By Roger Gordon

Correspondent

Editor’s Note: The top-four wrestlers in each weight class in all of the sectional tournaments qualified for district tournaments; the top-four wrestlers in each weight division in all of the district tournaments will advance to the state tournament.

AURORA

Aurora captured the championship of the 10-team Division I sectional tournament Feb. 22 at Pinkney East in Cleveland. The Greenmen totaled 203.5 points. Elyria finished second with 191.5 points and Mentor was third with 189 points.

“I was really pleased with our team’s effort throughout the course of the day,” head coach Jeremy Johnson said. “We set ourselves up pretty well for the district tournament.”

Aurora had five individual titlists – Nick Turba in the 113-pound weight class, Johnny Green at 120, Drake Brasiel at 157, Cole Walton at 165 and Gio Kaplan at 175.

“I was really happy with the way Nick wrestled all day. He was able to beat the Elyria kid in the finals, which I knew was going to be a good match. He got right to him,” said Johnson. “It was just another workmanlike performance from Johnny. I think he expected to go out in dominant fashion. He wrestled that way all weekend. Drake bonus pointed everybody throughout the entire tournament. He did what you’re supposed to do. I’m happy for him. Cole did a great job. He was able to put together a pretty solid tournament. He beat a kid from Mentor in the finals and was dominant. It was a fun day for Gio. He wrestled well all weekend. For him to come out as the sectional champ is really a big deal. We’re proud of him.”

Michael Kennedy finished second at 144, and Cole Munn (132) and Grant Eaton (138) both were third.

     • Next up for Aurora: Division I district tournament at Perrysburg Feb. 28 at 4:30 p.m. and March 1 at 10 a.m.

ROOTSTOWN

It was a total team effort that gave Rootstown the championship of the 12-team Division III sectional tournament Feb. 22 in the Rovers’ gymnasium. Rootstown scored 232.5 points.

Crestwood finished second with 156 points and Akron Manchester was third with 130.5 points.

“We had a really good day,” head coach Anthony Anderson said. “Everybody wrestled really well. Even some of the new guys at the lighter weights won some matches they needed to win to advance. These guys are all peaking at the right time, which is incredible.”

The home team produced five individual titles – Mason King in the 113-pound weight class, Alex Ely at 126, Nick Malek at 144, Nathan Lee at 150 and Brian Youngblood at 175.

“Mason got a really good draw. He wrestled really well,” said Anderson. “Alex had a couple tough matches, but he’s wrestling really well, too. Nick pretty much dominated all day. He didn’t really have anybody who pushed him too hard. Nathan had a really good finals match.”

Those finishing runner-up were Tyler Davis (120), Nate Marzec (132), Mason Fleck (215) and Rylan Campbell (heavyweight). Campbell had to default his finals match due to a hand injury, but he should be ready to go for districts.

Placing third were Logan Wilson (106) and Dominic Duvall (157).

     • Next up for Rootstown: Division III district tournament at Independence Feb. 28 at 4 p.m. and March 1 at 10 a.m.

STREETSBORO

Streetsboro sophomore Jarreau Walker continued his cakewalk this season in the 106-pound weight division by capturing the championship in the Division II sectional tournament Feb. 22 at Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary.

“Jarreau just walked right through the tournament. He pinned everybody,” head coach Mark Skonieczny said. “It’s hard to give a good description because he goes out and gets three takedowns and pins them. He’s just that good. He has a legitimate shot of being a state champion. He’s ranked No. 1 in the state and has already tech falled the No. 3 kid.”

Also winning a title was Matt Klimak at 120.

“Matt had a fantastic day. He pinned his way through the tournament, too,” said Skonieczny. “He’s been wrestling extremely well this last month. He’s a senior and is making his final run. He’s put a lot into this.”

Overall, the Rockets finished fifth out of 15 teams.

“Our performance was good,” said the coach.

Anthony Sindelar (126) and Cohen Klimak (Matt’s cousin, 165) both finished runner-up, while Jason Kittle (113) and Justin Wargo (132) each placed fourth.

“We forfeited Anthony in the finals,” Skonieczny said. “At the second tournament of the season at Hudson he popped his shoulder out and missed most of the season. He came back and wrestled the conference, then on Tuesday at practice the shoulder started coming out again, so we sat him, taped it up and told him, ‘Listen, go as far as you can with it. If you make it to the finals, we’ll forfeit the finals to save your shoulder for another weekend.’ We knew it was going to be a war in the finals, so we didn’t take a chance to end his season there.

“Cohen had a great day. He wrestled a great match in the finals. He just didn’t finish a couple takedowns. If he finished one of those, he wins that match. He’s a competitor and is going to give it everything he has this weekend. He had a great tournament except for one bad period.

