On the mat in the semi-finals, Revere Senior Zeck Lehman wrestled in the OHSAA wrestling competition for the third time. Friends, family, and coaches watched in anticipation as he wrestled against wrestler Drew Kasper from Lexington High School. He focused on scoring as many points as possible, using a move his coach taught him called “The Herbet.” This was his last chance to compete in the OHSAA tournament.

Revere wrestling coach Dan Mosher spoke of Lehman’s performance in the tournament.

“[Lehman’s] goal was to be a state champion this year, and it is disappointing anytime one of my wrestlers doesn’t meet their goal, however, it was not for lack of effort or attitude.  He still wrestled a strong tournament, and I am very proud to have coached him as a three-time state qualifier and two-time state placer,” Mosher said.

Lehman described how he felt about losing and also mentioned his plans to continue to wrestle at the collegiate level.

“I expected a lot more of myself. I thought I was going to do better. Obviously, I did not, but that’s why I’m going to wrestle in college because I love being on the mat. This experience along with the whole spirit of wrestling is just hard work pays off and you have to work hard for what you want in life. Regardless of how much you work, you’re not guaranteed anything. You just [have to] work hard for what you want in life,” Lehman said.

Mosher explained why he believed Lehman lost his match to Kasper.

“He had his opportunities in the state semi-final match to win, but he just couldn’t capitalize on them. It was key to score the first points to set the tone for the rest of the match. The wrestler he lost to ended up winning the title.  If Zeck wrestles him ten times, they probably split their victories 50/50.  The other guy just wrestled the better match that day, but that doesn’t mean he was any better of a wrestler.  Some days you get the bear, and some days the bear gets you,” Mosher said.

Senior wrestler Jack Smith, who attended the championships to support Lehman, spoke of Lehman’s wrestling abilities.

“I think [Lehman] is a great wrestler and he dominates on the mat. I’ve been his drill partner for the past four to six years, and I have seen him progress tremendously. He has always had an upper hand on me. We have a saying we use, #DPFL (drill partners for life). It’s been a great time wrestling by his side, and we have created a relationship like none other. We’ve been through so much together and made some great memories,” Smith said.

According to Mosher, Lehman showed potential to be a great wrestler near the beginning of his high school wrestling career.

“I knew about halfway through [Lehman’s] freshman season that he had the potential to be great. He showed a strong work ethic in practice that I usually don’t see from most other freshmen. He also was beating out an upperclassmen for the varsity spot,” Mosher said.

Mosher explained why he thinks Lehman is a successful wrestler.

“Lehman has a winning attitude. He does not like to lose, and it pushes him to be the best wrestler possible. I think this is what has made the difference in his success. While many other athletes seem to accept mediocrity, he expects himself to be better,” Mosher said.

Lehman described his third time in the OHSAA state championships as a good experience, and he thanked his friends and family for helping him.

“I’ve had a lot of supporters. My family helped me a lot. All of my coaches [helped me]. Mosher taught me a lot of techniques. Assistant coach Matt Peterson wrestled with me a lot, basically we wrestle every day the whole season. He just worked with me a lot. My coaches, my teammates, and my family just helped me a ton,” Lehman said.

Although Lehman lost the match to Kasper, Lehman definitely plans to continue wrestling in college.