
SPORTSINK.COM PHOTO
Senior Cobey Fehr's championship at 126 pounds highlighted an impressive showing by Barberton at the Brecksville Holiday Tournament.
BROADVIEW HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Maybe it’s time to take a cue from the old man.
For 12 years, Barberton’s wrestling team stayed away from holiday tournaments in favor of resting up for the stretch run.
Friday, the Magics and coach Dave Mariola Jr. joined Twinsburg – coached by Dave Mariola Sr. – at the Brecksville Holiday Tournament and the results were impressive.
The team finished 12th, Cobey Fehr won at 126 pounds, Aaron Tschantz was third at 195 and Vernon Rowe was fourth at 220.
Not bad for a squad known last year as a dual meet team.
At 20-2 in 2010-11, the Magics weren’t as successful when it came to 16- and 32-man brackets.
This year, they have two tournament wins and an impressive BHT showing.
“I think it gives us a gauge of where we’re at,” Mariola Jr. said. “This is one of the top five or 10 tournaments in the country (it’s considered by many to be the best holiday tournament in Ohio).
“To have a guy in the finals is great. Cobey’s wrestling like the hammer he can be and the two upperweights are doing good, too.”
Fehr was better than good in his match with returning state-placer Mike Screptock of Oregon Clay.
Seeded eighth, Fehr used a big quarterfinal win over two-time state-placer William Spangler of Keystone into his finals match with Screptock.
He picked up a takedown in the first period and grabbed another one in the third off a scramble to win 4-1.
“This win is big,” Fehr said. “There are a lot of guys I respect here and who I thought were better than me. It feels good to know I’m as good as them. I’ve got to keep that confidence every time I go out until I get to the state finals.”
Confidence is definitely something Barberton will take to the Dresden Tri-Valley Duals before coming back for the Bill Dies Memorial Tournament.
“This shows us where we're at and what it takes to get to the next level,” Mariola Jr. said. “Hopefully we’re a lot better and in better shape, stronger and smarter in techniques and mat strategies.”
As good as the Magics were, Dad might have taken some of the luster away from Mariola Jr. when Tigers 182-pounder Mike Baker won the first BHT title in school history for Twinsburg.
A state champion himself, Baker drew two-time Georgia state finalist and reigning state champion Brooks Climmons of Pope.
He won big, erasing a two-point deficit in a hard-fought 9-6 championship.
“This one was pretty big,” Baker said. “The season didn’t start out like I wanted it to. I wanted to show them I’m still here. It’s the first win at Brecksville for us, so it means a lot.”
Wadsworth senior Nick Tavanello’s second BHT title was big as well, but a lot of that came from a rare loss at North Canton Hoover two weeks ago.
Tavanello (285) rode out Olentangy Liberty’s Luke Fleming in the second period to pick up a 1-0 victory at Brecksville.
“For the last two weeks, this has been all I’ve been working for,” Tavanello said. “It’s, ‘Get back in shape and get back to where I was last year.’ I wanted this.”
Other SportsInk.com placers were Aaron Yonker (Garrettsville Garfield, 2nd, 160), Mike Labry (Twinsburg, 3rd, 138 ), Aaron Warstler (Wadsworth, 5th, 138), Chris Baughman (Wadsworth, 5th, 145), Cody Gordon (Wadsworth, 5th, 152), Kevin Stock (Garrettsville Garfield, 5th, 182), Mike Rix (St. Vincent-St. Mary, 6th, 120) and Kagan Squire (Wadsworth, 6th, 132).
Ryan Skonieczny (St.V-M, 7th, 132), Aaron Adkins (St. V-M, 7th, 182), Dre’k Brumley (St. V-M, 7th 285), Connor Gray (Wadsworth, 8th, 106), Brandon Jones (Wadsworth, 126, 8th) and Tim Knipl (Wadsworth, 8th, 170) also found the podium.
Broadview Heights – Results Friday from the 51st annual Brecksville Holiday Tournament at Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School.
Team standings: 1. Oregon Clay 167; 2. Pope (Ga.) 160.5; 3. Edison 142.5; 4. Wadsworth 135.5; 5. Marysville 125.5; 6. Brecksville 125; 7. Teas Valley 103.5; 8. Padua 100.5; 9. Elyria 96; 10. Olentangy Liberty 91.5; 11. Twinsburg 91; 12. Barberton, Toledo Central Catholic 87; 14. Loveland 86; 15. Madison 84; 16. Lakota East 81; 17. Kettering Fairmont 77.5; 18. Elder 74.5; 19. Wauseon 73; 20. Amherst 69.5; 21. St. Ignatius 49; 22. Lake Catholic 64.5; 23. St. Vincent-St. Mary 63; 24. Nelsonville-York 60.5; 26. Garrettsville Garfield 57; 26. Tri Valley 54; 27. Wapakoneta 47; 28. Olentangy Orange 45; 29. Hilliard Davidson 41; 30. Gahanna Lincoln 40; 31. Shadyside 32; 32. Keystone 31; 33. St. Peter Chanel 28; 34. Dayton Christian 27.5; 35. Columbus DeSal4es 22; 36. North Royalton 21.5; 37. Goshen 7; 38. Brecksville “B” 2.