“Jason is a sophomore, his first time with the opportunity to wrestle in a sectional. I was a little disappointed with his third/fourth-place match, but he did enough to get out. Justin had a great day. He wrestled hard. He had an extremely tough weight class. He lost a heartbreaker in the semis and then gave up about four points in the last 10 seconds in the third/fourth-place match. He did enough to get out. He’s got his hands full this weekend, but at least his season continues for another week.”

Fifth-place alternates were Jerry Benci (150) and Jayce Fedor (heavyweight).

“I was a little disappointed in Jerry and Jayce,” Skonieczny said. “They just fell on their face in those consolation semis, losing matches they were winning.”

“Besides Jarreau,” said the coach, “Matt, Anthony and Cohen have a really good chance to get to state. Anthony made it to state last season, finishing seventh at 120.”

     • Next up for Streetsboro: Division II district tournament at Kenston Feb. 28 at 4 p.m. and March 1 at 9 a.m.

CRESTWOOD

Crestwood head coach Dave Wrobel knew going into the 12-team Division III sectional tournament Feb. 22 at Rootstown that the Rovers were the favorites to win the championship.

“And they did,” Wrobel said. “But I felt like we were the next best team, and we went out there and handled our business. I was happy with our overall performance.”

The Red Devils did indeed finish second with 156 points. Rootstown lived up to its billing by capturing the title with 232.5 points, while Akron Manchester was third with 130.5 points.

Crestwood had two individual champions – Levi Daniels in the 106-pound weight class and Tyler Devlin at 120.

“Levi is our igniter. He had two pins,” said Wrobel. “I was really happy with the way Tyler wrestled. He ended up going 2-0 with two pins. He was extremely offensive. He was very aggressive in his first match and then in the second match he put it all together.”

Gio Brock finished second at 126. Placing third were Chris Mory at 132 and Michael Berquist at 175.

“Gio wrestled well,” said the coach. “I was really happy with the way he wrestled in particular in the semifinal match. He was down 14-0 but never quit. He came back and tied the match 16-16 and then won the match in the closing seconds of the third period. I liked the fact that he never quit, never gave up and fought his way back.

“I was happy with the way Chris wrestled because he won his last two matches in overtime. His match in order to qualify for districts he won in overtime, and then in his third/fourth-place match he won in double overtime by riding his opponent out. Michael got a major decision in his go-to match and got a pin in the third/fourth-place match.”

Fourth-place finishers included Jakob Devlin (Tyler’s brother, 144), Robby Georger (150), Ty Berquist (Michael’s cousin, 157), Brenton Mason (190) and Doug Sipes (215).

     • Next up for Crestwood: Division III district tournament at Independence Feb. 28 at 4 p.m. and March 1 at 10 a.m.

GARFIELD

Garfield is peaking at the right time, according to head coach Dan Andel.

“That’s what we want to do,” he said.

Proof positive was the G-Mens’ fifth-place finish in the 15-team Division III sectional tournament Feb. 22 at Burton Berkshire.

“I think we had a solid performance, wrestled to our expectations,” said Andel. “I think everybody wrestled well.”

Garfield had two individual champions – Landon Andel in the 138-pound weight class and Cam Lewicki at 113.

“Landon had a tough kid from Lake Catholic in the finals who was ranked in the top 10 in the state, and Landon beat him 10-0,” said the coach. “Cam wrestled really well with a solid finish over a Southeast kid, Cameron Dye, in the finals whom he’d gone back and forth with this season. He closed that match out without really any contest.”

Runners-up were Harper Troyer at 175 and Logan Sell at 144. Placing third was Luke Kaufman at 126.

“Both Harper and Logan had solid performances but just couldn’t get things going in the finals,” Andel said. “But they put themselves in a good position for this weekend. Luke had a tough weight class, so he had an exceptional day. He had to win two tough matches to make it out.”

“It looks like we have a pretty good opportunity to get some kids to state,” said Andel. “I think all five of them can get there.”

     • Next up for Garfield: Division III district tournament at Independence Feb. 28 at 4 p.m. and March 1 at 10 a.m.

MOGADORE

Mogadore finished third out of 11 teams in the Division III sectional tournament Feb. 22 at Beachwood.

“We did really well, we wrestled tough,” head coach Duane Funk said. “We had a couple losses that weren’t expected, but the kids showed some heart and determination in coming back.”

The Wildcats’ lone individual champion was Dylan Benedum in the 215-pound weight class.

“Dylan was pretty dominant, pinning most of his opponents,” said Funk.

Kasey Pruitt finished runner-up at 138.

