Spartans win three weight classes at Hephner

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By John Rozum

sports@vindy.com

AUSTINTOWN

At the 19th annual Joshua Hephner Memorial Tournament held at Fitch High School, 23 local wrestlers placed and four were crowned champions.

Three of the four champs were Boardman Spartans — Nick Mancini at 106 pounds, John Dillon at 126 pounds and Nico Graziani at 160 pounds. Together they combined for two pins and a technical fall in the championship bouts.

“We had six guys in the placing rounds and all six won,” said Spartans coach Dom Mancini. “When that kind of thing happens you know you’re doing something right.”

Mancini’s other finishers were Peter Ryan (third at 132 pounds), Tom Moran (seventh at 152 pounds) and Joe Cordova (fifth at 182 pounds).

For the tournament Boardman finished in fourth place as a team with 217 points, the highest place among local schools.

“We comfortable with where we’re at right now,” said Dom Mancini. “We’re going to go back and get ready for the league, but the main thing on our mind is sectional, districts and state.”

The Fitch Falcons blue and red squads combined for six total placers. In addition, the Blue team compiled 143 total points and finished in 10th place overall.

“Right now it’s a lot of little things that’s going to add up,” said Falcons coach Brett Powell.

Blue squad 285-pounder Lennie McGeachy was crowned champion and fellow weight class/red squad teammate Tyler Bell finished fourth.

Rick Ague came in sixth in the 106-pound weight class, Zach Mackall at 132 pounds and Kyle Rocco at 138 pounds went back-to-back as fifth placers, while 195-pounder Donny Ferree finished fourth.

“This is a springboard here. They got to wrestle in their home gym. They’re going get to wrestle in the league tournament in their home gym and they’re going to get their sectional here,” said Powell. “If that’s not motivation then you aren’t breathing,”

Elsewhere among the local schools, Poland’s A.J. Shields took fourth place at 132, while teammate Anthony Mancini took sixth at 138 and the Bulldogs finished with 89.5 points.

The Girard Indians had a strong tournament with three placers led by 138-pounder Jacob Carpenter who finished third. Teammates James Cupan (160 pounds) and Zane Chase (113 pounds) took fourth and eighth place, respectively.

Liberty saw two wrestlers — C.J. Edmonds at 182 pounds and Fred Clark at 285 pounds — each take seventh place and another placer in 152-pounder Ty Banks, finished eighth.

Hubbard’s Zach Lias finished fourth at 182 and Tyler Whitaker took seventh at 195. Brookfield’s Dave Jamieson was eighth at 220.