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Spartan honors brother
Tennis ace Ferenchak tries the ring
By GREG GULAS
Vindicator correspondent
UNDERCLASS DIVISION
Jr. Featherweight - Carlos Crues (Eagle Heights) def. Mark Reda (Eagle Heights), unanimous decision.
Jr. Featherweight - Tom Dziedzic (LaBrae) def. Brandon Flowers (Lakeview), TKO/First-round (:42).
Lightweight – Tu’Quan Rushton (Alpha Academy) def. Jacob Flowers (Lordstown), TKO/Second-round (:16).
Female Lightweight - Juliana Currier-Queen (Warren Harding) def. Nicci Beatty (Brookfield), unanimous decision.
Jr. Welterweight - Steve Tickerhoof (Fitch) def. Craig Smith (Columbiana), split decision.
Welterweight – Ian Stores (Boardman) def. Nick Welsch (Western Reserve), default.
Jr. Middleweight - Dan Garman (Boardman) def. Dave Kostik (Struthers), unanimous decision.
Middleweight – Corey Kranek (Boardman) def. Brandon Higibotham (Champion), split decision.
Super Middleweight –Daitzel Moore (Girard) def. Paul Stokes (United Local), default.
Lt. Heavyweight – Travis Damron (Champion) def. Caleb Biehl (Lakeview), unanimous decision.
Cruiserweight – Jacob Lindsey (Campbell Memorial) def. Marcus Gilbert (Fitch), TKO/First-round (:23).
Heavyweight – Gaetano Ciero (Fitch) def. Tyler Stokes (United), default.
UPPERCLASS DIVISION
Featherweight – E.J. Rodriguez (Boardman) def. Brian Downs (Columbiana), default.
Lightweight - Greg Ferenchak (Boardman) def. Joe Arendas (Poland), unanimous decision.
Lightweight – Shane Middendorf (Sharpsville) def. Alejandro Rivera (Chaney), default.
Welterweight – Melvan Saunders (Columbiana) def. Brent Applequist (Life Skills Academy), unanimous decision.
Jr. Middleweight - Pete Gorantis (T.C.T.C.) def. Andrew Steele (Warren JFK), default.
Female Super Lightweight - Shayla DeMar (Fitch) def. Angell Lipps (Champion), unanimous decision.
Middleweight - Rex Anderson (Liberty) def. Michael Moore (Champion), unanimous decision.
Super Middleweight – Chris Smith (Canfield) def. Kerry Hendricks (Chaney), TKO/Round 3 (:27).
Super Middleweight - Gabriel Gage (Cardinal Mooney) def. Robert Stinson (Struthers), unanimous decision.
Cruiserweight - Ben Moody (Lakeview) def. Kevin Blinsky (Columbiana), unanimous decision.
Female Cruiserweight – Alexandria McFarland (Badger) def. Ariana Perez (Struthers), unanimous decision.
Cruiserweight – Ryan Caron (Columbiana) def. Jesse Bradley (Lakeview), unanimous decision.
YOUNGSTOWN — Greg Ferenchak’s best friend in life was always his older brother, Michael.
When the latter passed away of ewing sarcoma at the age of 10 in 2000, it left a void that the Boardman High junior has felt to this day but many pleasant memories from which to draw of the times they had spent together; albeit brief by definition.
To honor his brother, the junior tennis player, who just happens to sport a perfect 4.0 overall grade point average in the classroom, decided to enter this year’s K.O. Drugs boxing tournament with the hopes of winning a championship belt, all the while dedicating his performance to the brother he can no longer look up to or draw from his experiences.
Winning a unanimous decision in his first tournament appearance over Joe Arendas of Poland, Ferenchak took a huge step toward fulfilling that special promise to his brother.
“I am fighting on behalf of my brother so to hear my name announced when I am in the ring is like sharing the stage with Michael,” Ferenchak said. “It is probably the most rewarding thing that I have ever experienced.
“You hear it and then you see it on television and you get excited, but to actually experience it is a totally different feeling,” Ferenchak said.
“He was a tough opponent who just kept coming at me,” Ferenchak said. “I was keeping a straight jab, wanted to tire him out and then was able to take advantage of the opportunity when it presented itself.”
In all, 25 fighters advanced Friday to the semifinal round on May 22. The finals are scheduled for the I.T.A.M. Banquet Center on May 29.
“With all of the winners from opening night set to return next Friday, all indications are that it will be an action-packed affair as they eye a championship belt the following week,” tourney founder Chuck Nelson said.
In underclass action, LaBrae’s Tom Dziedzic and Alpha Academy’s Tu’Quan Rushton delivered blows that ended their respective fights prematurely.
Dziedcic, who moved to 6-2 overall in this his third year of competition, needed just 42 seconds of the first round to dispose of Lakeview’s Brandon Flowers in a junior featherweight bout.
Rushton, who attends Alpha Academy, needed just 16 seconds of the second round to take care of Lordstown’s Jacob Flowers in their regularly scheduled lightweight battle.
“I wanted to feel him out, slip a few of his punches and get his timing down, hoping to stay on him until the referee moved me off,” Dziedic said.
Rushton, who suffered a setback on opening night, felt like he outworked his opponent.
“I wanted to throw punches from the middle because going straight down allowed me to stop his punches. He was strong, but I was more prepared,” Rushton said.
Also in underclass action, Campbell Memorial’s Jacob Lindsey needed just 23 seconds to dispose of Fitch’s Marcus Gilbert in a cruiserweight battle.
In an upperclass tussle, Cardinal Mooney’s Gabriel Gage registered a unanimous decision over Robert Stinson of Struthers in a super middleweight bout.
“I just tagged him. I thought that I’d be challenged but that wasn’t the case tonight,” Lindsey said. “I was surprised because it was rather easy, but I will continue to work out as I prepare for next week’s pairings.”
Gage, who lost a split decision two weeks ago on opening night, kicked his training regimen up a notch with the hopes of solidifying his performance.
“I decided to work more on simple jabs and straights but should have been breathing better at the end of the fight.
“I prepared for tonight by working out with trainer Mike Trolio of American Karate Studios, but need to work on my stamina for next week’s opponent,” Gage said.