Thompson and Collica Claim State Wrestling Titles for Solon

If this was an old Western movie, Brandon Thompson and Anthony Collica would walk into a saloon with hats lowered over their eyes while the guys playing poker would dive under their tables.

Instead, Thompson and Collica walked into Value City Arena as marked men. They walked out as champions.

The two talented Comet sophomores and determined teammate Nate Hoff combined to give public school Solon a sixth-place team finish in a Division I tournament dominated by private school programs.

Thompson was able to get past Massillon Perry’s David Bavery by a 2-0 decision to win the 103-pound title while Collica ran up a big lead and held on for a 7-6 victory over arch-rival Mike Carlone of Mayfield. Hoff, who made it all the way to the semifinals despite missing more than half of the regular season, added a fifth-place finish at 285 pounds after edging Garrett Gray of Oregon Clay 3-1 in overtime.

“Both of those kids paid an awful lot of dues,” Solon head coach Tony DiGiovanni said of his state champs. “Tonight, they went to the bank to collect.”

The crowd of more than 14,000 looked on as Thompson once again proved hard to score on while Collica wrestled to win from the onset of his highly anticipated final against Carlone.

“Anthony had a rough tournament down here last year and that’s been eating at him for a long time,” said DiGiovanni. “Brandon was in control the whole way of his match and was great on his feet.”

Both Thompson and Collica were picked to claim state titles by Brian Brakeman, Ohio’s high school wrestling guru.

“We were shocked at first,” said DiGiovanni, “but we felt we had two kids who could win a state title. It really put a bullseye on them.”

Thompson and Collica become the 16th and 17th state champions in Solon history, 15 of whom have won during DiGiovanni’s time at the school.

“It’s tough to beat our school when it comes to wrestling and education,” he said.

Thompson’s father Mike, a Solon assistant coach, was both elated and relieved after the finals.

“When you’re picked to win, it’s very nerve-wracking,” he said.

Hoff was another great story for Solon. The junior heavyweight missed the start of the season due to a football injury, but came on strong during the tournaments.

“These are three phenomenal kids to be around,” said DiGiovanni. “It’s always nice to be bringing back state placers, and we have three of them.”

Thompson and Collica leave Columbus today, both riding high in the saddle.