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53rd Howland Invitational set for Saturday
By TIM CLEVELAND
HOWLAND
With the high school wrestling regular season winding down, one of the area’s top events is set Saturday as the 53rd annual Howland Invitational Tournament will take place at Howland High.
The preliminary matches will begin at 10 a.m., with the Parade of Champions at 5:50 p.m., and the championship and consolation finals at 6.
The HIT is the second-longest running wrestling tournament in northeast Ohio. Only the North Canton tournament — at 54 years — has been active longer.
In last year’s tournament, Howland rolled to its eighth consecutive team title, finishing with 197 points. Girard was second with 133.
In addition to the Tigers and the Indians, this year’s lineup includes Liberty, Salem, Ashtabula Lakeside, Geneva, Painesville Harvey, Eastlake North, Northwestern (Pa.) and Cranberry (Pa.).
With Howland not being as strong as usual, the door is open for Girard to claim the team title. The Indians have been runner-up to the Tigers three times in four previous appearances under coach Jim Cardiero.
Girard has an 8-1 dual-match record this season and has five wrestlers returning who placed in the top three at last year’s HIT. They are Zane Chase at 132, Ed Sigurani at 138, Matt Deal at 145, James Cupan at 160, and Nick Cardiero at 170.
“This has been one of those seasons where we’re getting better each week,” Jim Cardiero said. “We hope to do well in this tournament.
“We go into every tournament expecting to win. We want our guys to perform to the best of their abilities. I feel they will do just that.”
Nick Cardiero is having the best season of any Girard wrestler. He scored three consecutive pins to win the 170-pound class at the Jackson-Milton Invitational early in January, then helped the Indians beat the Bluejays the following week to reach 99 career wins. Cardiero became the eighth Girard wrestler with with 100 victories with a pin against Brookfield on Wednesday night.
It will be a tough road for Howland to claim another team championship. The Tigers have a 3-8 dual-match record this season.
Howland coach Bill Beasom said David Brian Whisler (152 pounds), Jordan Radich (160) and Mike Bell (285) have the best chances of winning for the Tigers. Last year, Whisler and Radich won their respective weight classes, while Bell lost in the finals.
“Jordan and David Brian are returning winners,” Beasom said. “Mike Bell made it to the finals last year and lost to a kid from Ashtabula Lakeside (Chuck Morgan, a state qualifier). He deserves to win and should win. David Brian and Jordan have been in the finals of lots of matches.
“It will be competitive this year and it’s probably going to be a welcome homecoming party for us.”
In addition to his own grapplers, Beasom named a pair of other athletes who have good chances Saturday.
“The Eastlake North 120-pounder who won last year at 106 (Kenny Hoberney, a state qualifier),” he said. “He’s a highly competitive person. Also, (Nick) Cardiero from Girard.”