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2018-19 area wrestling preview – Divisions I & II

Following is a breakdown of area wrestling teams in Divisions I and II, with information and analysis from area coaches as well as Tribune Chronicle sports writer Joe Simon. A breakdown of Division III teams will be published later this week.

FITCH FALCONS

≤ COACH: John Burd (Fourth year at Fitch; 42-4 career record; 14-2 last year)

≤ ASSISTANT COACHES: Greg Tibolla, Kyle Varga, Mike Mrakovich.

≤ SECTIONAL: Division I at Massillon Perry.

≤ TOP RETURNING WRESTLERS (grade, weight class, record): Gus Sutton (Sr., 138, 46-3), Christian Davis (Sr., 145, 21-19), Colin Roberts (So., 113, 45-11), Hunter Helminiak (Sr., 126, 25-19), Zach Richards (Jr., 132, 26-18), Dom Miglets (Jr., 160, 20-15), Jacob Smail (So., 182, 22-12), Josh Cornell (Sr., 195, 12-6), Brock Kimble (Sr., 285, 16-14).

≤ UP-AND-COMERS: Jacob Ferguson (Fr., 106), David Shannon (Fr., 120), Mohammad Quadri (Sr., 170), Joey Perez (Jr., 220).

≤ OUTLOOK: The Austintown Fitch wrestling program has enjoyed quite a few impressive runs over the years, but the one coach John Burd has them on right now is one of the program’s best. The Falcons are 42-4 as they enter their fourth year under Burd, and they don’t appear ready to slow down anytime soon. Led by two-time state placer Gus Sutton, Fitch brings back one of the Eastern Ohio Wrestling League’s best teams.

Sutton, along with fellow returning state qualifier Colin Roberts, are the catalysts. A recent Cleveland State commit, Sutton is one of the state’s elite 138-pound wrestlers — ranked as high as third in various state preseason rankings. He entered last year’s state tournament unbeaten and had expectations of winning a state title before a few close losses resulted in an eighth-place finish. “He’s been driven since that weekend all offseason,” said Burd of Sutton’s offseason motivation. “He’s just been working constantly, getting stronger, getting quicker. He’s excited for this season.”

So are the rest of the Falcons. Roberts is coming off an impressive freshman year, finishing 45-11 and opening up a lot of eyes by reaching state — a rare feat for a freshman. Burd said Roberts spent the offseason traveling across the country to different tournaments and returned even better. “He’s self-driven,” Burd said. “He’s constantly trying to improve. He worked on getting stronger and being more up-tempo. We’re looking for big things from him this year.”

Burd is anticipating big things from the team in general. The Falcons annually boast one of the area’s deepest lineups, and that will again be the case this year, with several other high-level wrestlers in Brock Kimble, Christian Davis, Hunter Helminiak and Zach Richards. Fitch will again be in the running for a league title and capable of sending several wrestlers to the state touranment.

BOARDMAN SPARTANS

≤ COACH: Dom Mancini (18th year at Boardman; 101-125 career record; 8-6 last year); Frank Mancini (head coach at Alliance for 14 years, assistant at Boardman for 10 years)

≤ ASSISTANT COACHES: Jack Raver, Kevin Powell, Jim Jones, Nick Mancini.

≤ SECTIONAL: Division I at Massillon Perry.

≤ TOP RETURNING WRESTLERS (grade, weight class, record): Michael O’Horo (Sr., 170, 38-4), Anthony Baglama (Jr., 126, 31-15), Nick Esmail (Jr., 120/126, 12-18), Kareem Hamden (Sr., 170/182, 22-20), Nate Thompson (Jr., 160, 15-15), Jake Powell (So., 170, n/a).

≤ UP-AND-COMERS: Sean O’Horo (Fr., 132/138, OAC Jr. High state runner-up), Dominic Vannetti (Fr., 106), Ray Cmil (Fr., 113), Tyler Rea (Fr., 120), Ashton Labelle (Fr., 132/138), Christian Odom (Fr., 152/160), Tristan Hutchko (Fr., 285).

≤ OUTLOOK: Seventeen years of stress was taxing for Boardman wrestling coach Dom Mancini. The longtime mentor of the Spartans has endured the anxiety of coaching two of his kids and a nephew — not to mention numerous other wrestlers he built lifelong bonds with — during a career that has spanned nearly two decades. Still, he wasn’t ready to step down. Instead, he brought someone on to help out. Someone he could trust. Who else than his brother, Frank Mancini. He led the Alliance program for 14 years and has been an assistant at Boardman for nearly a decade. He is now the co-head coach with Dom.

