Many off to a good start

Austintown Fitch's Tony Jameson improved to 39-0, and West Branch's Andy Lamancusa is 37-0.
VINDICATOR STAFF
COLUMBUS -- Twenty-two wrestlers from the area began the day dreaming of a state championship. For 12 of them, that dream remains alive.
Just over half of the Valley's best wrestlers won their first-round matches at the Jerome Schottenstein Center, advancing to today's quarterfinal round.
Defending state champion Tony Jameson of Fitch, a sophomore, advanced easily with a techncal fall win, 15-0, over John Reese of Batavia Amelia.
Jameson the favorite to win the 119-pound championship -- he was the 103-pound champion last year -- improved to 39-0.
Today's schedule
Quarterfinals were scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. with second-round consolation matches were to start at 12:15 p.m. Championship semifinals and more consolations were scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
Also in Div. I, Fitch senior Nick Bodnar (38-4) decisioned Adam Vaccari of Hillard Davidson, 13-7 at 140 pounds, and at 215, junior Justin Powell (37-1) of Boardman pinned Greenville's Justin Fletcher in 1:39, and Howland senior Kyle Gantz (34-6) decisioned Maju Jabbie of Westerville South, 10-6.
Fitch's J.J. Pankewicz (37-9) lost to Travis Popham of Mt. Vernon 3-1 at 160, and Matt Kuti (34-14) lost a major decision to Chris Honeycutt of Lakewood St. Edward, 18-7. Both are juniors.
Pankewicz and Kuti returned in the evening for the first round of consolations. Pankewicz major decisioned Matt Findley of Lorain Southview, 13-2, and Kuti decisioned Cody Beatty of Grove City Central Crossing, 3-2.
Fitch stands in 10 place in the team standings with eight points. Lakewood St. Edward leads with 37.0.
Wall eliminated
Also, Howland senior Steve Wall (38-4) was pinned by Josh Speelman of Mansfield Madison in 37 seconds in the first round and lost by major decision, 18-9, to Austin Hucle of Marysville in the consolation first round, and was eliminated.
The eight wrestlers in Div. II split their first-round matches. Senior Andy Lamancusa (37-0) of West Branch, the projected champion at 145, easily defeated Tony Whitten of Tipp City Tippecanoe, 25-10.
His teammate, Nathan Sharp (34-1), also advanced at 275, but had a more difficult time. A junior, Sharp decisioned Ben Ickes of Lancaster Fairfield Union, 6-5, in two overtimes.
West Branch's third qualifier, Nick Hoopes (34-8), also a junior, lost at 119 to Jeffrey Pelton of Bellevue, 7-2, in the first round, and was eliminated in the consolation round by Chris Canty of Columbus DeSales, 3-1.
Also winning were Southeast's Joe Knopick (37-3) and Beaver Local's Derek Caudill (36-3). At 189, Knopick decision Mitch Knapp of McConnelsville Morgan, 8-7, in two overtimes, and at 130 Caudill defeated Rick Pusateri of Sandusky Perkins, 13-11. Both are seniors.
Early exits
Also suffering first-round losses were Canfield's Damon Buente and Nick Rousher, Buente (31-9) lost to Josh Cologie of Rayland Buckeye, 9-2, at 171, and Rousher (27-11) was pinned by Steubenville's Ralph Petrella in 29 seconds at 275.
Both Cardinals were then eliminated in the first round of consolations. Buente lost to Derek Dencer of Clyde, 16-1, and Rousher was pinned by Adam Walls of St. Paris Graham in 1:27.
Also, Girard's Bob Randall (28-7) lost by pin to John Nicolozakes of Cambridge in 4:23 at 275, but returned to win a major decision from Thomas Taylor of Lewistown Indian Lake, 10-2, in the consolations.
St. Paris Graham leads the team standings with 31 points. West Branch is 21st with 5.5 points.
In Div. III, Brookfield and Jackson-Milton each advanced two wrestlers to the quarterfinals.
Brookfield's Tristan Thompson (45-3) dec. Kimmy Reindel of Oregon Stritch, 6-5 at 119, and Justin Miller (39-10) pinned Chase Clark of Belmont Union in 50 seconds at 125.
Skaggs a winner
For Jackson-Milton, Joe Skaggs (35-11) dec. Derrick Hill of McComb 8-1 at 135, and Mike Wiseman (41-4) won a major decision over Jordan Cartwright of Sycamore Mohawk 17-9 at 152.
Losing their first-round matches were Matt Mascioli of Jackson-Milton, by pin at 3:02 to David Carpenter of Cincinnati Madeira at 112; Andrew Padach of South Range, by a 13-6 decision to Thommy Guerra of Sandusky St. Mary at 130, and Ross Tice of Brookfield, a major decision of 9-1 to Eric Reer of Collins Western Reserve at 152.
In the consolation round, Mascioli (37-8) pinned Nelsonville-York's Corbin Boney in 2:16, Tice (41-6) defeated Brian Backus of Delphos St. John's by a technical fall, 15-0, and Padach (31-11) was eliminated by Cody Toney of Mechanicsburg, 7-0.
Brookfield is in 15th place in the team standings with 8.5 points and Jackson-Milton is tied for 16th with eight points. Sandusky St. Mary leads with 19 points.