K.O. DRUGS BOXING Fitch goes 8-2 during third night of competition

YOUNGSTOWN -- Austintown Fitch fighters won eight of their 10 bouts during the third night of the 18th annual K.O. Drugs High School Boxing Tournament.
More than 500 fans watched Tuesday's 34 fights at the St. Nicholas Byzantine Center at the Grove. Twenty-seven high schools sent competitors to the ring.
Twenty-six bouts were decisions with 15 route-going performances belonging to the underclass.
Brothers Keith and Bob Burnside, boxing enthusiasts from Struthers, have taken young men from their community to their garage to work out in preparation for the K.O. Drugs Tournament the past three years. Dividends were shown as Struthers fighters won the five bouts that were fought, with the only loss for the Wildcats by way of default.
Perez couldn't lose
Alex Perez an underclass junior middleweight began the Struthers blitz with an aggressive hard-punching performance to gain a decision over DeAaron Mitchell from Warren Harding.
After working Mitchell around the ring in round three, Perez said, "A lot of my family and friends were here, so I knew there was no way I could lose."
Light heavyweight Alan Ward grabbed a hard-fought decision over Mathews' Eric Ocheltree and cruiserweight Donivan Stevens was impressive in a decision over Tony Melia of Boardman.
Victories
Heavyweight James Neopolitan had the referee stop his bout with Gary LaRowe from Springfield Local in the second round. Upperclass welterweight Chris Matesevac finalized the Wildcats' blitz when he stopped Canfield's Anthony Cabuno in the third round with an aggressive attack.
"I had him dropping his hands, which created openings," Matesevac said. "Even though he was muscling me, I was too strong for him."
For the red-hot Fitch Falcons, light heavyweights Craig Sabol and super lightweight Eric Bohr had impressive upperclass victories.
Anthony Guerrieri, another light heavyweight, scored somewhat of an upset over Canfield's Charles Decola in a hard fought battle.
Spartan fighters
Boardman had the most fighters with 16 but their 5-11 mark is not a true indication of their total ring effort, because three bouts were against fellow Spartans.
Canfield was a winner in three of seven bouts, with their most impressive performer being upperclass junior middleweight Zack Guerrieri.
Guerrieri used a blazing attack to stop Kyle Visnovich in the second round. Guerrieri, one of 21 fighters to go to 2 and 0, said of his whirlwind style: "I am tired of waiting for opponents to come to me and I had a lot of anger tonight."
Niles fighters were 2-0 and Chaney was 3-0, including a win by middleweight Tim Gordon (2-0) over Fitch's Farrin McDonald.
Underclass heavyweight Zach Dietz won a decision over Matt Vallos from Boardman after using a big right for a standing eight count in round one and another solid right in the next round for a knockdown.