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Barnesville’s Dakota King, front row center, signed his National Letter of Intent on Wednesday to attend NCAA Division I Ohio State University on a wrestling scholarship. He is flanked with his grandmother, Brenda Wilson, front left, and father, T.J. Back row, from left, are Barnesville High School Principal Ron Clark; Barnesville Head Wrestling Coach Jayson Stephen, and Barnesville Athletic Director, Brad Hannahs.
BARNESVILLE — There was a big announcement Wednesday afternoon inside the commons area at Barnesville High School.
Moreover, it was a Big 10 announcement as Shamrocks senior Dakota King told of his intentions to attend Ohio State University on a wrestling scholarship when he signed his National Letter of Intent.
“Today is super exciting,” King admitted. “I think this is really good for the Ohio Valley. I’m excited to present myself as a Buckeye. I’m really excited for the experience.
“I was born a Buckeye. My parents were born Buckeyes. Pretty much everyone in Ohio is a Buckeye fan,” King stressed. “I’m glad I can finally get to compete with them.
“This is a life-long dream. I grew up watching Ohio State wrestling and now to be a member of the team is kind of surreal. I’m training to beat Iowa and Penn State.”
However, before he can think about the Hawkeyes or Nittany Lions, King has his senior season with the Shamrocks just ahead of him.
He is No. 1 at 138 pounds in Division III preseason rankings by the website Borofan.com. The Shamrocks are also ranked No. 1 in the team standings.
“I don’t really look at that (the rankings). I just go out and wrestle. I don’t try to think too much about who my opponent is,” he offered.
“I really, really put in a lot of work over the summer to get to where I want to be. There’s no doubt in my mind that I can win a state title this year.”
King is already a three-time OHSAA place-winner. He finished sixth as a freshman at 113 pounds, but jumped to third in each of the next two seasons at 120 and 132, respectively.
Before committing to the Buckeyes, King took official visits to Clarion University in Pennsylvania; Oklahoma University; and West Virginia University. The Buckeyes and Sooners were his top two choices.
So what was the deciding factor between Columbus and Norman?
“(Head coach) Lou Rosselli resigned at Oklahoma, but he came to Ohio State (as an assistant coach), so I’ve got him and the Ohio State coaches,” King noted. “It’s like the best of both worlds.”
Rosselli was actively recruiting King until his departure from Norman.
King is also a two-time OVAC Ron Mauck Tournament champion His father, T.J., also won an OVAC title and serves as an assistant coach with the Shamrocks.
“My dad has been all my help. He got me into wrestling when I was two-and-a-half,” the younger King said. “To be where I am right now, it’s all on him. He’s my role model.”
He is the third Division I wrestler from Barnesville. Tim Moxley signed with Ohio State back in the 1980s and Caide Bunfill attended Edinboro University.
“I think we will be adding more to that list coming up sometime this year,” Barnesville head coach Jayson Stephen noted.
King transferred from the Cambridge School District to Barnesville prior to his freshman season.
“My teammates have been great. They’ve got me to where I am today,” he explained. “I transferred here after my eighth grade year. We all wrestled together for a club team in Cambridge as youth, so we’ve been through a lot together.”
“This group of kids all wrestled for a youth club team in Cambridge prior to Dakota transferring to Barnesville, so they all knew each other. They’ve all been wrestling together for quite some time now,” Stephen added. “It was a good fit for him, so he came over and joined our team.
“He, and his father, T.J., both felt it was the best situation for him,” Stephen continued. “They made the decision to come here and it’s worked well for everyone involved.
“I am super excited for Dakota. This is a big deal … NCAA Division I. You can’t get any higher than that. I’m excited to see what comes out of that next season,” Stephen said. “Let him get some competition and get used to the style of college wrestling and see how he can do.
“I think when I finally get to see him wrestling in an Ohio State singlet, for me, that’s when it will really soak in. We know it’s going to happen. Even at a small school like Barnesville, every kid has an opportunity and he has taken advantage of the opportunity presented to him.”
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