“He’s retired, he has a lot more time than me,” Dom said. “Honestly, I like it because it’s half the stress. It’s a noticeable difference. Not having to live (wrestling) every minute of every single day. You can kind of pick and choose what you do.” The brothers hope the tag-team effort revitalizes the Spartans’ proud tradition.

They bring back EOWL champion Michael O’Horo, also a standout quarterback for Boardman. The senior leads a young team that boasts 17 freshmen but has several high-level wrestlers mixed in. Junior Anthony Baglama is a returning EOWL finalist, and the Mancinis have high hopes for freshman Sean O’Horo, Michael’s younger brother, who was a state runner-up in junior high last year.

While Frank and Dom are brothers, they have contrasting coaching styles, and Dom said he likes the mixture thus far. “Frank has taken over the practice plan,” said Dom of his brother picking which moves to show on a daily basis. “We’re trying to be more organized with fundamentals and basic attacks that we want all the kids doing. So, I think you’re going to see more consistency in how we wrestle as a team. My philosophy over the years has always been to take the kid in the direction that his mentality is and his body type is. With both of those philosophies working together as one, it’s a good formula for improvement.”

CANFIELD CARDINALS

≤ COACH: Stephen Pitts (Second year; 19-2 record last year)

≤ ASSISTANT COACHES: Derick Fletcher, Dave Crawford, Jim Hideg, Stan Socha, Randy Langham, Dean Conley, Steven DeMaiolo, Richard Donadee.

≤ SECTIONAL: Division II at West Branch High School.

≤ TOP RETURNING WRESTLERS (grade, weight class, record): Nick Barber (106, So., 29-19), Ethan Fletcher (113, So., 41-9), Ron Angelilli (120, So., 17-8), Aidan Burcsak (Sr., 132, 18-24), McCoy Watkins (Jr., 138/145, 25-19), David Reinhart (Sr., 160, 38-11), Ben Cutrer (Sr., 170, 29-11), Anthony D’Alesio (Jr., 182, 31-4), Nick Crawford (Jr., 195, 43-6), Tyler Stein (Sr., 220, 49-3).

≤ UP-AND-COMERS: Michael Crawford (152, 9th), Seth Hull (152/160, 11th), Peyton Kostelic (195/220).

≤ OUTLOOK: A lot of teams would be daunted by trying to annually live up to the lofty expectations set by Canfield. The Cardinals have been state runners-up for three straight seasons, setting set a standard no EOWL team has reached in its 51-year history. They have had a state champ each of the last three years while also sending wrestlers to Cleveland State, Pittsburgh and now Ohio State — one of the top two programs in the country. Canfield is realistic and doesn’t expect to again finish second in the state. The Cardinals want to win it all.

“Our goals are the same. We want to be state champions, and we think we can be this year as a team,” said Canfield coach Steve Pitts, who lost in the semifinals of the State Dual Team Tournament in 2018. “That was our goal last year, and we came up three points short, so that’s still sitting with everybody.”

Competing for state titles has become customary for the Cardinals, who enter the season with two wrestlers ranked No. 1 in the state. The first is returning state champion and Ohio State commit Tyler Stein. The monstrous 220-pound senior is coming off a 49-3 season and, like the Cardinals, is expected to be one of the best in the state again. The other top-ranked wrestler is junior Anthony D’Alesio, a two-time state placer (fourth in 2017, third in 2018) who recently finished fourth at the nationally acclaimed Ironman Tournament, one of the nation’s most difficult tournaments. They’re surrounded by numerous other wrestlers who have hopes of qualifying and placing at the state tournament, creating a lineup that is second to none in Division II.

“We want those expectations,” Pitts said. “We’re not afraid to compete, and we’re not afrad to fail. If you don’t win a state championship, or a kid doesn’t win a state championship, some people might think they may have failed, but we don’t look at it like that. If you went out there and did your best, (a win or a loss) is what was meant to be.”

GIRARD INDIANS

≤ COACH: Jim Cardiero (28th year at Girard; 254-102 career record; 7-4 last year)

≤ ASSISTANT COACHES: J.T. DelGarbino, Walt Brame.

≤ SECTIONAL: Division II at West Branch.

