Time for wrestlers to scorch the mats
The districts begin Friday afternoon.
By ERIC HAMILTON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
After three months of intense practices, dual matches and weekend tournaments, this weekend is what area wrestlers have been waiting for. A solid performance at districts could net the opportunity they have been craving all season: A trip to the state tournament.
Nine will attempt to secure their second straight state berths, while many others are looking to make it to the show for the first time. They will compete at four different districts, beginning Friday afternoon and continuing Saturday.
Eighty-two Valley wrestlers survived sectionals by finishing in the top four in their weight classes. But odds are only about 25 percent of those will make it out of districts to the state tournament. In 2007, the Mahoning Valley had 18 state qualifiers. There were also nine wrestlers that finished fifth in their districts and were state alternates.
Here is a look at the area wrestlers that have the best chances of qualifying for the state tournament:
Division I — Massillon Perry
103 — Boardman’s Jerry Pasquale and Fitch’s Shawn Ague will both have their work cut out for them. This weight class features four of the top six wrestlers in the state and six of the top 12. Pasquale (No. 12 in the Brakeman Report), who placed eighth at the 2007 state meet, has the better draw of the two, but Ague (No. 9 in Brakeman) is rated higher. It’s feasible that one of the two could advance, but probably not both.
135 — Boardman’s Jeff Liggitt (No. 10 Brakeman) and Canfield’s Brad Benedict (No. 26) will face a bracket with three of the top 10 and overall, nine ranked wrestlers. Again, with a rugged field, chances are that both won’t go to state, but if they can knock off a sectional champ in the quarterfinals, they have a shot of getting out.
145 — Fitch’s Tony Jameson and Canfield’s Aron Brenner are among the field that includes four of the top 10 wrestlers in the state. Jameson is the favorite to win the district after finishing third at Perry in 2007. Brenner, a 2007 state alternate, has a tough first-round opponent in Akron Kenmore’s Jamar Sheppard (No. 13 Brakeman).
152 — Fitch’s Louis Greco and Boardman’s Nick DeMarinis face a challenging bracket. Greco would meet No. 2-ranked Nick Heflin (Massillon Perry) in the semifinals. DeMarinis, a state alternate last year, has a chance to reach the other semifinal.
160 — Fitch’s Josh Pankewicz will compete in a pretty wide open class and his half of the bracket does not have the highest rated wrestlers. Pankewicz was a state alternate in 2007.
215 — Both Fitch’s Chris Miller and Boardman’s Brad Creatore will have to go through projected state runner-up Adam Cogar (Barberton) to advance to state. Creatore faces the 40-0 Cogar in the first round, while Miller would meet him in the semifinals if they both get there.
Division II — Akron Firestone
112 — West Branch sectional champion J.P. Hoopes will face three of the top 10-ranked wrestlers at Firestone, including No. 2 and No. 3. University School’s James Inghram is the state runner-up. If Hoopes can win his first matches, he’d face Inghram in the semis.
125 — If Howland’s Kyle Leek advances to his first state tournament, he’ll earn it. His weight class features five of the top 10 wrestlers. Of the quintet, Leek is rated highest at No. 5. He’ll face a test right off the bat, facing returning state qualifier Cleveland Benedictine’s Ricky King (No. 10 Brakeman) in the first round.
135 — Howland’s Greg Ryan (No. 4 Brakeman) will need to be at his best to earn his second state berth. His bracket includes five of the top 10 wrestlers, including projected state champion Chase Skonieczny (Walsh Jesuit) and 2007 runner-up Brad Wukie (University School).
145 — Poland’s Ben Pearce was a state alternate in 2007 and has a chance to take the next step. He has a very favorable draw and both wrestlers ranked ahead of him are on the opposite side of the bracket.
171 — Howland’s Joe Grech faces a bracket with three of the top 10 ranked wrestlers, including projected state runner-up Nick Mills (University School). Grech would face No. 12 Aaron Donze (Tallmadge) in the all-important semifinals.
189 — Hubbard’s Robbie Lias has a decent draw as a sectional champion and would face Hayden Angelotta (West Geauga), ranked No. 7 in the semis of the lower part of the bracket. There are a total of eight ranked wrestlers in the bracket.
Division III — Maple Heights
103 — Brookfield’s Tyler Thompson is among the five wrestlers from the top 20 in this bracket. As a sectional champion, he won’t have to face another No. 1 until the semis. Among the competitors in this bracket are three rated in the top 10.
125 — Jackson-Milton’s Matt Mascioli and Girard’s Tony Cardiero finished second and third, respectively, at sectionals and would face a sectional champ in the second round. Mascioli is the highest rated wrestler in the bracket and is a returning state qualifier.
135 — Neither Brookfield’s Cody Thompson nor Girard’s Nico Francis were rated in Brakeman. But six of the wrestlers in their bracket were. It will be difficult for either to advance, but Francis might have the clearest path as he wouldn’t face another sectional champion until the semifinals.
145 — Jackson-Milton’s Joe Skaggs will have to battle back from a fourth-place finish at sectionals in order to make his third state appearance. His bracket includes four of the top 12, including the third and fifth-ranked wrestlers. Skaggs is rated No. 5 in Brakeman.
171 — Girard’s Gary Bass and South Range’s Beau Bowden face an average field, with just two of the top 10 wrestlers. Bass finished second at sectionals and Bowden, who was third, is rated No. 29 in Brakeman.