Jordan brothers return to Graham, lead Ohio State past Purdue

It was just like old times for Ohio State University’s Bo and Micah Jordan at Graham High School.

Wrestle in front of a capacity crowd, win their match to help their team leave the gym on the winning side.

The former Graham four-time state champs each claimed wins Sunday, helping second-ranked Ohio State to a 35-7 win over 24th-ranked Purdue in front of a standing room only crowd.

“This is the best atmosphere to wrestle in front of,” Bo Jordan said. “When we walked out to the center before the match, you see how much they appreciated you coming back here and makes you grateful to have grown up around a community like this.”

The reception, in fact, brought a couple of tears to the eyes of the Buckeyes’ red-shirt senior.

“Usually things don’t bother me,” Bo said. “This shook me up. Being a father of two now and married, it just makes things more emotional.”

For Micah Jordan, a 21-9 winner at 157 over Purdue’s Cole Wysocki, it felt like home.

“It definitely felt like we (Graham) were getting ready to wrestle Blair or St. Eds,” Micah Jordan said. “It was just surreal to come out on this (Graham) mat again and have my dad here (high school coach Jeff Jordan). It just felt comfortable to be back here.”

Ohio State already led 12-4 when Micah kept Wysocki under constant pressure on his way to a major decision. Micah is 19-3 this season.

Bo had a little tougher match in a showdown with 10th-ranked Dylan Lydy.

Jordan, ranked No. 3, led 5-4 heading into the third period before recording and escape and takedown in the final two minutes.

“It was a good test for me in front of my home crowd,” Bo Jordan said. “I think I was a little overly excited and I was more nervous than usual.

“It was a really cool feeling. My emotions were just a lot higher than usual.”

The trip home came a week after Ohio State’s official Senior Day when over 15,000 packed the Schottenstein Center to watch a 22-12 win over Iowa.

The back-to-back duals sparked a lot of memories during Bo’s farewell tour.

Both brothers won four state titles at the Schott.

“I love both places,” Bo Jordan said. “I wrestled almost a decade in the Schott and then to come back here… it felt as big as the Schott.

“I’m almost done competing. In two months, I’ll be done with something I have done since I was six and it is a really different feeling.”

With Bo’s exit, youngest brother Rocky moves to Ohio State as a freshman next season. Bo, the eldest of Jeff Jordan’s sons, will miss the time with Micah.

“We are really close,” Bo said. “We hang out together and have fun together and I have never competed without him competing before me and putting big points on the board.”

The experience will be a first for Micah.

Rocky was an eighth grader when Micah graduated high school.

The dual was part of Ohio State coach Tom Ryan’s    philosophy of “extending your hand to the wrestling communities in the state.”

This time around, Graham was an easy choice.

“We are lucky to have two Jordans,” Ryan said. “The number one thing we talk about is culture and the Jordans have been an incredible example of the culture we want to build.

“They are extremely hard working and they are high character kids and they are great examples for others to follow.”

Then Ryan stopped to look at the 22 state championship banners hanging in the rafters of Graham High School.

“We talk about sustained success,” Ryan said. “Human beings want to be successful over a period of time.

“With work ethic, talent and high character kids you can do that, and they have definitely built that character here.”

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