HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING Fitch wins sectional title, advances 13 to district

The Falcons' Nick Bodnar, Fred Weidenthal, Joe Murray and Eric Chine reigned.
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AUSTINTOWN -- Nick Bodnar, Fred Weidenthal, Joe Murray and Eric Chine each won a sectional title to lead Austintown Fitch to the team championship in Saturday's Division I sectional wrestling tournament at the Fitch gym.
The Falcons, who edged Hudson for the team title, have 13 wrestlers advancing to next weekend's district meet at Massillon Perry.
The top four in each weight class advanced.
Bodnar (28-5), a sophomore, won his second straight sectional title, beating Madison's Benny Barrette, 8-3, in the 130-pound weight class.
Murray (20-4) pinned Canfield's Jim Hendrickson in 37 seconds to win the 171-pound title -- his fourth pin of the tournament.
Weidenthal won by technical fall over Kent Roosevelt's Tommy Tarver in the 160-pound final, while Chine defeated Canfield's Jarek Escaro, 5-1, in the 189-pound final.
Canfield's Steve DeMaiolo beat Fitch's Brian Weidenthal, 3-1, in the 112-pound final. DeMaiolo also beat Brian Weidenthal to win the Eastern Ohio Wrestling League title earlier this year.
Canfield's Brett Sebbio defeated Madison's Derek Oeibrecht, 11-7, in the 125-pound final, while teammate Chris Pankewicz won by decision over Hudson's Ryan Dozanti, 5-3, in the 152-pound final. Alec Roman pinned Kent's Joel Ratchford in 3:58 as the Cardinals placed fourth.
Division II
AUSTINTOWN -- West Branch's Levi Bardo avenged an early season loss by defeating Alliance's Matt Adelman in the 160-pound championship, as the Warriors narrowly edged Southeast by 233.5-232 for the Div. II team title.
Bardo's twin brother, Luke Bardo, finished second in the 145-pound weight class. West Branch's Eric Morrow pinned Salem's Sonn Hostetter in 4:48 to win the 119-pound final, and Brad Learn won a major decision over Crestwood's Josh Prochnow, 18-5, in the 140-pound final.
Zach Miller (103) and Steve Hillard (125) won consolation matches for the Warriors, who were perennial powers in the 1970s and 80s, but won their first sectional title in 20 years.
"We feel that hard work has brought back that winning tradition," said West Branch coach Matt Helm, who had 10 wrestlers advance to the Akron Firestone district.
Howland's Brandon Alexander (189) and Robert Holbert (275) each earned titles for the Tigers, who placed fifth.
Southeast's Bryan Dye (103), Jacob Bartley (125) and Brad Lanham (215) earned individual titles.
Hubbard's Joe Horton won the 171-pound title.
Division III
WEST SALEM -- Western Reserve's Jordan Spellman placed third in the 140-pound weight class of the Div. III sectional at Northwestern High School. Spellman advances to the district meet at Mentor.