By Cort Reynolds

Bluffton High School senior wrestler Kaden Basil advanced to the consolation round semifinals of the Div. III state championship tournament in the 175 lbs. division Saturday, March 12.

Basil posted a 2-1 record in the double-elimination event over the first two days of the three-day event at the Schottenstein Center on the Ohio State campus in Columbus to run his record to 40-6 this season. 

In the consolation semifinals Sunday morning, Basil will square off against West Jefferson senior Bryce Keckley (56-3).

The winner advances to the third-place match Sunday afternoon against either Waynedale senior Peyton Lemon (29-2) or sophomore Keegan Sell (35-3) of Garrettsville Garfield.

The loser of the Basil/Keckley bout will wrestle the Lemon/Sell loser in the fifth-place match Sunday.

In his first match Friday, Basil whipped Westfall senior Glenn Keeton 12-0 by majority decision. Keeton ended up 34-14.

In the quarterfinals Saturday, Basil pinned freshman Ronnie Thomas of Mechanicsburg at 3:29 to advance to the semifinals. Thomas dropped into the consolation bracket, where he lost his first match to finish his year 41-12.

In the 175 lbs. semifinal bout Saturday, Basil took on senior C.J. Smith of Pleasant and lost by a 10-4 decision. Smith advanced to the championship round Sunday with the win, and improved to 54-2.