Lorain Wrestler Wins Overtime Thriller at OHSAA State Tournament

Senior 106-pounder D.J. Otero defeats Louisville's Emilio Rodriguez 4-3 in ultimate tiebreaker

Mar. 14, 2026 at 5:38pm

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Lorain senior 106-pounder D.J. Otero won a dramatic 4-3 overtime victory over Louisville freshman Emilio Rodriguez in the Division I quarterfinals of the OHSAA state wrestling tournament. After two scoreless overtime periods, Otero was able to ride out Rodriguez for the deciding point in the ultimate tiebreaker. Otero, who finished third at last weekend's district tournament, will now face a rematch with Perrysburg sophomore Collin Bagdonas in the semifinals.

Why it matters

Otero's overtime victory showcases his resilience and experience at the state tournament, having competed in multiple overtime matches in previous years. The win also sets up an intriguing semifinal rematch with Bagdonas, whom Otero lost to last weekend, providing an opportunity for redemption.

The details

Otero landed an early takedown to take a 2-0 lead, but was hit with back-to-back stalling calls late in the first period and early in the second, resulting in 2 penalty points for Rodriguez to tie the match at 2. Rodriguez then took a 3-2 lead with an escape, but Otero tied it at 3 with a stalling call on Rodriguez with 1:41 left in regulation. The match went to overtime, where Otero was able to ride out Rodriguez for the deciding point.

  • The quarterfinal match took place on Saturday morning in Columbus, Ohio.
  • Otero defeated Perrysburg's Connor Bagdonas via rideout in the ultimate tiebreaker in the semifinals last year.

The players

D.J. Otero

A senior 106-pounder from Lorain High School who has previous experience wrestling in overtime matches at the state tournament.

Emilio Rodriguez

A freshman 106-pounder from Louisville High School who faced off against Otero in the quarterfinal match.

Collin Bagdonas

A sophomore 106-pounder from Perrysburg High School who defeated Otero by major decision last weekend and will now face him in the semifinals.

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What they’re saying

“We train for extra time and we work our butts off all year so that we could make it 'til that last period. Even it's more than our 6-minute goals and we have to go 7-8-10 minutes, I was prepared well.”

— D.J. Otero, Lorain Senior 106-pounder (cleveland.com)

“I'm not really worried about it. We wrestled a bunch of times this year. Last weekend, we had a good game plan, but I didn't wrestle my best. I didn't wrestle my match. I had a bad weight cut and it cost me.”

— D.J. Otero, Lorain Senior 106-pounder (cleveland.com)

What’s next

Otero will face a rematch with Perrysburg sophomore Collin Bagdonas in the semifinals on Saturday evening.

The takeaway

Otero's overtime victory at the state tournament showcases his experience and resilience, setting up an intriguing semifinal rematch with an opponent he lost to last weekend. The win highlights Otero's ability to bounce back and compete at the highest level, even when faced with adversity.