Falcons trying to be Top Gun this weekend
Fitch is one of four area wrestling teams at the big Alliance tournament.
By ERIC HAMILTON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
ALLIANCE — The Top Gun wrestling tournament won’t have much trouble maintaining its reputation as being one of the toughest high school tourneys in Ohio when 41 teams battle for supremacy Friday and Saturday at Alliance High School.
The tournament, in its 22nd year, will feature some of the state’s top teams along with 35 returning state placers. St. Paris Graham is the defending team champion and returns seven state placers from last year’s squad that won the Division II state title.
Two members from the seven-time defending state champions are among the six wrestlers returning to Top Gun after winning individual state titles in 2007. Graham’s Coby Boyd will compete at 152 pounds and David Taylor will be the favorite at 112 pounds.
“It will be tough for anyone to beat Graham this year,” said one of the tournament’s organizers Frank Mancini. “Walsh Jesuit, Ravenna, Claymont, University School and Fitch might challenge them.”
Fitch will lead the Mahoning Valley contingent that will compete in the rugged field. Boardman, Brookfield and Poland are also in the tournament.
Graham is the favorite to repeat after winning the prestigious Ironman tournament this season and knocking off 11-time defending Div. I state champion St. Edward in a dual match.
Walsh Jesuit, led by three state placers, will challenge after taking third at Brecksville and Mayfield. Claymont finished second at Medina this year and won Top Gun in 2003. Eastwood owns two Top Gun championships and a second-place finish.
Fitch’s three-time Division I state champion Tony Jameson will command a lot of attention as he attempts to make history. The senior will seek his fourth straight Top Gun title, which would make him the first wrestler in the history of the tournament to accomplish the feat.
Jameson will compete in the 145-pound weight class that will also boast the top three ranked wrestlers in Div. II, including two-time state champion Ben Jordan (St. Paris Graham). Also in the mix will be state placers Dustin Fraley (Miami Trace) and Caleb Messerall (Thomas Worthington).
Jameson’s teammate, Louis Greco, will be among the favorites to place at 152 pounds, but will have to maneuver some tough competition. The field includes defending state champion Boyd (Graham), two-time state placer Jared Kusar (CVCA), state placer Billy Painter (Aurora) and state placer Codey Neff (Miami Trace),
Brookfield’s Mike Bender faces a rugged weight class at 160 pounds, but could place. His competition will include defending state champion and three-time placer Eric Cubberly (Eastwood) and state placer Zach Garbrandt (Claymont),
Boardman’s best chances to get on the podium will be with 103-pounder Jerry Pasquale (8th in the state in 2007) and 112-pound Ricky Zupko. Zupko will have a tough road with Taylor (2007 state champ) and University School’s James Ingrham (second in 2007) in the field.
If the seeds hold for Saturday night’s finals, there could be several highly anticipated matches. Those include: Jameson (three-time D1 champion) vs. Jordan (two-time D2 champion) at 145 pounds; Walsh’s Chase Skonieczny (three-time D2 placer) vs. Miami Valley’s Daniel Kolodzik (two-time D3 state champion), Graham’s Taylor (two-time D2 champion) vs. University’s Inghram (second in 2007) and Graham’s Zach Neibert (two-time placer) vs. Cody Garbrandt (2007 D2 state champion.)
Wrestling starts Friday at 11 a.m. and continues until 11 p.m. The finals Saturday will begin at 5 p.m.