“Kasey wrestled solid. He went out and got a couple pins,” the coach said. “He doesn’t have a lot of matches this season due to an injury, and he kind of reaggravated it a little bit in the finals, so after the first period in the championship match we scratched just so it wouldn’t get worse. We wanted to save him for next week. It’s his senior season … let him take a shot at districts. We didn’t need to ruin it at the sectional finals.”

Mogadore had five third-place finishers – Braeden Manley at 120, Owen Roberts at 132, Blake Hershberger at 144, Matthew Plum at 157 and Jack Snavely at 165. Caiden Shaw placed fourth at heavyweight.

“Braeden had a good day. He lost to a solid kid from Trinity in the second round but fought back. He pinned his opponent in the third/fourth-place match,” said Funk. “Owen actually wrestled his third/fourth-place match with butterflies on his eye, all taped up, pinning the kid, and then went and got six stitches. In the blood round Owen did a throw on his opponent, and the next thing you know Owen’s eyes gashed open and his opponent’s eyes gashed open. Owen showed a little toughness there. I think he can get to state.

“Blake had a solid day. He got beat in the semifinals by a pretty solid kid from Independence. He got a tough draw but fought back and ended up pinning his opponent in the third/fourth-place match. Matthew wrestled a good tournament. He sustained a separated shoulder in his third/fourth-place match but ended up pinning the kid. That was his 100 th career win, a great achievement in high school wrestling. He’s got some range of movement, and we’re going to see how it goes this week. As for him getting to state, he’s definitely going to have to show some serious toughness and grit. Jack wrestled very smart. He’s battling a little injury from two weeks ago and showed some toughness and heart.

“Caiden is still making early mistakes. He should’ve been a little bit higher on the podium. He’s still trying to work through some second-year wrestler mistakes.”

Fifth-place alternates were Blake Hume (126) and Matthew Trusky (190).

     • Next up for Mogadore: Division III district tournament at Independence Feb. 28 at 4 p.m. and March 1 at 10 a.m.

FIELD

Carter White was Field’s only individual champion in the 157-pound weight division in the Division II sectional tournament Feb. 22 at Beloit West Branch. White pinned his way through the tournament.

“Carter had a real good day. He wrestled really well,” head coach Dave Tenney said. “He put himself in a good position going into the district tournament.”

Overall, the Falcons finished sixth.

“I thought we wrestled really well,” said Tenney.

Owen Wymer (144) and A.J. Freudeman (106) placed third, and Joe D’Amico (138) and Drexal McAmis (heavyweight) were fourth.

“Owen wrestled really well. He came back halfway through the season from a football injury and really is just starting to come into his own,” Tenney said. “A.J. had a real good day. He’s wrestling through some situations that he hasn’t quite seen before. I think he’s really starting to peak at the right time.

“Joe had a real good day. He wrestled really well. In the third/fourth-place match it just didn’t work out the way we hoped it would. He put himself in position to be able to score at the end, but it just didn’t happen for him. Drexal’s day went really well for a young man who came into wrestling his senior year having never stepped on a mat. He’s wrestling really, really well. Getting to districts really bodes well for a young man who puts in the effort to get there.”

Brock Scimiliti (113) and Daniel Hudson (175) were fifth-place alternates.

“I think any one of the five wrestlers have a good shot of getting to Columbus,” said the coach. “Carter has got to be a frontrunner. A.J. is definitely poised and ready to go to state.”

     • Next up for Field: Division II district tournament at Kenston Feb. 28 at 4 p.m. and March 1 at 9 a.m.

SOUTHEAST

Southeast’s sixth-place finish in the 15-team Division III sectional tournament Feb. 22 at Burton Berkshire was right about where head coach Shane Kuberry expected it would place.

“I think we performed really well,” Kuberry said. “We have a couple kids who are making their first trip to the district tournament and a couple kids who are making a return trip. Obviously, we’re hunting bigger things than just making it to districts.”

The Pirates produced a pair of runners-up – Cameron Dye in the 113-pound weight division and Dominic Kemble at 126.

“That was Cameron’s highest finish at sectionals that he’s ever had,” said Kuberry. “It sets him up with a pretty good spot for districts. We got what we expected out of him. His finals opponent from Garrettsville Garfield was a very familiar person who he’s wrestled multiple times this year. They’ve split matches. It’s kind of like a one-takedown match, and it’s probably always going to be that way between the two of them. We’re hoping that we get to see that matchup in the district final.

“Dominic had a really good day. It’s a position that he’s been in a bunch. He’s a sectional champion, a sectional runner-up and made his way back to the finals, a three-time finalist. We knew we were getting into a real high-level kid in the final from Mentor Lake Catholic. I thought

Dominic wrestled really well. It was an overtime match. Maybe this weekend we see that same exact match go down, and we’re going to be looking for a different outcome.”

Third-place finishers were Landon Durstine at 190 and Deian Longgood at 150. Jack Corll (138) and Braeden Martin (106) placed fourth.

