Fitch has fourth title in row

The Falcons' Tony Jameson was named the tournament's MVP by coaches.
BY ERIC HAMILTON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
AUSTINTOWN -- The Josh Hephner Memorial Invitational wrestling tournament is one of the most important competitions of the season for Fitch High senior Nick Bodnar.
"This is our favorite tournament because it represents Josh," said Bodnar, a three-time Division I state qualifier. "The whole team worked real hard this week to come in here and win this thing. We have won it the last three years and we wanted to keep that tradition alive for Josh."
Bodnar did his part to ensure that Fitch's run continued, winning the 140-pound championship with a 3-2 victory in the finals over Alliance's Chris Domino.
His championship, along with Tony Jameson's triumph at 119 pounds and J.J. Pankewicz's title at 160 pounds, helped propel the Fitch Blue team to its fourth straight team championship at the Hephner.
Fitch scored 316.5 points to outdistance second-place Ravenna (272.5). Marlington (259) finished third, Massillon Jackson (222.5) took fourth and Lake (209) was fifth.
Jameson was named the tournament's Most Valuable wrestler in balloting by the coaches of the 21 teams competing in this year's tournament.
Place 15 in top eight
The Falcons showed great depth in placing 15 wrestlers in the top eight of their respective weight classes.
In addition to Bodnar, Jameson and Pankewicz, those earning spots on the award stand were Jordan Sainato (eighth, 103), Keith Dick (fourth, 112 pounds), Jake Peterson (eighth, 119), Dave Drummond (third, 125), Josh Pankewicz (eighth, 130), Jake Keller (sixth, 135), R.J. Donadee (eighth, 145), Brian Weidenthal (fourth, 152), Chris Miller (eighth, 171), Matt Kuti (third, 189), Angelo Tabachino (fourth, 215) and Julius Williams (eighth, 275).
"This was a lot tougher than we anticipated," said Fitch coach Brett Powell. "Ravenna really came to win this thing and Marlington has one of its best teams in years. It turned out to be a really competitive tournament.
"It was a total team effort and everyone stepped up. Our champions were guys we expected to win and the others really stepped up and wrestled above their heads. This tournament is a lead-in to the most important part our season and it gets us ready for the postseason."
Bodnar clicking again
After finishing sixth in the state at the 2005 Division I state tournament in the 135-pound weight class, Bodnar picked up right where he left off this season.
He will seek his fourth straight sectional championship in a few weeks on his home mat, as Fitch hosts the tournament again this year.
In addition to his sixth-place state finish in 2005, he owns over 100 career victories and three sectional titles. As a freshman in 2003, Bodnar advanced to the second round of state consolations at 119 pounds. His sophomore season, he advanced one round further, falling in the consolation quarterfinals.
Now, as a senior, Bodnar is hoping he's saved his best for last.
"I know what I did last year and I've worked twice as hard this year, so I'm hoping to keep improving down at state," he said. "I definitely want to place in the top four in the state, but my ultimate goal is to get to the finals.
"Our team is having a pretty good year so far, but we've stumbled in some dual meets because of injuries. But we're starting to recoup now just in time for tournaments and I think with a fresh lineup we can do some damage."
J-M's Skaggs wins
Jackson-Milton (164.5 points) finished eighth in the team race, led by 135-pound champion Joe Skaggs, who defeated Liberty's Jared Hideg 4-3 in the title match. Matt Masciolli was second at 112 pounds, Burt McGee took fifth at 160 pounds and Ryan Clausen earned seventh at 189.
Liberty (122) continued its strong season, earning an 11th-place finish. The Leopards were led by Jared Hideg's second-place showing at 135 pounds and Tod Rogers' runner-up finish at 171 pounds. Robbie Webber (152) copped a fifth-place finish Zack Martin (119) and Justin Machaner (145) each finished seventh.
Girard (115) was 12th. Tony Cardiero took fifth at 103 pounds, Ben Belcik finished four at 171, Justin Alexander was seventh at 152 pounds, Mike Nitzsky finished eighth in the 160-pound competition, Paul Perry (215) was seventh and Bob Randall (275) finished third.