J-M’s Pizzutos make wrestling a family affair

By Eric Hamilton

The basement mat regularly is put to the test by these competitive brothers.

All is fair in love and wrestling. That’s the motto that reigns in the Pizzuto household.

Like any sibling rivalry, things can get a little testy between big brother Santino and little brother Vinnie Pizzuto. The elder likes to remind junior that he’s never made it to the state wrestling tournament. Vinnie retaliates with “the past is in the past, so move on and wait until this year.”

Both admitted that there is a lot of smack talking going on in the wrestling room at Jackson-Milton High and in their personal mat room in the basement of their parents’ home.

Whether it’s to blow off some steam after a tough exam at school or just a way to sharpen each others’ wrestling moves, the mat in the basement gets plenty of use.

“My dad bought us a mat a few years ago, because they were tired of us wrestling in the living room,” Santino said.” We definitely don’t want to break the big-screen TV. We’re down there wrestling a lot and Mom’s always telling us to get to bed.

“We go at it until someone ends up with some blood and it gets kind of nuts sometimes, but it’s all brotherly love. We’re both competitive and we make each other better.”

Both wrestlers have the same style on the mat and that helps in that they know each other’s strengths and weaknesses so well, they can easily point out the flaws that need improved.

“It really helps a lot,” said Vinnie, who has a 29-4 record. “We go at it all the time in practice and at home. I don’t mind being the little one and he helps me get better.

“I think the season is going well so far and I’m working harder and having more fun. I’m just trying to get ready for sectionals.”

So far, Santino holds family bragging rights after having qualified for the 2008 state tournament as a junior. As a freshman last season, Vinnie took sixth at the Division III Maple Heights district, falling two spots shy of a trip to Columbus.

But this season is shaping up to be something special for the duo. Both are projected as favorites in their respective weight classes — Santino at 119 pounds and Vinnie at 103 — to earn state tournament berths. All that extra work down in the basement is paying off.

They are running neck-and-neck in accomplishments this winter. Both won individual titles at the Jackson-Milton Leonard Truck and Trailer tournament and last week at the Josh Hephner event, they each took runner-up honors.

The duo has two weeks off from competition before competing in the EOWL tournament Feb. 6-7 at Fitch High. No doubt, they will be in the basement for some live wrestling between now and then.

And when the postseason starts on Feb. 20 at the Division III Rootstown sectional tournament, the brothers will begin their quest to accomplish what they consider the ultimate goal of the season — to both qualify for state.

“I feel like when he wins, I win,” said Santino, whose record stands at 28-3, with two of those losses to Hunter Stieber, the nation’s No. 1 ranked wrestler at 119 pounds. “As a senior, his brother and his drill partner, it would feel awesome if we both made it.”

Vinnie agrees with his brother that sharing a room in Columbus at the state tournament would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience that he hopes will become reality.

“It would be special for sure and I hope it happens,” he said. “I just have to keep training hard and get in shape and ready to go.”