PREP WRESTLING Hephner tournament holds 'unique' format

By MARK W. MILLER
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
AUSTINTOWN -- The Josh Hephner Memorial Wrestling Tournament will be held Friday and Saturday at Austintown Fitch High School.
Dick Kenney, Fitch's athletic director, said the tournament is unique, because wrestlers will compete in pools, like a round-robin event.
"Each wrestler, in each weight class, will wrestle four times and will have the opportunity to probably go against someone with equal ability and experience," said Kenney.
"The top two from each pool will then continue and go into the regular elimination format."
Participants
Austintown Fitch has two squads entered, which will be joined by Akron Firestone, Alliance, Cleveland John Marshall, Cuyahoga Falls, Jackson-Milton, Kent Roosevelt, Liberty, St. Thomas Aquinas, Marlington, Massillon Jackson, Mogadore, Poland, Ravenna, Shaker Heights, Southeast, Stow, Tallmadge, Uniontown Lake and Warren JFK.
Friday's session starts at 4 p.m. The tournament continues Saturday at 9 a.m., with championships scheduled for 6 p.m.
Fitch won the title a year ago with 306.5 points. Uniontown Lake was second with 252.
Several area wrestlers who placed in the 2003 event are returning, including defending champions Max Pearce of Poland, 125 pounds, and Joe Murray and Eric Chine of Fitch. Murray won last year at 135 pounds and is competing this year at 171. Chine was the 171-pound champion last year and is at 189 this season.
Fitch sophomore Nick Bodnar should contend at 119, while sophomore R.J. Donadee (140) and junior Fred Weidenthal (160) were both third-place finishers last year.
Southeast is expected to challenge for the crown as it returns 2003 champion Jacob Bartley, who won the 125-pound title at the Bill Dies Memorial last week.
Tickets for each session Friday and Saturday will cost $5 for adults and $3 for students.