Boardman’s Egner wins 3rd boxing title

By Greg Gulas

YOUNGSTOWN — As a three-time underclass champion, Boardman High’s Jason Egner is looking forward to moving up a division next year with the hopes of winning yet another championship belt in the K.O Drugs High School boxing tournament.

Campbell’s Darian Rivera, this year’s “Most Promising Boxer” in the underclass division, is hoping that his three title belts will serve as a springboard to bigger and better things when he begins his amateur career this summer.

Twenty-seven champions were crowned Friday at the ITAM Banquet Center.

Egner defeated Steve Gatte by unanimous decision to earn the junior middleweight crown, while Rivera, who moved to 9-0 in his K.O. Drugs career, scored a unanimous decision over Champion’s Travis Damron for the light heavyweight title.

“It feels good to be a three-time champion,” said Rivera. “This is truly a great stepping stone for me as I begin my amateur career this summer.

“I’ve been on a three-year training regimen and it has been a fun run. Tonight, my right hand was working and I can honestly say that he [Damron] was my toughest opponent the entire tourney.”

Egner had a bittersweet feeling about his victory.

“We are best friends and when he [Gatte] told me that he wanted to get into boxing, I really encouraged him to start training and enter the tournament,” said Egner.

“I look forward to watching him develop and box in next year’s tournament.”

Fitch’s Tyler Smith ran his all-time record to 7-0 in the tournament, winning for the third time this year when he stopped Lakeview’s Jason Province by TKO at 35 seconds of the second round to secure the lightweight title.

He also won the lightweight title last year.

“I watched his last fight and noticed that he swings rather wild,” said Smith of his opponent. “He gets tired in the second round and that is exactly when I was able to get to him tonight.”

Columbiana’s Mardell Halas won a belt for the second consecutive year, earning the junior welterweight crown with a second-round retirement of Canfield’s Kyle Price, while Skevo Zembillas of Campbell earned the welterweight belt with a second-round TKO (:55) of Howland’s Justin Peterson.

In female division action, Fitch’s Shayla DeMar moved to 3-0 in the tourney when she scored a unanimous decision over Harding’s Julianna Currier-Queen for the lightweight belt.

In upperclass action, Mooney’s James Simon scored a second-round TKO over Columbiana’s Melvan Saunders for the welterweight belt and Boardman’s Greg Ferenchak defeated Sharpsville’s Shane Middendorf by unanimous decision for the lightweight title.

Simon felt that the key for him was taking control of the fight from the outset.

“My right was working right form the start and since he [Saunders] didn’t use his left to block my punch, I was able to set the tone of the fight,” Simon said.

“I’m tired and sore but this is a good soreness. This definitely was a battle for me tonight. He [Middendorf] definitely was my toughest opponent of the tournament,” Ferenchak said.

Sen. Joe Schiavoni of Boardman presented founder Chuck Nelson with a commendation from the State of Ohio for his work with the tournament.