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4 Canfield wrestlers place high at Covelli Centre meet
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Canfield Wrestling Club’s Ethan Fletcher prepares to body slam Knick Andrew during the third place round of the OAC Grade School State Championship wrestling meet at the Covelli Centre on Sunday. Fletcher finished third.
By Steve Wilaj
YOUNGSTOWN
Without getting technical, Canfield Wrestling Club coach Dave Crawford looks for one thing anytime his wrestlers step on the mat. It doesn’t matter whether it is in practice or competition.
“I’m interested in them doing the right things,” Crawford said. “If they do the right things, winning is going to happen.”
Evidence was shown by in his wrestlers’ performances this weekend during the 11th annual Ohio Athletic Committee grade school wrestling tournament at the Covelli Centre.
In a tournament that attracted roughly 1,200 youth wrestlers ages 5-13 across Ohio, Canfield placed three in third place and one in second.
“All through the season we try to prepare them for this level of competition,” Crawford said. “It’s about doing things right so when you’re here at this level with the best wrestlers in the state, then you’re able to be successful.”
For Canfield, Ethan Fletcher, Peyton Kostelic and Nick Crawford placed third in their respective weight classes while Anthony D’Alesio was a second-place finisher.
It was definitely a good weekend for us — some of the better placers we’ve had,” Dave Crawford said. “The guys are good all the way through – they’re good wrestlers, good athletes and good kids. So it’s nice to see them get the recognition they deserve.”
Other local top-finishers included Roclen Bettura of the Columbiana Youth Wrestling Club, who placed third in the Division II 85-pound class, and Austintown Wrestling Club’s Collin Roberts, finishing seventh in the Division III 85-pound class.
The Beaver Local Wrestling Club had two top finishers with 68-pound Landon Landfried placing fifth in Division III and 90-pound Skyler Lasure also placing fifth in Division IV.
“They had a great tournament — wrestled hard all weekend and worked hard to get there,” Beaver Local coach Johnny McComas said. “Landon did a great job of keeping his composure throughout a double overtime win. I’m happy for him that he did as well as he did.”
For Canfield, Kostelic (140 pounds, Division IV) and Crawford (130 pounds, Division IV) won with pins. Kostelic trailed 7-2 before he finished off Heath Brandenburg in the third set.
“He did that to that kid before at a state tournament, where he was getting the [stuffing] kicked out of him and then flipped it,” Dave Crawford said. “It’s good for him to get the confidence and get after it. He’s a good wrestler and if he does things right, he can do that all the time.”
Fletcher (75 pounds, Division IV) defeated Knick Andrew, 7-2, in overtime, while D’Alesio lost to David Cumberledge in the 130-pound Division IV championship match.
“Fletcher’s getting better and better every time he wrestles,” Crawford said. “He has good feet, has good skills and he’s a hard worker,” Crawford said. “And Anthony is a good athlete.
“He had a nice tournament, did things well and worked hard. I’m real pleased with my guys.”