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Poullas chasing another title; he hopes Crawford joins him
By Brian Dzenis
ALLIANCE
After winning a district title last Saturday, someone asked Canfield wrestler Georgio Poullas how many matches he would have to win this week to win a state title.
The reigning state champion and four-time state qualifier was briefly stumped, turning to assistant coach and corner man Stephen Pitts for the answer. Pitts explained that he would have to win once on Thursday, twice on Friday and one more time Saturday.
It’s not just a mantra, Poullas really does go moment to moment. Don’t mistake the lapse of memory as a sign that he’s becoming more laid back with his sport.
“When something is important to him, you don’t have to guide him too much. This is his life and he really cares. He wants to do well,” Pitts said. “In other aspects of his life? Maybe you got to remind him, ‘Wear your shoes. Where’s your headgear?’
“When it’s time to go, you don’t have to worry about him.”
Poullas (160) enters Columbus ranked No. 1 in the state and since winning the 152-pound title in 2016, he’s only become even more successful, so there’s no reason to mess with his approach.
“This is one of the toughest tournaments you can compete in. It’s state. Nothing’s changed for me,” Poullas said. “Every match that you have at state is going to be tough.”
This year he became a bonafide superstar. He’s the first Canfield wrestler under 18-year head coach Dean Conley to take an unbeaten record (39-0) to Columbus. He’s the seventh wrestler in 50 years to win an Eastern Ohio Wrestling League title four times. He’ll leave Canfield as the program’s all-time winningest wrestler. He won the Ironman Tournament, one of the toughest national high school tournaments in the country.
“Ironman is right up there with the state tournament. Some people say it’s tougher depending on what state you’re in. Poullas said. “I don’t want to say one is tougher than the other. It depends on your weight class and other things.”
Should he find himself at the top of the podium again, he’ll become the program’s first two-time champion. For Poullas, it’s still too early to think about that.
“It would be nice,” he said.
Canfield leads the Mahoning Valley in state qualifiers with six and is coming off its first district championship in 50 years. It’s a quality group. Anthony D’Alesio (152), David Crawford (170), Dominic Cooper (182), Tyler Stein (195) and Mason Giordano (285) are all among the top 10 in their weight classes in Ohio. Crawford is the Cardinals’ second top-ranked grappler. He was a state semifinalist last year.
“I have to focus on my own attacks. I can’t worry about the other guy,” Crawford said of his approach to Columbus. “I have to go after my stuff in every single match. People are going to know what I’m going after and try to stay away. I have to work some other stuff, too.”
There’s no one pulling harder for Crawford to make it to Saturday with a championship on the line than Poullas, his sparring partner.
“If I win state and right when I’m done, hopefully David will be up,” Poullas said. “I’ll probably run over to my family if things go my way, then I’m watching David with them.”
Should Poullas, Crawford or any of the Cardinal wrestlers take first place, Canfield will have the most individual state titles in the Valley. Currently the Cardinals are tied with Austintown Fitch and Beaver Local with six.
“We think we have several kids that can vie for a state championship and we understand what that means,” Conley said. “We like our kids. They’re training hard and we don’t really compare ourselves to other programs.”