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Wrestlers vie this weekend for state
A motto on the back of someone’s T-shirt at the Rootstown sectional last weekend said: “Once you’ve wrestled, everything else is easy.”
To dispute it would be futile.
It’s boxing without the ropes or bullfighting without the cape.
Girard is basking in its first sectional wrestling title after racking up 188 points during the Division III tournament at Rootstown last Saturday.
“We came close a few times but this was our first,” coach Jim Cardiero said of the achievement that he hopes will carry over as the Indians approach this weekend’s district with seven qualifiers headed to Maple Heights.
The 11-man Girard squad had two champions, four runners-up, one third-place and four fifth-place finishers at Rootstown.
“I think this year’s group has more experience and some of the others wrestled well,” Cardiero said.
The district qualifiers are Josh Barnes (103), Jacob Carpenter (125), Aaron Hall (140), Nico Francis (152), Josh Alexander (160), Alex Saunders (215) and Craig Frankford (285).
Francis and Saunders won sectional championships.
Francis became a four-time district qualifier who was seventh at state last year.
“He’s got the tools, so he’s got to be at the top of his game every single match,” Cardiero said of Francis. “I think he’s ready to do that.”
Francis, a senior, is ranked third in the state by the Brakeman Report.
Saunders, a junior, is a two-time sectional champ. His weight class last year was 189, same as this year’s regular season. But Saunders was bumped up for the postseason for a better opportunity, Cardiero said.
Barnes, now a junior, also reached the district level as a freshman, but didn’t compete as a sophomore.
Frankford is also a repeat district qualifier, while Carpenter, a sophomore; Alexander, a senior, and Hall, a junior, are first-time qualifiers.
Alexander advanced although he didn’t wrestle against Jackson-Milton champion Anthony Tomanio, who won by forfeit.
Barnes, Carpenter, Alexander and Frankford were runners-up, while Hall placed third.
Girard’s alternates to district are sophomore Dan Johntony (119), senior Jim Golden (130) and juniors Jon Brandon (171) and Devon Frye (189).
Besides Francis, Girard’s only other state qualifier last season was Tony Cardiero, a 2009 graduate and nephew of the Indians’ coach who is in his 19th year.
Also enjoying the glory of sectional success is Boardman coach Dom Mancini, whose Spartans have a good representation of nine heading into the Mentor district.
“Hopefully, we can continue to keep our kids peaking,” said Mancini, who noted that three of his qualifiers are good enough despite having losing records. “It doesn’t happen very often.”
Repeat qualifiers are Jerry Pasquale (119), Ricky Zupko (130), Nico Graziani (140) and John Dillon (125).
Newcomers are Mancini’s son, Nick, at 103; freshman Peter Ryan (112), senior Joe Fernback (135), senior Dave Rich (145) and senior Tim Taumopeau (285).
Pasquale and Zupko are four-time district qualifiers. Graziani and Dillon also reached district last year as freshmen.
“I hope we’ll come out strong at the end of the year,” said coach Mancini, who added that, “Dillon and Pasquale will get through their brackets somewhere.”
Graziani and Zupko are his next-best shots to state.
Boardman placed second at the sectional at Fitch, but Mancini is realistic about the projected finish of his team at Mentor.
“Our goal is to get into the top 10,” said the coach, whose six district wrestlers landed the Spartans a 14th-place finish in 2009.
Like Boardman, West Branch was also a sectional runner-up, in Div. II.
Coach Mike Helm gives most of his 10 qualifiers a legitimate shot to advance to state as they prepare for the Akron Firestone district.
“Our returning qualifiers like Jake Mellinger at 130 and Adam Lamancusa at 160 have to be placed at the top of the list but there are others as well,” Helm said.
“J.P. Hoopes (135) and Dustin Graham (112) were both alternates last year, so they should be right in there.”
Tyler Strawser (145), Jon Wilson (215) and Nathan Gambone (275) all won matches at last year’s district.
“They also know what it takes to get out,” said Helm.
Chad Hupp (125) was sixth in 2009, so his goal is to top that.
Hubbard’s Anthony Nadeja (160, 19-2) was being hailed as an upset winner over Lamancusa at West Branch, but Eagles coach Scott Thompson said it was no surprise to him.
“Everyone seems to forget that Anthony beat Lamancusa at sectionals last year and at district,” the Hubbard coach said. “Anthony’s got to get through this weekend, but he’s ready to go,” Thompson said.
Nadeja was 0-2 at state last year, also at 160, but Thompson said it was nerves.
“He was a little star-struck on his first match, but then, on his second match, he lost on penalty points. This year is a whole new ball game. I think he’s very underrated. I’ve taken several kids to state finals and he [Nadeja] is one of the best as far as ability. He’s fast, aggressive and smart and doesn’t put himself in bad positions. He feels things out and doesn’t let much bother him.”
Nadeja, a senior, played football for the first time last fall. At 6-foot-2, he’s capable of competing in a heavier class.
“He’s the most athletic kid in his weight class in the state,” Thompson said.
His two losses this year were 1-0 to Lamancusa for the EOWL championship and an injury default to a Brecksville wrestler at the Dies tournament.
Thompson has two others capable of state: Tyler Lias (152, 19-6) and Mitchell Perry (119).
“Mitchell is probably the most underrated kid there is,” Thompson said of Perry. “If he wrestles the way we think he will, he’ll make it to state. Tyler is the exact same way. They’d make noise at state.”
Thompson coached at Brookfield before spending the last three years with Hubbard.
Besides Nadeja, Hubbard’s only other state placer from 2009, Robbie Lias, graduated. He finished fifth at state at 215.
bassetti@vindy.com