The decision to move Westerville North's Josh Demas up two weight classes to 171 pounds this season had gone according to plan until last week.

Demas became ill and dropped to 162 pounds. For the first time, Demas and his coaches wondered whether the move might have not been the best. He was weak, but Demas persevered and advanced to the Division I final.

He showed no signs of illness or apprehension last night. Demas scored with an ankle pick on Copley's Sam Wheeler in the first six seconds and easily won his second state title, 9-3.

"(Wheeler) told me he had a dream about (the match) and he won," Demas said. "I told him I was going to wake him up, and that's what I did with the ankle pick."

Demas celebrated with Randy Languis of Dublin Scioto. Languis edged Shane Foster of Massillon Perry 5-4 to win the 140 title. He is Scioto's second champion. Jake McCombs of Marysville lost to Gus Sako of Lakewood St. Edward 3-1 in the 125 final.

Demas (47-1) used the ankle pick later for another takedown, one of four he had in the match.

"That was the game plan," Westerville North coach David Grant said. "(Wheeler) has a very split stance, and we wanted to get that ankle pick. He had never wrestled Josh, and we kind of knew he wasn't going to respect (the move). You can think you are training for it but, if you aren't used to it, it's hard to defend."

Languis (50-4) had lost to Foster this season but took a 2-0 lead in the first 10 seconds on a takedown. There was little scoring from that point until near the end.

Foster (40-8) scored a takedown with 26 seconds left for a 4-3 lead but was penalized a point for locking his hands, to tie the match. Languis chose bottom on the restart and escaped with 18 seconds left for a point and the win.

"I was thinking 'Oh, crap, I gotta get out,'" Languis said. "But I got out anyways, so instead of tying it up, that won it."

Languis didn't doubt he would escape, even though Foster had ridden him for nearly four minutes in their earlier match.

"State champions don't get ridden and he absolutely did not get ridden," coach Scott King said. "As soon as that whistle blew, he got up to his feet and cocked his hips and got out."