≤ TOP RETURNING WRESTLERS (grade, weight class, record): Jack DelGarbino (Sr., 285, 54-0), Alex DelGarbino (Jr., 132, 36-10), Matt Belcik (Jr., 138, 14-19), Mike Johnson (Sr., 152), Logan Meszaros (Sr., 195), Shawn Thomas (Jr., 145), Joel McCracken (Jr., 170), Calvin Perry (Jr., 220), Conner Moore (Jr., 220/285).

≤ UP-AND-COMERS: Kyle O’Hare (So., 120), Colton McCloskey (So., 120).

≤ OUTLOOK: A certain feeling came over Jim Cardiero when the Indians finally crowned their first state wrestling champion last year. It wasn’t pride or a sense of accomplishment. It wasn’t hysteria or adrenaline. It was a deep sigh of relief.

“I finally got it,” he said. “I’ve been coaching a long time to not have that, but this season is just like any other season.”

One thing that remains the same is the Indians again possess one of the area’s more dangerous teams. They’re led by undefeated returning state champion Jack DelGarbino, who also won a junior-division national title in the offseason. Cardiero can’t help but look slightly ahead for DelGarbino, who dominated Division II last season.

“I’m already thinking of guys he’s going to wrestle in some of the different tournaments,” he said. “He may feel a little bit more pressure, but I don’t. I know he’ll prepare himself the way he needs to prepare, and he’ll be ready to go. Hopefully we get a chance to do it again.”

DelGarbino is surrounded by several other wrestlers with state-level potential, including his younger brother, Alex. While much lighter than his 285-pound brother, Alex brings similar strength and tenacity. He was a few matches away from reaching the state tournament last year, and Cardiero hopes a more confident approach will take him to that next level.

He feels the same way for several others, some of whom aren’t well known in the wrestling community but may soon be. Part of the issue for the Indians is that it may take a little time to reach their potential after a football season that went into December.

“I was happy as hell for the kids,” he said. “I was proud of them, but each week they won, I was like, ‘Gosh, I’ve got to go through another practice with 10 guys.’ … We’ve just go to deal with it. It’s starting to get a little better. “

HOWLAND TIGERS

≤ COACH: Matt Zakrajsek (Fourth year at Howland; 11-35 career record; 4-12 last year)

≤ ASSISTANT COACHES: Rob Holbert, Sheldon Matlock, Brad Gibson, Michael Pollifrone, Steve Wall, Mike Kovacich.

≤ SECTIONAL: Division II at West Branch.

≤ TOP RETURNING WRESTLERS (grade, weight class, record): Isaiah Lyles (Sr. 126, 24-19), Nick Mijavec (So., 182/195, 6-9), Chris Kowach (Sr., 195/220, 15-16).

≤ UP-AND-COMERS: Ethan Snyder (Fr., 132), Matthew Woomer (Fr., 145).

≤ OUTLOOK: The four-year stint of Matt Zakrajsek has been filled with ups and downs. He led David-Brian Whisler to a state title in his first season, but a young team struggled in year two. Then Brandon Matlock burst onto the scene, placing fourth at the state tournament as both a junior and senior. The process continues in year four as the Tigers continue building toward the sustained success they enjoyed throughout the last three decades.

“It’s been a different couple of years,” Zakrajsek said. “We’ve struggled in dual meets. In tournaments, we’ve done OK, and then (we’ve had) some individiual standouts. We’re just trying to get back to that soild dual-meet team, where we’re competitive with a good team atmosphere on the bench, really getting behind each other. The tournament success and individiual success will come with that. That’s kind of what we’re focusing on now.”

The Tigers are moving closer to attaining the depth needed to be a well-rounded team. The lower levels — youth and middle school — have excelled the past few years and provide a solid base for the up-and-coming Tigers. The large freshmen class is led by the senior tandem of Isaiah Lyles and Chris Kowach. Lyles is a phenomenally gifted athlete with incredible quickness, and Kowach is a powerful 200-pounder hoping for a breakout year as a senior. The recipe is one that has Zakrajsek excited for the present and the future.

“They like to work,” he said, “and we finally have some competition in some weight classes, which is a big thing that I think we’ve been lacking in, just number wise. But we have some people, that week to week, they might not be the varsity guy. You have to continue to work every day to really earn that spot.”