“Landon had a really good day. I thought he looked really good. It was his highest sectional finish ever,” said the coach. “It was Deian’s highest sectional finish ever. I’m super proud of both of them. This is Jack’s first time making it to the district tournament. He lost in the blood round last season, so it’s a step forward for him. We were super happy with him.”

Bruce Nelson finished fifth and is an alternate at 175.

“We feel like there are pathways to the state tournament for a bunch of our guys,” Kuberry said. “This late in the season, it just depends on who shows up. We really have tried to preach to our guys about taking it match by match, week by week and just trying to be in one of those top four spots to keep moving on.”

     • Next up for Southeast: Division III district tournament at Independence Feb. 28 at 4 p.m. and March 1 at 10 a.m.

KENT ROOSEVELT

Kent Roosevelt produced two runners-up and a fourth-place finisher in the Division II sectional tournament Feb. 22 at Kenston. The second-place wrestlers were Jacob Dunfee in the 113-pound weight class and Noah Dunlap at heavyweight. Jeremiah Brumfield was fourth at 126.

“Jacob wrestled really well,” head coach Chris Dunfee said. “Your first postseason as a freshman can be a daunting experience, but he showed up ready to wrestle. He came out and pinned his first opponent. In the second round he wrestled a good kid from University School. It wasn’t his cleanest match, but he found a way to win 12-6. In the finals he wrestled a kid from Parma Padua Franciscan who was one match from placing at state last season. We have to clean some things up this week to close the gap on him. Jacob wrestled a really good tournament. I’m really proud of him. Our best shot of getting to the state tournament is probably Jacob. He’s good enough to get there. He’s going to have to beat some good kids along the way.

“Noah’s day went real well. He wrestled his semifinal match against a kid from Canfield, and Noah wrestled one of his best matches of the season. I was real proud of him. Last season he was a district alternate, so to take that next step and be a district qualifier is great for him. His only loss Saturday was to the defending state runner-up from Hawken. He went out against that kid and went after him, took his shots but just came up on the short side.

“Jeremiah had an up and down day but showed up whenever he needed to in the big matches. I was real proud of him. He was close to districts last season, and he took that loss really hard. So to see him rebound this season and get over that hump and get to the district level was a real big moment for him. I was real excited for him. It was just a testament to the hard work that he’s put in over the last 12 months to accomplish that goal.”

     • Next up for Kent Roosevelt: Division II district tournament at Kenston Feb. 28 at 4 p.m. and March 1 at 9 a.m.

WATERLOO

Waterloo had a third-place finisher and a pair of fourth-place finishers in the Division III sectional tournament Feb. 22 at Waynedale – Dublin Porter third in the 113-pound weight class and both Kayne Smith (106) and Dalton Braybon (126) fourth.

“It kind of played out how we thought it would for Dublin,” head coach John Foster said. “He was competitive in the matches he lost, but then he was extremely dominant in his third/fourth-place match. He finished the tournament very, very strong. We’re looking forward to districts. I’m pretty confident that Dublin is going to make it to Columbus.

“I was proud of Kayne. He’s a freshman. He was very competitive all day long. He ran into a couple kids who were a little older, a little more experienced, and those were the kids who he lost to. The matches that he did win, he was pretty dominant. Overall, I thought he had a really good outing at his first sectional. He got a really good draw at districts, so on paper he has a decent shot of getting to Columbus.

“Dalton is also a freshman, his first sectional. To go into a school like Waynedale, which historically has a really strong program and tends to make people a little nervous, he really stepped up and wrestled well. He’s peaking at the right time. He’s an extremely scrappy kid. He’s kind of that kid who always gives you the puncher’s chance. It wouldn’t surprise me if he’s able to upset some kids and make some noise at districts.”

Fifth-place alternates included Brayden Robinson (138) and Sammy Russell (144).

     • Next up for Waterloo: Division III district tournament at Coshocton Feb. 28 at 4 p.m. and March 1 at 9 a.m.

RAVENNA

Ravenna’s Ryder Denning lost his first match in the 126-pound weight class of the Division II sectional tournament Feb. 22 at Beloit West Branch. He had to really battle back to have a shot at advancing to districts.

“In the blood round match, the deciding match to go for third to go the district tournament, Ryder had to wrestle the same kid from Perry who he lost to in the first round,” head coach Eric Kline said. “He wrestled him better but lost to him again. He got a couple big wins in the matches that he needed to win to get to that blood round match, but he just couldn’t get past the Perry kid.”

Denning finished fifth, which made him an alternate for districts.

     • Next up for Ravenna (if Denning competes): Division II district tournament at Kenston Feb. 28 at 4 p.m. and March 1 at 9 a.m.