Thursday, May 29, 2008
By Greg Gulas
Boys will compete for championships on Friday.
YOUNGSTOWN — Down to two nights of competition in the 20th K.O. Drugs High School Boxing Tournament, Wednesday’s fights at the ITAM Banquet Center featured action in the boys semifinals and four girls title bouts.
The boys championships are slated for Friday night at the same site.
“We felt that things would be evenly matched the final two nights and that was exactly the case,” said Chuck Nelson, tournament director and founder.
“There really isn’t an easy opponent in any of the weight classes and the four champions in the female division will verify that,” Nelson said. “With 25 boys title bouts now finalized, expect much more of the same energy again this Friday.”
Maria Leonelli earned the first title of the tourney, taking home the girls flyweight belt when she stopped Vanessa Kountz (home schooled) in the second round, while Niles’ Maria Marchese followed with the featherweight crown after earning a unanimous decision over Liberty’s Lauren Mohler.
Trained by Jack Loew at his facility, South Side Gym, it was Loew who worked her corner and couldn’t hold back a smile when talking about her performance.
“She came to my gym a little over two months ago a scrawny little girl who was afraid of her own shadow,” Loew said. “Tonight, she holds her championship belt high and proud as a self-confident fighter, athlete and young lady.
“If she can do this in front of everyone here tonight, then she can tackle most anything along the way now,” Loew said.
Leonelli was just as complimentary to Loew for all of his training.
“I’ve been training for this since last July and with the help of Jack, I could not have been any more ready,” Leonelli said. “It was a tough fight but a fight for which I felt totally prepared.”
Marchese was presented her championship belt by her brother, Nick; a two-time middleweight champion who as a Marine Reservist based out of the Vienna Air Base, recently returned from a seven-month tour of duty in Iraq.
“I cannot tell you how proud I am of my sister tonight. This night belongs to her,” Nick Marchese said.
Marchese said accepting the belt from her brother was very special.
“It feels great to carry on the family boxing tradition, but was even more special to receive the belt from my brother,” Marchese said.
The other two female championship belts were won by defending champion Nikki Bashlor of Brookfield, who won a unanimous decision over Angie Kountz of Fitch for the lightweight crown and Jessica Willmitch of Cardinal Mooney, who captured the junior middleweight title with a first-round TKO of Chaney’s Blasina Martinez.
Willmitch was presented with the tourney’s “Most Promising Female Boxer” award.
In underclass action, Tyler Smith of Fitch moved to 3-0 in the tourney when he registered a second-round TKO of Jackson-Milton’s Ben Strickland. Tyruss Patterson of East won for the second straight time by TKO when he defeated Crestview’s Steve McCall in light heavyweight action.
“I was more than prepared for my fight tonight,” Smith said. “When I saw him [Strickland] enter the ring, I just wanted him right then and there.
“I’m more than ready for the championship round now. I’ve trained hard the past four weeks so I am ready to go.”
Patterson has yet to fight into the second round, knocking out his first opponent in 25 seconds and McCall in a little over a half minute.
“Both opponents didn’t keep their hands up so when they let their guard down I was able to connect with a couple jabs to their face, knocking them off balance,” Patterson said.
In the upperclass division, Julius Thomas of Chaney ran his record to 3-0 when he scored a unanimous decision over Boardman’s Donny Zarbaugh.
“I felt strong tonight and felt like he couldn’t handle my punches,” Thomas said. “I used my jab and followed that with my right all night. Heading into the title round, the only one who can stop me is me.”
Tickets for Friday’s finals cost $7 for students and $11 for adults and may be obtained at the door. Doors open at 6 p.m. with action set to get under way at 7.