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Canfield captures EOWL team title
By Tim Cleveland
CANFIELD
After two runner-up finishes in the past three Eastern Ohio Wrestling League championships — with a third-place finish in 2012 — Canfield entered this year’s tournament determined not to let another title slip through its grasp.
The Cardinals did not disappoint, leading all schools with three champions, three runners-up and three third-place finishers, finishing with 249.5 points to defeat defending champion West Branch by 51.5 points.
“We’ve been second several times,” Canfield coach Dean Conley said. “It’s been a goal of ours as a team for a long time. I’m proud of our seniors. They’re a special group of kids. They’ve been focused on this for four years and they should be proud of themselves.
“They wrestled a really good tournament so they’ve got some momentum going into sectionals when it really, really counts.”
The rest of the top 10 teams were Austintown Fitch (165 points), Girard (136), Poland (127.5), 2011 and 2012 champion Howland (119.5), Beaver Local (116), Alliance (110), Jackson-Milton (94) and Grand Valley (79).
Canfield’s three champions were Korey Frost at 120 pounds, Georgio Poullas at 126 and Stan Socha at 182.
Frost (33-4) tore through his first three opponents, pinning them in a combined 1:50. In the final, he rolled to a 12-1 major decision over West Branch’s Travis Pidgeon.
“He was probably the toughest kid I’ve wrestled in this tournament by far,” Frost said. “I felt in control the whole time. I kind of dominated the match. I took him down in the first, then let him up, then took him down again. At that point, I felt like I was going to win.”
Conley said Frost is realizing the potential he’s had his whole career.
“He’s had a great year so far,” Conley said. “Last year, coming off a knee injury, he really had to put himself in a position to have the season he’s had. He did all the work in the preseason. We asked him, ‘What do you want out of this year?’ He said, ‘Coach, I want to be on the podium in Columbus (at state).’ We said, ‘This is what you have to do. You’re a senior, you have to do it.’ Boy, he has.
“He’s starting to understand what we’ve been telling him for years. He can be as good as he wants to be and I think he’s got to be one of the hottest wrestlers in the state.”
At 160 pounds, Jordan Radich of Howland was going for his second consecutive EOWL title. In the final, he faced a familiar foe in Poland’s Anthony Audi, who he defeated in last year’s final.
After a scoreless first period, Radich tore right into Audi, pinning him just 12 seconds into the second period to improve to 22-5 this season with his third pin in four matches in the tournament.
“We wrestled at sectionals last year, too, and I’m sure we’ll see each other at sectionals this year,” Radich said. “I can’t take anything lightly.
“I felt comfortable on top, and he chose bottom (to begin the second period). I just put my leg in and the spladle was there, so I hit it and that was that.”
After earning two pins and a tech fall to advance to the 170-pound final, Poland’s Mike Audi (30-4) took a tough 3-1 decision over Nick Cardiero of Girard.
Leading 2-1 late in the match, Audi earned a penalty point as Cardiero was called for scissoring Audi’s head with his legs.
“I’ve come so close the last two years, especially last year. It’s nice to finally get one,” said Audi, who finished third as a sophomore and second last year in the EOWL. “It’s an intense match anytime it’s a league tournament like this in the championship match. I was getting upset at those stalling calls I got at the end. He’s a great wrestler, he’s a great kid.”
Mario Graziani of Boardman rolled through the 145-pound bracket to earn his first EOWL title.
Graziani (30-5) had a 15-0 tech fall in his first match, then earned pins in 1:56 and 1:29 to advance to the final. Against Canfield’s Shawn Williams, Graziani added another pin to gain the title, this one in 1:22.
“I got him with a really good shot, and I think I hurt him on it,” said Graziani, who finished third in the tournament last year. “I tried dragging him back in, and finally I just said, ‘Screw it,’ and I was on top, broke him down, and got him into a cradle.”