Photo by Kim North St. Clairsville’s Caden Stout celebrates after winning the 150-pound Ohio state championship Sunday.

COLUMBUS — St. Clairsville has had a lot of outstanding wrestlers come through its program over the years, but it had never had a state champion.

Twenty-seven Red Devils had reached the awards podium at the OHSAA state tournament, but none in the 85-year history had reached the top step.

Both of those streaks came an abrupt halt Sunday night inside Value City Arena at the Jerome Schottenstein Center when senior Caden Stout won the 150-pound weight class in Division II.

He did so by eeking out an 8-7 decision over Indian Creek’s Dom Paterra after holding a 7-1 advantage. It was the fifth time in six meetings this season that Stout had defeated the Redskins’ junior.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling. At the beginning of the year the goal was to get in the top 4,” Stout, still in shock after the victory, said. “Now I am a state champion.”

Stout gave credit to his teammates, both former and present.

“I’ve had a lot of great practice partners in Koen Kish, Quinten Elerick, Gavin Schoolcraft and the rest,” he said. “I knew I had to stay focused, wrestle smart and it would happen.”

After a scoreless first period, Stout drew first blood with a reversal for a 2-0 lead. Following an escape by Paterra, Stout recorded a takedown for a 4-1 advantage. An ensuing three-point nearfall made it 7-1 but Paterra kept battling and drew to with 8-7 but could get no closer.

“It’s funny because four years ago my dad said Caden Stout was going to be a state champion before his career was over,” St. Clairsville head coach Joel Sansone said. “I told him that Koen (Kish) and Reese (Skaggs) are pretty good, but he said ‘that kid isn’t afraid of anything and gives it all he has.'”

Competing with a broken rib which occurred in his semifinal win, Stout gutted out the win.

“I told him that he had a sickness before the tournament, so what is a broken rib,” Sansone noted. “We put some Icy Hot on it and got it wrapped up. He was good to go.”

Stout ended the season with a sterling 49-4 mark. Paterra finished 49-6.

“Dom had a great tournament. Those two kids know each so well,” Indian Creek head coach Brandon Pendleton said. “They had a couple of exchanges and the five-point move cost us as it has all year.

“Dom wrestled his best but came up on the short end.”

Steubenville freshman Brody Saccoccia (120) was a state runnerup after getting pinned by Mentor Lake Catholic’s in 3:45.

Saccoccia (45-5) trailed 4-0 when the match ended.

“I’m extremly proud of Brody. He had a great weekend and showed a lot of poise for a freshman,” Steubenville first-year head coach Lucas Huffman said. “He’ll be back.”

McCrone was a state runnerup last year at 120 and was sixth in 2019 at 106.

Indian Creek’s Austin Starr (190) also finished as a runnerup when he dropped a 10-4 decision to Aurora’s top-ranked Dylan Fishback, who defended his state title.

“I thought Austin wrestled well against him,” Pendleton said of Fishback. “He had pinned everybody in the first round and he didn’t get this far by not being very good.

“Austin held his own.”

Starr finished 40-4 and is a two-time placewinner, taking third last season.