Jackson-Milton duo take home championships

JOSH HEPHNER MEMORIAL INVITATIONAL WRESTLING TOURNAMENT

Tim Wiseman and Johnny Matacic of the Bluejays claimed individual honors at the prestigious event.

By JIM FLICK

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

AUSTINTOWN — Two Jackson-Milton wrestlers won championships Saturday at the Josh Hephner Memorial Invitational wrestling tournament.

Several other area wrestlers captured honors at the tournament, which included more than 300 wrestlers from 27 schools. An Austintown Fitch girl became the first female wrestler to capture a trophy in the history of the 17-year tournament.

The tournament began Friday afternoon, and concluded with championship matches Saturday night. To win a title, a wrestler had to win eight matches in two days.

Median won the team championship with 323 points, followed by Louisville (255.5) and Lake (235).

Tim Wiseman of Jackson-Milton won the title in the 119-pound division by defeating Tyler Thompson of Brookfield. Teammate Johnny Matacic defeated Matt Hammer of Medina to capture the championship for 130-pounders.

“We push each other harder in every practice,” Matacic said.

Wiseman agreed they help each other improve. “He makes me a better wrestler.”

Matacic said Saturday’s win will help prepare him for upcoming competition for a state championship, which begins with the sectional tournament on Feb. 19. “It’ll give me confidence, and the mat time I need to be prepared.”

The Hephner Tournament, Matacic said, “is exciting. You have to be tough and keep your head in the game. And you have to be patient, because you’ve got to be here Friday night and all day Saturday.”

Jackson-Milton coach Dave Tomaino called his winning wrestlers “the complete package. They’ve got the physique and the physical skills, and the mental attitude. They’re putting it all together.”

Tomaino added the mental attitude is the most important factor. What’s needed to win is “more in the head. If you’ve got the physique and the skills, but don’t have the right attitude, you can’t win.”

When Sarah Guerrier of Austintown won a preliminary match to qualify for the finals in the 103-pound division, she became a footnote in local history, becoming the first girl to enter the championship round in the history of the tournament.

Guerrier also significantly boosted Fitch’s team title by pinning three opponents in preliminary rounds. A pin adds six points to the team’s total. Fitch coach Brett Powell said Guerrier’s efforts were a big reason the Falcons held fourth place in the team competition going into the finals.

Pinning three opponents “gave me so much confidence,” she said. But Guerrier placed eighth, losing her last match in the final to Dylan Hartwig of Stow. A major factor in her loss, she said, was “a bum shoulder.” She injured the shoulder earlier in the season.

“I came into the tournament just wanting to make it to the second day,” Guerrier said. She finished seventh in the nation last year in girls’ wrestling competition and this year plans to return to the tournament, which begins after the conclusion of the high school competition.

Also boosting the Falcons’ team point total was Shawn Ague, who qualified for the championship match in the 112-pound division. Ague holds a 33-2 record, but lost a hard-fought battle in the finals to Mike Griffith of Medina.

“Now I’ll get back in the gym to get ready for the rest of the season,” a disappointed Ague said after the match.

“I’ll push myself harder than I did before. Now I know that kid’s style. When I see him again, I’ll be ready,” Ague added.

Also qualifying for a championship match was Nick Nadeja of Hubbard, who wrestled well but lost the 140-pound title to Aaron Mills of Hickory.

“I feel like I beat myself,” Nadeja said. “He’s a great wrestler, but I feel like I messed it up. But matches like that happen, and you’ve got to learn from them. I know I have to push in that much harder in the gym.”

“It’s a tough tournament,” said Girard coach Jim Cardiero. “But tomorrow’s another day.”

Four Girard wrestlers won honors in the tournament. Nico Francis won third place in the 152-pound division, Josh Barnes took fifth place among 105-pounders, Jacob Carpenter won sixth place in the 125-pound division, and Josh Alexander placed eighth in the 160-pound division.

R.J. Balog of Fitch placed fourth in the 160-pound division.

“This is a great event for the community,” said Dave Crawford, the director of the tournament. He estimated that the event brought 3,000 people to the Fitch gymnasium.

More importantly, Crawford added, “The kids got a lot of quality wrestling. Wrestling as a sport is popular in the area. Very few schools don’t have wrestling. There are a lot of people who just love wrestling.”

The Hephner Tournament “was a big success,” said Powell. “The wrestlers were all geared up for it, and it was good for the community.”