Lybarger ready for title run

MOUNT VERNON — Mount Vernon senior Michael Lybarger has reached the pinnacle of the high school wrestling world in Ohio only to suffer defeat. Now, Lybarger is out to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

One of three Yellow Jackets to lose in the state finals last year, Lybarger has positioned himself to become the first state champion. Lybarger (41-2) is the No. 1 seed from the Hilliard Darby District and he holds the best overall record of all 140-pound participants in Division I.

“We’ve never had a state champion and he is in line to do that,” said Mount Vernon coach John Brown. “This is going to be a big weekend.”

Lybarger is in the No. 8 slot and drew the top portion of the bracket. He opens the tournament today facing Marc Bryan of Cleveland St. Ignatius (21-10). The other No. 1 seed in the top portion of the bracket is Anthony Wills of Youngstown Boardman (33-6).

Lybarger’s top competition, Germane Lindsey of Cincinnati Moeller (43-3) and Shawn Harris of Lakewood St. Edward (32-4), each found themselves in the bottom portion of the bracket. According to the 2007 Brakeman Report by Ohio wrestling guru Brian Brakeman, Harris is the projected champion with Lybarger finishing a close second. Lindsey, who Lybarger beat earlier this season, is projected third and Wills is projected 13th. Also, in the bottom portion of the bracket, there are four returning state placers while Lybarger is the lone placer in the top portion of the bracket.

“I couldn’t have placed him much better myself,” said Brown. “We are real excited about where he is at. You see the pieces coming together and we are more and more confident that it is going to happen. ... It is helping his confidence because everything is falling together liked we hoped it would. It is a big confidence booster to get the draw that he wanted. He can step out on the map and be confident.

“One of the things, and I told Michael this, is last year he was so confident all season. Then we walked into the state finals and I looked at him and I saw him shaking,” said Brown. “This year, he has that same confidence, which is important. You can’t accomplish something of this nature without believing you will. I think, now that he has been to the finals, he actually believes there is no one there who can stop him.”

Lybarger would choose to put the hype to the side and just wrestle — something he has shown a propensity to do.

“I knew I was going to be separated from Lindsey, but I wasn’t sure about Harris,” Lybarger said. “I tried not to think about it. When I saw the draw, I was happy because he was in the other half. ... I still have to go wrestle and I can’t overlook anyone.”

After finishing runner-up at 125 pounds last season, Lybarger has made the jump to 140, though not before trying out a couple of weight classes.

“With the weight issue — I went down to 135 once and didn’t have a very good weekend — I decided to bump back up and I’ve stayed at 140 the rest of the year,” Lybarger said. “I am finally feeling good. I just want to go wrestle.”

Brown felt like Lybarger could accomplish everything he wants at 140 pounds, despite the competition being bigger and stronger.

“I think Michael is much stronger than he looks, but he also has leverage,” Brown said. “He has learned to use that well. Michael’s big key is that he stays in really good position all the time. That is the key to winning. That’s how he beat Lindsey and that’s how he beat (Adam) Vaccari (of Hilliard Davidson). ... He matches up with those guys well. He beat Lindsey, 13-6, and Lindsey split with Harris this year so we feel we are right in there. When you go into a tournament like this, you’ve got to believe, but you’ve also have got to have a little bit of luck because there are four, five or six guys that are capable of winning. We are planning on this being our weekend.”

Lybarger remembers the finals match vividly. He is prepared to make sure the same thing doesn’t happen again this time around.

“It kind of got in my head a little bit last year,” said Lybarger. “I remember about halfway through the match thinking I can win this, but when I went out there, I wasn’t ready to wrestle. I was just happy to be in the finals. I didn’t go out to win.

“The main difference this year is that it is my last year,” added Lybarger. “There is nothing holding me back. I’m just going to go out there, wrestle and leave it all out on the mat. I definitely want to win it.”

At this point, all of Lybarger’s physical preparation is over and it is time to wrestle to the final whistle. Brown, who will be honored on Friday for being the 2006 Coach of the Year, and his staff continue to work on Lybarger’s mental approach.

“The mental aspect is everything,” said Brown. “It is not always the best wrestler that wins the state tournament. It is the one that believes he can when he walks in. At this point, it is 98 percent of what we do. He has taken care of the two percent. Now, he just needs to believe.”