KO Drugs tourney gets going

May 7, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

Columbiana High’s Mardell Halas is determined to win a fourth consecutive championship belt.

Keith Bebbs, who is home schooled, is hoping that the first time around for him will produce a championship belt of his own.

Shayla DeMar on the other hand, is dedicating this year’s tournament to her late aunt, Karen Elsmore, who lost her battle with cancer a year ago on the day she fought her title bout.

The 24th annual K.O. Drugs High School Boxing Tournament got underway Friday at the I.T.A.M. Banquet Center with 27 bouts and no shortage of story lines in either division.

DeMar, who won the title two years ago but lost a heart-breaking decision on the day of her aunt’s passing, wore pink hand wraps under her gloves to honor those who have been touched by cancer.

She then proceeded to score a unanimous decision over Nicole Whitcher of Salem, winning the first leg of what she hopes will be a return to the champion’s circle.

“I knew that I wanted to dedicate this year’s tournament to my Aunt Karen, so I had to come out and be the aggressor right from the start,” said DeMar, now 9-1 all-time in the event.

Halas, a welterweight whose earned seven letters at Columbiana, scored a second round TKO (:38) over Graig Snovak of Austintown Fitch.

“My goal is to become a four-time champion,” said Halas. “I really just started training about a month ago, but feel like I am in pretty good shape because of the other sports that I have been playing.”

Bebbs, who is trained by Sammy Calderon, didn’t exactly stick to his corner’s game plan in order to score his first tournament victory, a unanimous decision over Cody Hinkle of West Branch.

“They told me to throw my one-two, but he’s [Hinkle] stocky so he’d be able to block everything that I threw at him,” said Bebbs. “I decided to take a different approach, one that would let me use my height and reach to my advantage.

“He’s a tough fighter who cracked my jaw with one of his rights; kind of like a haymaker so I threw my left hook and danced around him a bit and it worked,” Bebbs said.

In underclass action, Terrence Ahart of Chaney scored a third round (:20) TKO over Vincent Reber of Struthers while Lakeview’s Randy DeWeese stopped schoolmate John Guinn by unanimous decision.

“I only won once last year in three matches and didn’t really train,” said Ahart. “Since I hate to lose, I am much more serious about my training this year and it has really paid off. I felt like I wanted it more tonight.”

Campbell Memorial’s Zak Kountz won the welterweight crown last year, improving to 4-0 all-time in the tourney with a unanimous decision over Alex Tomaino of Jackson-Milton.

“My strategy was to go for the body,” said Kountz. “When they are poor trainers, all it takes is one punch but it didn’t work for me that way tonight. He [Tomaino] was in good shape so I just had to go after him.”

The double-elimination tournament continues next Friday with approximately 40 bouts on tap. Doors will open at 6 p.m. with the first bout at 7 p.m.