Fitch's Weidenthal set for Div. I state tourney

He qualified with a fourth-place finish at the district event Saturday.
By ERIC HAMILTON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
MASSILLON -- Sibling rivalry will serve as a motivating factor for Fitch High's Brian Weidenthal when he competes at the Division I state wrestling tournament in Columbus this week.
The senior earned his first state berth by finishing fourth in the 152-pound weight class at the Massillon Perry district Saturday. He fell 3-2 to Kenston's Dan Olson in his bid for third place.
"I'm definitely going to try and place at state, so I can have bragging rights over my brother," said Weidenthal. "He definitely helps push me to get better and he's been to state so he knows what it takes to get there. It's nice to have his support."
Fred Weidenthal qualified for the state tournament in 2005 for Fitch. He didn't come home with any hardware, but his younger brother hopes to take care of that this time.
Waited 12 years for shot
"I'm very excited about going to state," said Brian Weidenthal. "I've waited 12 years of my wrestling life for this. My sophomore and junior years I was right there with everyone, but I didn't quite make it. I knew this was my last chance, so I just worked hard every day and it's finally paid off.
"I'm disappointed that I lost that last match because I made just one bad shot and that one mistake lost me the match. But next week, I get to start fresh and hopefully I can get it done."
At the district tournament, Weidenthal won his first two matches Friday, advancing to the semifinals where he met defending state champion Thomas Straughn of Massillon Perry. Weidenthal was pinned in 2 minutes, 15 seconds.
Beat DeMarinis to qualify
In the consolation semifinals, he met a familiar rival, Nick DeMarinis of Boardman, with a state berth on the line. It was the fourth time they've wrestled this season, with Weidenthal holding a 3-0 advantage.
"He is a great opponent and a great kid," said Weidenthal of DeMarinis, a junior. "I had beaten him three times, but I knew it was going to be a tough match. I just had to stay focused and concentrate on my goal and I was able to get it done."
Weidenthal claimed a 5-1 victory over DeMarinis to ensure a top four finish and a state tournament berth.
Earlier this season, Weidenthal defeated DeMarinis in the finals of the EOWL tournament to win the title and notch his 100th career victory. That was one of his goals coming into the season.
"It felt great to accomplish that," he said. "When I first starting wrestling that seemed so far off, but to win 100 matches is a really great feeling. I've worked really hard and it's been rewarding."
Weidenthal (31-7) will face an uphill battle at the state tournament. His opening round opponent will be Sylvania Southview's Gabe Garcia (36-4), who won the Mentor district.
Two other Falcons qualify
Regardless of his bracket, Weidenthal is thrilled with the opportunity to take a few of his teammates along, including 135-pounder Tony Jameson and 189-pounder Matt Kuti.
The state tournament starts Thursday at the Schottenstein Center at Ohio State, beginning Thursday with championship preliminaries and the first round of consolations.
During Friday's first session, championship quarterfinals and more consolation bouts will be contested. That evening will feature the championship semifinals and consolation quarterfinals.
The bouts for third, fifth and seventh places will be contested Saturday morning, while the championship matches will be on center stage Saturday night starting at 6:30.