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Canfield wrestlers second in top event
By Ryan Buck
CANFIELD
A quartet of some of the strongest wrestling programs from the Tri-State region descended on Canfield High School on Saturday for an event that has become a destination at the outset of each season.
A promising Cardinals squad hosted Pennsylvania power Reynolds, Parkersburg (W.Va.), Richfield Revere and state and national power St. Paris Graham at the 10th annual Canfield Holiday Duals.
All five teams had the opportunity to square off with each other in the all-day event.
Graham, the 14-time defending Division II state champions, won each dual and left with a 4-0 mark. Canfield finished in second place having won three of four and Reynolds, Revere and Parkersburg followed respectively.
To a man, the Cardinals saw the day as an opportunity to send a message.
Canfield sophomore Georgio Poullas, the fifth-place finisher in the 126-pound weight class last season, earned one of the day’s great victories. Poullas decisioned Graham standout and his weight class’s third-place finisher Eli Seipel, 4-3.
Seipel is coming off a first-place win at the nationally prestigious Walsh Ironman last weekend in New Jersey.
“I was just thinking in my head, ‘What are my goals this year and what am I going to be able to do?’” said Poullas, who went undefeated for the day and pinned his other three opponents. “I want to come out at [the OHSAA state tournament] and I want to be at the top of the podium.
“It’s definitely a confidence builder, but I’ve gotta stay humble and work harder. “I feels really good. Now I have to work even harder.”
Poullas was the lone Cardinal to earn a victory over Graham, who won the team dual, 65-15 in team points.
Ohio wrestling legend Jeff Jordan’s team traveled four hours to take part for the fifth time.
“Canfield had four or five really good quality kids and we wanted to get some quality matches in with those guys,” said Jordan, who hosts an annual camp drawing some of the best wrestlers from around the country. “It was nice that Canfield had Reynolds here and then Parkersburg. We had different states represented. We got some great matches in and had a great day.”
Three Graham upperclassmen have already settled on Division I colleges as alumni can be found at many prominent Big Ten and national programs.
Canfield 220-pound standout Jacob Esarco also went undefeated Saturday, pinning two opponents and even stepping up to the heavyweight division.
“Coming into this type of tournament, that’s a huge confidence boost because these are some of the top teams in the country,” Esarco said. “They came in here and we took it to ‘em.”
Esarco’s 8-2 decision over Reynolds standdout Cole Rickert helped seal a close win for Canfield.
“He was a lot bigger than me,” Esarco said. “He liked upper body a lot more. I’m better at more athletic stuff like outside shots and leg attacks. He tried to throw me and I countered it and got some good points.”
Sporting a black eye after an incident in Friday’s practice, Canfield freshman 106-pounder Matt Cardello wanted to prove himself to his competitors and his teammates.
“I’s humbling,” Cardello said. “They were very welcoming right away, but I feel like I proved myself today.”