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J-M’s Seka seeks D-III state berth
Jackson-Milton junior Devin Seka has read this script before.
He’s just never been very fond of the ending.
In his first two years as a member of the Bluejays’ wrestling team, Seka qualified for the Division III district tournament twice — just as he has this season. The only problem is he hasn’t been able to perform well enough there to advance to the state tournament in Columbus.
“The goal is to reach that second day still without a loss,” Seka said. “I’ve won one match and then lost two each time before, so yeah, I want to perform better.”
Seka (25-9) will have at least two familiar faces in the 126-pound weight class this weekend at the Division III district tournament at Garfield Heights High School. Girard sophomore Dominic Gainey (16-17) and Liberty freshman Morgan Weinreber (6-15) both advanced through the Rootstown sectional last weekend. Seka defeated Weinreber by decision, 6-1, in the first round at sectionals and has seen Gainey before in the regular season.
However familiarity hasn’t necessarily bred contempt.
“I know what they’re all about, and they’re good, but I like seeing some new faces,” Seka said.
If Seka and seven Bluejays teammates hope to advance, they’ve got the right man in their corner. Jackson-Milton coach Dave Tomaino is in his 28th year as head of the wrestling program and knows all the right buttons to push this time of year.
“It’s a lot more mental than physical at this point,” Tomaino said. “Different kids are prepared differently and it all depends on the individual, but for example [Tuesday], we did some swimming and jogging to give them a day off from the mat.”
One of the biggest things Tomaino said he likes to do once the tournaments begin is shorten practices. He said it keeps the kids from losing their interest and stamina.
“We want them to want their season to continue,” Tomaino said. “I want them to say, ‘I want them to go another week.’ I think if you get a kid in that frame of mind, then he’s that much better off.”
He also compared the team’s off days to that of a football team’s film day. He and his wrestlers break down tape from past matches, especially if they’re going to wrestle someone they’ve seen before. The discussion stays positive, according to Tomaino, because it’s not healthy to dwell on past negatives.
“We want to use our offense the way we want to use it,” he said. “I like my kids to think more aggressively and get their opponent worrying about what we’re going to do, rather than what they can do to us.”
The coach feels his 126-pound junior is a perfect case study on what can happened when a wrestler gets hot at the right time. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s trained himself to be mentally tougher than his competition.
“Seka has progressively just gotten better the whole season,” Tomaino said. “He’s really strong in the individual sports — he runs cross country, too — when mental toughness is very important.”
Seka understands what’s at stake, but said he’s feeling relaxed going into the weekend.
“Everything, all the training that’s been done the last couple months, it’s all for time like this,” Seka said. “Everyone gets nervous, but once I get on the mat it’s all focus. That’s the way it needs to be.”
He could potentially see Gainey in the semifinals, however he wouldn’t meet Weinreber until the championship match. But there won’t be any bracket peeking being done by Seka.
“I like to take it one match at a time,” he said. “My friends do a lot of that stuff for me, so I’ll let them figure it out.”