Contact with Guthrie Center's Blake Faucher had opened up a cut above Sievert's eye in their Class 1A state title match Friday night and Sievert needed some gauze to stop the bleeding - except that Sievert doesn't bleed.

"It's kind of an inside joke," he said. "I told myself I don't bleed blood."

That little cut was about the most damage Faucher inflicted on Sievert, as the Akron-Westfield senior won the 160-pound title 14-9 in a match filled with scrambles and reversals.

"I'm a good brawler - I'm good with my hips," Sievert said. "I think I had a little more experience than he does so I could just take it to him."

Twice the match was stopped as medical personnel tended to Sievert's cut. The time stoppages never seemed to hinder the A-W grappler, who was in control after an escape and takedown in the middle of the second period broke a 4-4 tie and gave Sievert a 12-5 lead heading into the final period.

When the match ended, Sievert took off his headgear and tossed to Central Lyon's Dylan Reynolds - a good friend that Sievert beat at sectionals and districts on his way to becoming head coach Mark Van Oort's second state champion (Marshall Koethe, 2006 and 2007).

"All the hard work and commitment that he's put in finally paid off," Van Oort said. "He's very, very deserving. It's awesome."

Sievert was a freshman during Van Oort's first season as coach.

"To really take a kid for four years and develop a bond and a relationship like we have is by far the most gratifying moment that I have ever experienced," Van Oort said. "It's truly something special."

Sievert is the second consecutive Plymouth County wrestler to win the Class 1A 160-pound title. Hinton's Marcus Edgington won it last year as Sievert finished third after suffering a broken nose in a semifinal loss to Edgington's championship match opponent, Ryan Kooiker.

Van Oort said coming back from last season's disappointment made this win that much sweeter.

"He's really had to go through some tough times to get to this point," Van Oort said. "We definitely felt like he was the second-best kid in the state last year and he didn't get to that point. I think the experience really paid off tonight."

Sievert improved to 44-1 on the season. His only loss came in overtime to 152-pound fifth-place finisher Jerad Letsche of Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn.

Turns out that early-season may have been the best thing to happen to Sievert.

"It made me realize that I have a lot of work to do if I'm going to win a state championship," Sievert said.

Sievert is not sure what college wrestling opportunities await, as he "was hoping this might open up a few options."

But when he's finished, he'd like to get involved with UFC.

For a guy who doesn't bleed, that seems like a pretty good choice.