Hephner preps wrestlers well

“This is more like a wrestling festival. There are no cutthroats here. There’s a lot of regard for the sport. It’s very valuable competition, and it’s fun, too.”

Dave Tomaino

Jackson-Milton coach

By JIM FLICK

Vindicator Correspondent

AUSTINTOWN — The high-pressure, high-quality competition at the Josh Hephner Memorial provides high school wrestlers with valuable preparation for the upcoming state competition.

“We love coming here because it gets you ready for districts,” said Jackson-Milton coach Dave Tomaino.

More than 320 wrestlers from 27 schools in Ohio and western Pennsylvania are competing in the tournament, which will conclude tonight.

Preliminary rounds began Friday, in competition that lasted until after 9 p.m. Final preliminary competition continues this morning. The final round of the competition is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. tonight, when eight qualifiers in each of 14 weight classes will wrestle the final three final rounds.

“The tournament is like a river, and we just keep it running,” said Fitch coach Brett Powell.

Powell said the tournament helps wrestlers prepare for Ohio’s sectional tournaments, which start Feb. 19. The sectional is the first step in a wrestler’s quest for a state title.

“This is more like a wrestling festival,” said Tomaino. “There are no cutthroats here. There’s a lot of regard for the sport. It’s very valuable competition, and it’s fun, too.”

Tomaino said the tournament is “a very emotional event” for him because he knew and competed against Hephner, a former Fitch wrestler who died after he was injured in a car accident in July 1993.

Tomaino said the coaches and referees all know and respect each other. Adding two Pennsylvania teams to the tournament this year “adds another rung to this thing,” he said.

“The competition is good because of the number of matches,” said Hubbard coach Scott Thompson. “It’s a very important tournament, especially with the number of rounds, and everyone is guaranteed at least five rounds.”

Thompson said the tournament provides conditioning for high school wrestlers before the upcoming state tournament.

“It’s valuable to get more mat time before the tournament,” he said.

“It’s a marathon,” said Liberty coach Jim Hideg. “At this time of year we do this for one reason — to get ready for the state tournament.”

Finalists in the state tournament will wrestle only five matches in three days, compared to the eight matches in two days this weekend.

The grueling pace also presents a challenge for coaches, Hideg added. A round can’t begin until the head coach appears with his wrestler, but with matches scheduled simultaneously at seven mats in two gyms, sometimes wrestlers have to wait until their coach is located.

“But the referees are good about it,” said Hideg.

“It’s hectic,” agreed Girard coach Jim Cardiero. “But it’s worthwhile.”

Brookfield coach Mike Nemkovich said this is the first year his team has been invited to the tournament, and he eagerly seized the opportunity, even though his team was able to enter only four wrestlers.

“This tournament will improve the team,” said Nemkovich. “My team’s young, so most my guys aren’t ready for this. But it’s good preparation. They’ll be able to at least compete with the level of talent brought the tournament.

“They need to know what they need to do to get better.”

The tournament “is good for the area,” Nemkovich added. “It keeps recognition for this area. This area is competitive and this tournament will keep it that way.”

The tournament “is very valuable because we get some good matches, some good competition,” said Brookfield assistant coach Ed Thompson. “The kids get to see some of their competition.

“We get a read on where we’re at,” Thompson added. “We get a feel on where our kids are at and what we have to do to get them ready for the state tournament.”

“It’s very good for seeding for sectionals,” said Warren JFK assistant Mark Gavin, who had three wrestlers in the tournament.

“It’s crucial,” Gavin added. “We don’t have any senior wrestlers, and this will establish our criteria for next year.”

“If a wrestler has a weakness in a key area, this tournament is going to bring it out,” Powell said. “Plus, it conditions wrestlers for the state tournament.”