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Wrestlers are known for their massive levels of motivation, but all the incentive Lakota West High School's Bo Touris needed fit in his back pocket.

After losing for the first time in 45 matches in the state semifinals as a junior, Touris clipped the newspaper article detailing that defeat and folded it small enough to carry in his wallet for the next 364 days.

And when Touris made it back to the state semifinals one year later, fate paired him with Elyria's Steve Mitcheff, the same wrestler who beat him in the same round the year before.

But this time Touris scored a heart-pounding 3-2 decision in overtime on the way to the 2007 Division I 112-pound state championship.

"I remember it being so great because of everything I put into it," Touris said of his 9-5 decision against Lakewood St. Edward's Nick Sulzer. "Ever since I started wrestling in sixth grade, winning that match was the purpose of my whole life."

Touris finished his high school career with a record of 140-23 and a third-place finish at 103 in 2006 to go along with the 112-pound title in '07.

"Every now and then my dad will bring it up and say, 'Man, you should've won two,' just playing around with me," Touris said. "But I have no regrets about anything. It was a great experience wrestling for Lakota West in high school."

Touris used his prep success to earn a scholarship to Ohio State, where he's redshirting this season as a freshman.