Waugh by 5-3 decision in seventh-round action.
Seth Taylor pinned Tippecanoe’s Austyn Bruno for a win in the sixth round, but in the seventh round of the 132-pound matches it was Taylor suffering a 6-0 decision loss to Mason’s Sam Glassco.
Hamblin pinned Goshen’s Thomas Hill for a seventh-round win in the 138-pound weight class, placing first place in his weight class at the Hammer and Anvil.
Spears captured a narrow 1-0 decision win over Lebanon’s Ethan Marsh in the sixth round of the 152-pound matches, but suffered a loss by pin to Mason’s Christopher Donathan in the seventh round.
Sizemore pulled out a 5-2 decision win over Rochester’s Christian Fortress in the seventh round of the 160-pound matches after coming through with a 12-6 decision win over Franklin’s Zach Osborne in the sixth round.
Altman pinned Rochester’s A.J. Morales for a sixth-round win in the 170-pound weight class, but went on to suffer an 8-3 loss by decision to Mason’s Eric Vermillion in the seventh round of the Hammer and Anvil.
Noble pinned Goshen’s Jacob Tatman in the seventh round to win the 220-pound class, and it Corey Field pinning Rochester’s David Robinson in the seventh round to win the 285-pound class.
The Broncos’ only team loss in duals as of Jan. 16 was at the hands of Elder in a dual that came down to the final match.
With Division I tournament time drawing near, coach Wendel Donathan would like to see more discipline out of his Broncos.
“We need to get our edge back,” he said. “We need to get ‘hungry’ again. Over three-quarters of the team has double-digit wins thus far this year, but yet we are struggling to beat the good kids. Simply put, we need more discipline. The post season will be here soon and many of these kids will be heart broken if they don’t change their ways.”
Wendel Donathan, who was recently selected as the Division II Wrestling Coach of the Year by the Ohio High School Wrestling Coaches Association, said it was the third round of this year’s Hammer and Anvil when his Broncos’ struggles on the mats began.
“I was disappointed in the way we competed in the third round of the event. We were only a half-point behind Mason going into that round and we fell apart. Teams have that happen, but it shouldn’t,” said Donathan. “We haven’t been disciplined enough lately to put ourselves in a position to beat solid teams like Mason. We haven’t been focused in practice, and when the time comes to beat good teams we just aren’t getting it done.”
The Broncos were scheduled to host Harrison on Jan. 20 for their final dual of the regular season.
The first round of the state tournament team duals begins on Jan. 24 with Western Brown playing host.

Hammer and Anvil Team Results
1. Mason 363.5
2. Western Brown 301.5
3. Lebanon 185.5
4. Goshen 179.5
5. Rochester 123.0
6. Franklin 11.0
7. Wilmington 58.5
8. Tippecanoe 14.0