Sophomore Louden Dixon of the West Holmes wrestling team returned from injury for the Ohio Cardinal Conference Championship Tournament on Feb. 17, and he not only won his second OCC title, but also was voted by coaches as OCC Wrestler of the Year.
Dixon, who wrestled in the 144 pound weight class and ranked eighth in the division, is the newest Mount Vernon News Athlete of the Week for his strong performance last week for the Knights.
He started off the meet with a forfeit win, and then beat Aiden Proctor of Madison Comprehensive by a 15-4 major decision in the second round. In the third round he beat Tyler Dodsen of Ashland by a 16-1 technical fall. In the sixth round he pinned Caleb Crowthers of New Philadelphia at 2:49.
The final match was against Mavrik Gregory, a sophomore from Mount Vernon ranked 14th in Division I. While Dixon went down 6-3 midway through the second period, he battled back to take a 13-8 win to make it 5-0 on the day.
Coach Scott Vaughn praised Dixon for his accomplishment winning the Wrestler of the Year, especially being as young as he is.
"Winning OCC Wrestler of the Year is a great honor for not only Louden, but the wrestling program as well," Vaughn said. "Louden is only a Sophomore. I have been coaching in the OCC for 10 years now and I don't recall a sophomore earning this award. He is now a two time OCC Champion, which I am sure helped his case. Not only on the mat, but off the mat, he is very deserving of this award."
Dixon was one of four Knights to win OCC titles in the tournament, with West Holmes placing third as a team behind Ashland and Mount Vernon. Also winning was junior AAJ Roberts in the 132 pound class; junior Hunter McCluggage in the 150 pound class; and junior Cole Porter in the 175 pound class.
Vaughn was happy with Dixon’s determination in the final match, and how he came back in a big way in the OCC meet after being injured.
“I liked his grit, chipping away and continuing to score,” Vaughn said in the February 17 West Holmes Knights Wrestling newsletter. “His pace ended up being the difference to get the win.”
Vaughn had nothing but high praise for the sophomore Knight, saying that he is "an awesome young man." Dixon has shown dedication to wrestling that Vaughn said is "second to none." Vaughn said the day after the state tournament last year was when he started working out for this season. Dixon has a true love for the sport and competition.
"Probably the best compliment I can give you about Louden is that he puts 100% effort into whatever he does," Vaughn said. "He is an excellent student. He is an honor roll student. Louden is a great teammate. He has a great knowledge of wrestling; I always catch him helping his teammates whenever he can with technique or situations before, during or after practice. Lastly, obviously excels on the mat."
Next up for Dixon and the Knights is the OHSAA East Sectional Championship Tournament at Steubenville High School on Feb. 24 at 10 a.m. If he is in the top four, he will advance to the District Championship Tournament on March 1 and 2.
