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Fitch’s Greco ‘sweats out’ semifinals
ALLIANCE — A long day of wrestling, waiting to wrestle and wrestling some more was about to become even longer for Fitch High’s Louis Greco.
After weighing in at 8 a.m. on Friday, he won his last match of the day almost 12 hours later — a tough 3-1 victory over Brookfield’s Dan Miller. But he wasn’t done working for the night; in fact he was just getting started.
With the quarterfinal win over Miller, Greco earned a spot in the 145-pound semifinals opposite top-seeded Brian Stephens, of St. Paris Graham.
But as he stepped on the scale Friday night to check his weight, he found out that his night wouldn’t include a trip out to the buffet. Instead, he slipped on several layers of clothes and got ready for a run.
“My brother went to get me my sweats, I’m gonna be running tonight,” said Greco, who will attempt to make it to the finals after taking third at Top Gun in 2008. “I’m about 21‚Ñ2 pounds over, but it’s not very much. I just need to get a workout in tonight.”
He had about 12 hours to shed the weight before the 8 a.m. weigh-ins. He’d have to sweat more than he did during his Friday matches.
The senior coasted through the first two rounds, pinning his first opponent in 1:11 and earning an 11-0 major decision in his next match.
In the quarterfinals against fellow 2008 state qualifier Miller, Greco had to work a little harder. After a scoreless first period, he took a 1-0 lead with an escape in the second period.
In the third period, Greco built a 3-0 advantage with a near fall. Miller closed within 3-1 with an escape.
“He’s a strong kid and a good wrestler,” Greco said of Miller, whom he’s never wrestled. “You always try to go for the pin, but in this match the win was good enough for now. My main goal was to get to the semis.
“The kid I have to wrestle next [Stephens] is who I wanted in the finals, but when I got here, the seeds were different, so I have to wrestle him in the semis instead. But I guess you have to wrestle the good kids sometime anyway.”
No matter which step on the podium Greco earns today, he’ll use the tournament as a way to prepare for the rest of the season and the matches that really count.
“I like this tournament, because it is one of the toughest in the state with great competition. The EOWL and the Hephner are great, too, but Top Gun really gets you ready for state. Hopefully I can use what I did here to my advantage when sectionals get here.”
If Greco, the No. 3 seed, knocks off No. 1 seed Stephens in the semis, he would face either No. 5 Brody Fry (Riverview) or No. 2 Alex Gordon (Dublin Scioto) in the championship match.
A loss in the semis sends Greco to the consolation bracket where he would be guaranteed at least a sixth-place finish. With two victories in the consolations, he could place as high as third.