COLUMBUS — Fifteen Ohio Valley wrestlers won their first matches Friday as the 88th annual Ohio state tournament got started at Value City Arena inside the Jwerome Schottenstein Center on the campus of Ohio State University.

Eight of those individuals are competing in Division II, with Beaver Local having five first-night winners in Justuce Fisher (106), Bobby Buchheit (138), Jake Hughes (150), Evan Ours (165) and Kane Curran (190).

Steubenville’s duo of Cooper Smith (144) and Brody Saccoccia (157) also advanced, as did East Liverpool’s Tristan Eckles (120).

Saccoccia is a defending state champion and is seeking a fourth appearance on the awards podium.

In Division III, Barnesville had three quarterfinalists in Colt Carpenter (138), Ayden King (165) and Hines Ford (175).

Union Local’s tandem of Gunnar Gossett (144) and Brody Perzanowski (175) also won their first matches.

Martins Ferry’s Colton Nixon (126) and Harrison Central’s Knox McKibben (215) rounded out the winners.