Area five still alive for state crowns

Fitch sophomore Tony Jameson will look to repeat as state champion.
VINDICATOR STAFF REPORT
COLUMBUS -- Five area wrestlers will compete for a championship tonight at the state tournament.
The five have a combined record of 200-11 this season after each won two matches Friday at Value City Arena. They are sophomore Tony Jameson of Austintown Fitch, at 119 pounds in Division I; West Branch's Andy Lamancusa (145), a senior who is 39-0, and junior Nathan Sharp (275), who is 36-1, both in Div. II, and Brookfield junior Tristan Thompson (47-3), at 119, and Jackson-Milton sophomore Joe Skaggs (37-11) at 135 in Div. III.
Jameson decisioned Akif Eren of Perrysburg, 7-4, and pinned Roshawn Jones of Toledo Start in 5 minutes, 39 seconds, to advance to the championship match. He will face Massillon Jackson's Dante Rini (33-4), whom he defeated in the semifinals last year at 103. Jameson went on to win the state title.
Fitch was in 10th place in the team standings following Friday's action with 31.5 points. Lakewood St. Edward had already clinched the team title -- the Eagles had 177 points to runner-up Massillon Perry's 71.
Up next
Lamancusa and Sharp will both face wrestlers from Clyde, and for Sharp, it will also be a rematch against an opponent with whom he is familiar.
Clyde senior Matt Guhn (41-0) defeated Sharp last year in the 275-pound final in Div. II. Sharp suffered a knee injury in that match trailing 2-1 and was ultimately pinned.
Sharp won two decisions Friday, 6-3 over Franklin's Ricky Sizemore and 3-2 over Cambridge's John Nicolozakes, in two overtimes. It was the second match of three this weekend for Sharp that went two overtimes.
Lamancusa will match unbeaten records with Clyde's Robbie Michaels (39-0) in the finals at 145. On Friday Lamancusa decisioned Eric Cubberly of Pemberville Eastwood, 7-6, and then he won a major decision over Kirk Tank of Oak Harbor, 11-3.
West Branch was in eighth place in the team standings with 38.5 points. St. Paris Graham led with 120.5 points.
Thompson decisioned Ryan Gambill of Casstown Miami East, 6-3, and Darren Boing of Bedford Chanel, 4-3, to reach the finals at 119. He will face Bryce Freeman (40-3) of Burton Berkshire in a rematch from last weekend's district tournament. Freeman pinned Thompson in 4 minutes, 3 seconds in the quarterfinals.
Skaggs may qualify as the surprise of the tournament. The sophomore finished fourth at the district tournament at Maple Heights last weekend, then opened the tournament by defeating a district champion, Derrick Hill of McComb, 8-1. Friday he decisioned Kevin Cloran of Cincinnati Madeira, 3-2, then pinned Corey Pfister of Sullivan Black River -- another district champion -- in 5:03.
Tonight Skaggs will meet Joe Skoff of Bellaire St. John Central (41-1), who was runner-up at 119 in 2004.
Jackson-Milton was tied for 10th in the team standings with 32 points, while Brookfield was 19th with 27.5. Sandusky St. Mary Central Catholic was in first place with 73.5 points.
Coming close
Three area wrestlers lost in the championship semifinals.
In Div. I, Fitch's Nick Bodnar (39-5) was pinned by Lakewood St. Edward's Lance Palmer in 2:52 after defeating Tommy Weinkman of Cincinnati Moeller 3-2 in the quarterfinals at 140.
At 275, Howland's Kyle Gantz defeated Andrew Tumlin of Harrison 8-5 in the quarterfinals, then lost a major decision to Dave Crowley of Wadsworth, 12-2, in the semifinals.
In Div. II, Joe Knopick of Southeast decisioned Danny Herres of Bellbrook 5-4 in the 189 quarterfinals, then lost to John Weakley of CVCA 14-7 in the semifinals.
Bodnar, Gantz and Knopick returned today in the consolation semifinals.
Justin Powell (39-2) of Boardman won two matches in consolation rounds, a 10-2 major decision over Ben Rios of Lakewood St. Edward and a pin of Andrew Tumlin of Harrison in 1:36 to advance to the consolation semifinals at 215 in Div. I.
In Div. III, Matt Mascioli of Jackson-Milton (39-8) decisioned Beallsville's Jimmy Reisz 2-1 and won a major decision from Andrew Schafer of Bedford Chanel, 19-7, to advance to the consolation semifinals at 112.
Seventh in sight
Two other wrestlers split their consolation matches Friday and will wrestle for seventh place today.
In Div. II, Beaver Local's Derek Caudill (37-5) major decisioned Matt Cunningham of Miami Trace, 16-2, then lost to Ben Fondale of Lexington, 5-2, at 130, and in Div. III, Brookfield's Ross Tice (42-7) major decisioned Mike Wiseman of Jackson-Milton, 14-6, in the second round at 152, then lost to Norwalk St. Paul's Andrew Welfle 9-4.
Eliminated
Five wrestlers were eliminated in the second round of the consolation bracket Friday morning.
In Div. I, Fitch's J.J. Pankewicz (37-10) lost to Dean Gaier of Cincinnati Moeller, 7-2, at 160 pounds, and Matt Kuti (34-15) lost to North Royalton's Morgan Snyder, 8-3, at 189. Both Pankewicz and Kuti are juniors.
In Div. II, Girard senior Bob Randall (28-8) was eliminated at 275 by Brian Parker of Germantown Valley View, 4-2.
In Div. III, Brookfield senior Justin Miller (39-12) was eliminated by Victor Puskas of Beachwood, 7-5 in overtime, at 125, and Wiseman (40-6), a senior, lost to Tice at 152.