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Reinhart bounces back from duals loss with EOWL title as Canfield wins team title
Reinhart bounces back from duals loss with EOWL crown as Canfield wins team title
By Brian Dzenis
AUSTINTOWN
David Reinhart scored some revenge and a major upset in Saturday’s Eastern Ohio Wrestling League Tournament.
On Wednesday, the 152-pound junior from Canfield lost to West Branch’s Dylan Miller, 15-5, in the Division II, Region 12 dual tournament semifinals.
The No. 6 in the state Miller and Reinhart met again for the EOWL 152 title and it was like Reinhart was a completely different wrestler.
It turns out his biggest opponent this week was his weight. Reinhart took home the title with a 16-3 major decision.
“The first time around, I had made a really big weight climb and I just wasn’t ready. I over-hydrated and I felt really sick at the end of the match and started giving up points,” Reinhart said. “I wasn’t surprised [I was beating Miller], I just kept my body healthy this time. I didn’t overdrink and I didn’t overeat.”
Reinhart immediately worked over Miller in the first period for a 9-2 lead, which ballooned into a 14-3 lead. After one more takedown, Reinhart went bottom in the third and ran out the clock. He was one of two title-winners for the Cardinals, joining No. 1-ranked David Crawford (182), who pinned Liberty’s Kaleb Merrick-Neff. Those victories, and by having nine wrestlers in the EOWL semifinals and five in the finals, provided enough points to win the overall team title with 231.5.
“Yesterday and this morning we had a lot of good rounds. We hit a lull in the middle of today, but sealed the deal with a lot of wins in the end,” Canfield coach Stephen Pitts said. “I’m proud of the effort.”
Some of Canfield’s marquee wrestlers had rough ends to the tournament. No. 1-ranked in Division II Tyler Stein (220) ran into D-III No. 1 Gaige Willis of Pymatuning Valley in the semifinals and the reigning Division III state champ got a 3-1 sudden victory. Willis ended up winning the title. No. 3-ranked Anthony D’Alesio’s 170 title bout with Boardman’s Mike O’Horo ended in anti-climatic fashion.
With the pair scoreless in the second period, the Spartans quarterback for the football team took the Canfield defensive lineman to the mat and D’Alesio appeared to injure his left leg. With Canfield traveling to Columbus for the state dual tournament next Sunday, Pitts elected to pull D’Alesio from the bout.
“With the opportunity to win a state championship, we can’t risk major injuries. We have to be cautious,” Pitts said. “If we didn’t make it to the state duals, we would have finished the match out. It’s a different scenario where you want to do what’s best for your team.
“Anthony is a competitor who wants to wrestle, but he understands we can’t sacrifice next weekend.”
Host Austintown Fitch was three for three in its title matches. Gus Sutton (126) and Michael Feree (160) each won their respective matches by technical fall and Breylon Douglas (195) earned a 4-2 decision against Crestview’s Landon Talbert.
“[After] not winning it the past two years, I really wanted to win it this year,” Sutton said. “I had a lot more confidence because I felt like there weren’t as many big names.”
Sutton was a No. 1 seed in his bracket and is currently the No. 3 wrestler in the state in Division I. Fitch was the runner-up in team scoring with 211 points.
No. 1-ranked Jack DelGarbino brought an EOWL title to Girard for the second consecutive season. He pinned his way into the finals and took a 3-0 decision against Alliance’s Alex Leasure.
Two Beaver Local sophomores claimed EOWL titles. Reigning state runner-up Cole McComas won the 113 title with a 5-4 win against Louisville’s Ryan Jakubiak and Skyler Lasure won at 132 pounds by defeating Jefferson’s Joshua Blatt, 8-4.