Finale set for K.O. Drugs tourney

June 22, 2015 at 12:05a.m.

Fight card to feature 18 bouts

NORTH LIMA

The 28th annual K.O. Drugs High School Boxing Tournament will conclude on Wednesday with 18 championship bouts slated for the Old School Marketplace, 11836 South Ave.

The former South Range High School gymnasium is set to play host to nine underclass and seven upperclass title pairings with two female match-ups also on the docket.

Bouts hit the bell at 7:30 p.m.

“With two weeks of action complete, it is time now for the champions to be decided and this is what the fighters have been eyeing; a title belt,” tournament founder and director Chuck Nelson said. “We had over 100 students enter this year’s competition and they produced some of the best fights we have ever had.

“We expect that hard-hitting action to continue now as we head into the championships.”

In female division action, Katie Bender of Brookfield goes after a lightweight belt against Tori Ward of East Palestine while Morgan Smith of South Range takes on Wellsville’s Rylee Beglia for the middleweight crown.

In upperclass action, Tyreek Daniels of Hubbard and Ursuline’s Jonathan Neeley will mix it up in a superheavyweight pairing while Colten Nitzsky of Jackson-Milton takes on Andrew Cree of LaBrae for the division’s heavyweight belt.

Nitzsky is one of 11 boxers on the night looking to finish the competition with perfect 3-0 marks.

Boardman’s Andrew O’Nesti and David Swope of Brookfield meet for the junior cruiserweight title.

Anthony Morgione, also 2-0 and one of five Fighting Irish hopefuls eyeing a crown, goes up against Joseph Morris of Southington for the light heavyweight belt.

A junior middleweight match-up features an all-Trumbull County pairing when Adam Harris of Newton Falls and Michael Haskett of Maplewood meet. Both are 2-0.

Also, hard-hitting Colbie Tryon of ECOT meets Brian Frye of Garrettsville Garfield for the lightweight crown while in a middleweight pairing, Alex George of Canfield and Braydon Scott of Campbell Memorial will meet.

The underclass division has delivered plenty of hard hits the first two weeks and with Ursuline schoolmates Mario Fusillo and Jeremy Ray going at it for the light heavyweight title, expect that trend to continue. Both are 2-0.

The other matchup of 2-0 fighters will take place in the super lightweight class when Poland’s Chad Svatosky meets Clinton Ewing of Howland.

There are two other battles matching undefeated fighters, the first pitting Luke Bender (2-0) of Brookfield against Keith Bodnar (1-0) for the division’s junior middleweight title. The other has Columbiana’s Chris Kosonovich (2-0) taking on Ricky “Little Tyson” Cobbin (1-0) of Struthers for the heavyweight title.

Other undefeated fighters in the underclass division looking to win their second match of the tourney and a title belt include featherweight Isaiah Padilla of Struthers, junior cruiserweight Nick Krinos of Springfield Local, and cruiserweight Anthony Kirksey of Warren Harding.

The double-elimination event attracted high school boys and girls from Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties in Ohio, and Lawrence and Mercer counties in Pennsylvania.

Tickets cost $9 for students and $15 for adults. They will be available at the door.

Doors open at 6:15 p.m. Further information may be obtained by calling Nelson at 330-423-2203, or Pat Nelson at 330-727-0932.