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KO Drugs will crown champs in 23 classes
IF YOU GO
KO Drugs Boxing
When: Friday, 7 p.m. (Doors open at 6) at I.T.A.M. Banquet Center, Meridian Road.
Tickets: $9 for students and $10 for adults.
More information: Chuck Nelson (330-757-7273) or Pat Nelson (330-727-0932).
By Greg Gulas
YOUNGSTOWN
The K.O. Drugs High School Boxing Tourney will draw to a close Friday with 23 championships on the line at the ITAM Banquet Center, 115 S. Meridian Road.
There will be 12 champions crowned in the upperclass division (juniors and seniors), eight in underclass and three female divisions.
“Our 24th annual campaign thus far has been the most memorable in recent years with the best fights yet to come,” said tournament founder Chuck Nelson.
In upperclass action, Troy Sigurani of Boardman, Dante DeLorenzo of Canfield and Columbiana’s Mardell Halas will put their 3-0 marks on the line, hoping to join underclass hopeful Eddy Collins of Niles as this year’s only four-time winners.
Sigurani will take on D’Anthony Brown of Struthers (one of 13 undefeated two-win tourney fighters) for the light heavyweight championship, while DeLorenzo, in his first tourney appearance, puts his unblemished mark on the line when he goes for the super cruiserweight title against Eric Ahmer (1-1), also of Struthers.
Halas, a three-sport standout for the Clippers, takes on his good friend Zak Kountz (2-0) of Campbell Memorial for the welterweight crown in a rematch of last year’s title bout.
Collins takes on Poland’s Matt Garasic (2-1) of Poland in a rematch of their May 13 bout for the division’s middleweight championship.
Two upperclass fights will also feature undefeated fighters with two wins. They include Darrien Dozier of East, who will take on Craig Smith of Columbiana for the junior middleweight title, and Ryan Fisher of Austintown Fitch, who will meet Struthers’ Mike Shaffer for the heavyweight championship.
In an underclass fight with two 2-0 fighters, Ta’Shan Williams of Harding will meet Chaney’s Torrence Ahart for the super lightweight title.
Other 2-0 fighters include middleweight Jason Egner (Boardman); super middleweight John Tufino (home school) and heavyweight Lennie McGeachy of Fitch in the upperclass division, and welterweight Dale Harrison (Hubbard) and light heavyweight Howie Bott (Southern) in the underclass.
The three female bouts will feature Shayla DeMar of Fitch and Salem’s Nicole Whitcher (welterweights); Lyric Loury (Y.E.C.) and Shianne Gist of Beaver Local (middleweights) and Kayla Burnside of Struthers against Abigail Bacorn of Mineral Ridge (cruiserweights).
K.O. Drugs High School Boxing Tourney Schedule
UNDERCLASS DIVISION
Jr. Lightweight: Askari Loury (1-0, Odessey Charter) vs. Dave Kostik (1-1, Struthers).
Super Lightweight: Ta’Shan Williams (2-0, Harding) vs. Torrence Ahart (2-0, Chaney).
Female Welterweight: Shayla DeMar (1-0, Fitch) vs. Nicole Whitcher (0-1, Salem).
Welterweight: Dale Harrison (2-0, Hubbard) vs. Rodney Cole (2-1, Austintown Fitch).
Junior Middleweight: John Guinn (1-1, Lakeview) vs. Randy DeWeese (1-0, Lakeview).
Middleweight: Eddy Collins (3-0, Niles) vs. Matt Garasic (2-1, Poland).
Female Middleweight: Lyricka Loury (0-0, Y.E.C.) vs. Shianne Gist (0-0, Beaver Local).
Light Heavyweight: Dylan Miles (1-0, Lakeview) vs. Howie Bott (2-0, Southern).
Cruiserweight: Nick Lardas (1-1, Niles) vs. Demitryus Martinez (1-0, Struthers).
Female: Cruiserweight: Abigail Bacorn (0-0, Mineral Ridge) vs. Kayla Burnside (0-0, Struthers).
Heavyweight: Dustin Garlock (1-1, Harding) vs. Shane Nuzzi (1-1, Niles).
UPPERCLASS DIVISION
Jr. Welterweight: L.J. Cox (1-1, Niles) vs. Dustin Bigelow (1-0, Jackson-Milton).
Welterweight: Zak Kountz (2-0, Campbell Memorial) vs. Mardell Halas 3-0, Columbiana).
Jr. Middleweight: Darrien Dozier (2-0, East) vs. Craig Smith (2-0, Columbiana).
Middleweight: Keith Bebbs (2-1, home school) vs. Jason Egner (2-0, Boardman).
Super Middleweight: John Tufino (2-0, home school) vs. Ed Centofanti (1-1, Springfield).
Jr. Light Heavyweight: Joe Schierberl (1-1, Wilmington) vs. Greg Ellis (1-1, Boardman).
Light Heavyweight: Troy Sigurani (3-0, Boardman) vs. D’Anthony Brown (2-0, Struthers).
Cruiserweight: Brandon Jones (2-1, Life Skills) vs. Conner Hoelzel (2-1, Canfield).
Super Cruiserweight: Dante DeLorenzo (3-0, Canfield) vs. Eric Ahmer (1-1, Struthers).
Jr. Heavyweight: Jon Rogers (1-1, Canfield) vs. Robert Wolford (1-1, Struthers).
Heavyweight: Ryan Fisher (2-0, Fitch) vs. Mike Shaffer (2-0, Struthers).
Super Heavyweight: Lennie McGeachy (2-0, Fitch) vs. Roy Patterson (1-1, Struthers).