HUBBARD EAGLES

≤ COACH: Scott Lewis (Sixth year as coach; 73-87 career record; 18-17 last year).

≤ ASSISTANT COACHES: Dan Jones, Bob Whitacre.

≤ SECTIONAL: Division II at West Branch.

≤ TOP RETURNING WRESTLERS (grade, weight class, record): Gage Whitacre (Sr., 170/182), Andrew Christy (Sr., 138), Robbie Gessler (Sr., 132), Seth Jones (Sr., 285), Jaden Kassen (Sr., 145), Connor Burris (So., 126).

≤ UP-AND-COMERS: Mark Jones (Sr., 195), Lukus Mosora (Sr., 182), Pat Brown (Jr., 160).

≤ OUTLOOK: One word came to mind when Hubbard coach Scott Lewis thought about this year’s team: “Interesting.” That’s a heck of a lot better than boring. The sixth-year coach brings back one of the deeper and more talented teams in his tenure, and they have some new blood. Football star Lukus Mosora decided to try the sport. An All-Ohio linebacker, Mosora joins a senior-laden team in which daily competition is leading to daily improvement.

“We’ve got about 23 kids on the roster. The numbers are way up, so it’ll be interesting,” Lewis said. “It changed the practice room intensely. Now everyone is fighting (for a spot in the lineup). Your weaker kids are going to start coming around because they’re wrestling better kids.”

While Lewis is tempering expectations for the powerful-but-inexperienced Mosora and he is taking a wait-and-see approach with the Eagles, he certainly doesn’t doubt their potential. “They’re going to turn some heads,” he said. “I’ll say that.”

Maybe their most talented wrestler is sophomore Connor Burris, who as a freshman opened some eyes by placing at the league tournament and then advancing to the district level — impressive feats for a freshman. He spent the offseason wrestling at different clubs to sharpen his skills, and Lewis believes he has state qualifying potential. The Eagles’ leadership comes from a big senior class made up of Gage Whitacre, Andrew Christy, Robbie Gessler, Seth Jones, Jaden Kassen and Mosora, who brings more than leadership.

“He’s super strong and super athletic,” said Lewis of the first-year wrestler. “That’s hard to come by. I’ve just got to slow him down a little bit because he wants to go 100 mph. He’s starting to get it though.”

POLAND BULLDOGS

≤ COACH: Tony Jameson (First year at Poland).

≤ ASSISTANT COACHES: Jamie Jameson.

≤ SECTIONAL: Division II at West Branch.

≤ EOWL: Division II

≤ TOP RETURNING WRESTLERS (grade, weight class, record): Daniel Adams (So., 120), Jacob Caudle (So., 138), Owen Hernon (Sr., 160), Justice Smith (Jr., 170), Jacob Blackburn (Sr., 182), Daniel Pagan (Jr., 195), Anthony Ricottilli (Sr., 220), Clay Schafer (Sr., 220/285).

¯ UP-AND-COMERS: Dyllon Smith (Fr., 152).

¯ OUTLOOK: It didn’t take long for the Poland wrestling team to put some faith in their new coach. Sometimes a new voice can cause the team to second-guess his practices and strategies. That didn’t happen. Apparently four state titles bring credibility. Austintown Fitch graduate Tony Jameson, the only four-time state champion in Mahoning Valley history, takes over a young Bulldogs team that is inexperienced but boasts quite a bit of potential. Jameson simply appreciates they’re not questioning his tactics.

“The biggest thing is that the buy-in has been 100 percent,” he said. “I don’t mean that some kids are buying in 100 percent. It’s been 100-percent buy-in from the kids to the parents, to people at the school. Having every day go smoothly without people complaining and asking why it’s so tough is a huge load off my chest.”

The Bulldogs have endured a few down years since the departure of former coach Tony Stellato. Jameson believes he can revitalize the program. He sees immediate talent across the board, especially in sophomore Daniel Adams and junior Justice Smith. They both carry a non-stop work ethic, both during the season and in the spring and summer, that has Jameson thinking big — for them and the team.

“The potential is what they make it. The wrestling is being learned. The extra work is being done. The buy-in is complete. So, it’s just a matter of those guys understanding that they’re doing the work to beat the people that they look up to, or used to fear wrestling, or used to lose to. I think that’s the biggest thing to their credit is that they’re not going out there worried anymore. They may not be as confident as I want them to be, but they go handle business. They go wrestle for six minutes.”

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