Individual results
106: Michel (Edi) d. Torres (Ely), 2-0; Third: Nace (TV) d. Rahmani (Mar), 5-0; Fifth: Taton (LC) d. Pool (CC), 3-1, OT; Seventh: Martin (Wap) d. Gray (Wad), 9-3.
113: R. Screptock (Cla) d. Munsey (Pop), 3-0; Third: Howard (Edi) d. Morrow (Wau), 8-2; Fifth: Sparks (Mar) d. Daly (LE), 7-3; Seventh: Davis (HD) by def. Tyson (TV).
120: DiCamillo (SI) p. Canon (Ely), 2:31; Third: Tutolo (LC) d. Hagan (CC), 10-4; Fifth: Hagan (CC) d. Rix (St. V-M), 5-2; Seventh: Parrett (Fai) d. Kaminski (Pad), 11-5.
126: Fehr (Bar) d. M. Screptock (Cla), 4-1; Third: Mason (Pad) d. Kowalski (TV), 1-0; Fifth: Mossing (CC) d. Spangler (Key), 5-1; Seventh: Trunso (NR) d. Jones (Wad), 5-2;.
132: Fickel (Pad) d. Montgomery (Mad), 7-0; Third: Danishek (DC) d. Conine (Cla), 3-0; Fifth: McDougle (GL) by def. over Squire (Wad); Seventh: Skonieczny (St.V-M) d. McLaughlin (NY), 5-3, OT.
138: Forrider (Mar) d. Ryan (Lib), 3-2, OT; Third: Labry (Twi) d. Amenta (Cla), 3-2; Fifth: Warstler (Wad) d. Funderburg (Amh), 7-2; Seventh: Nicely (Wau) d. McDougle (GH), 7-5.
145: Baran (Bre) d. McNulty (Pad), 5-0; Third: Luft (TV) d. Viengmany (CC), 4-0; Fifth: Baughman (Wad) by def. over McGuniea (Twi); Seventh: Tate (HD) d. Coffman (Edi), 3-1.
152: Burns (Edi) d. Quinn (Sha), 4-3; Third: Barr (Bre) d. Price (Ely), 3-2; Fifth: Gordon (Wad) d. Henson (Pop), 3-1; Seventh: Basinski (Amh) d. Lees (SI), 6-4, OT.
160: Daniels (Lib) d. Yonker (Gar), 5-3; Third: Hardtke (Eld) d. Hiles (Bre), 4-3; Fifth: Meek (Pop) d. Miller (Mar), 5-3; Seventh: Rutherford (Edi) d. Allen (DeS), 4-1.
170: Kimbrell (Fai) m.d. Jones (TV), 16-2; Third: Mays (NY) d. Mancuso (Edi), 6-1; Fifth: Kamczyc (Ely) d. Tabachino (Pop), 6-0; Seventh: Hengstler (Wapa) d. Knipl (Wad), 5-3.
182: Baker (Twi) d. Climmons (Pop), 9-6; Third: Lay (Lov) d. Leidecker (TV), 7-0; Fifth: Stock (Gar) d. Cole (Edi), 11-5; Seventh: Adkins (St.V-M) d. Silva (Cla), 3-0.
195: Stevens (Pop) d. Knabe (Lov), 8-6; Third: Tschantz (Bar) d. Szep (LC), 9-3; Fifth: Burton (LE) p. Murphy (Bre), 2:48; Seventh: Barrett (Cha) d. Kamba (Ora), 6-3; Hengstler (Wap) d. Knipl (Wad), 5-3.
220: Ransom (Mad) d. Johnson (Eld), 3-2, 4OT; Third: Coon (NY) d. Rowe (Bar), 4-2; Fifth: Krall (Wau) d. McMahon (Pop), 8-3; Seventh: Gray (Cla) p. Backenstoe (HD), 1:26.
285: Tavanello (Wad) d. Fleming (Lib), 1-0; Third: Gray (Cla) d. Pickerel (CC), 4-2 ; Fifth: Thirkfield (Mar) p. Rainey (Bre), 3:56; Seventh: Brumley (St. V-M) p. Sharp (TV), 3:47.