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Crestwood's wrestlers clinched the Portage Trail Conference Metro dual title Thursday with a 47-14 win over visiting Field and then added a 42-28 victory over County champion Southeast.
MANTUA, Ohio – Before Southeast senior Zach Gibson and Crestwood sophomore Jake Zemaitis are finished wrestling this season, we could be using Roman numerals to mark their matches.
On Thursday night, at Crestwood High School, Zemaitis-Gibson I went to Gibson (15-2) when he pinned the previously undefeated Zemaitis (25-1) in 2:46 in a showcase 106-pound bout.
“I cross-faced cradled because that’s my bread and butter, my main move, and I’ve been doing that my whole high school career,” Gibson said.
Asked if he realized Zemaitis’ lofty standing, the Southeast captain replied, “Yes, but I also felt that I was a top 106 wrestler, too.”
Gibson’s losses are to 113-pound wrestlers from St. Paris Graham and Pennsylvania's Redbank Valley. He was 25-16 last season.
It is quite possible the two standouts could meet again at the Portage Trail Conference Championships and again at sectionals, and again at districts, and who knows -- maybe even in Columbus.
“It won’t happen again,” muttered Zemaitis as he was helping clean up after the PTC quad meet.
Gibson’s pin pulled the Pirates to within 25-22, but the Red Devils nailed down the unofficial, overall PTC Metro-County dual-meet title by winning three of the final four bouts to secure a 42-28 win on their Senior Night.
Earlier in the night, Crestwood (7-0 PTC Metro) had dominated Field (6-1 Metro) by a 47-14 score to repeat as Metro dual regular-season champions.
"They out-classed us. They out-hustled us," Field coach Joe Retherford said. "We didn't belong on the same mat with them today."
Southeast (72-4) and Field (61-12) took turns pounding a young, inexperienced Mogadore squad.
The Wildcats did have a double winner in sophomore 132-pounder Justin Chew (21-5).
“I’m predicting a state title for him when he’s a senior,” said first-year Mogadore coach Jason Windon. “I know those are big words, but I believe he can do it.”
Despite graduating state champion Cody Ryba and four other state qualifiers, Crestwood has reloaded and now is halfway home to an overall PTC Metro championship with the conference tournament in February.
"We didn't know how we wanted to position these matches, whether to wrestle Southeast and Field or Field and Southeast," Crestwood 11th-year coach Dave Wrobel said. "But my worst fear came into play. We wrestled so well against Field and we never got back to that level of intensity -- and that's not take anything away from Southeast.
"I was worried about that letdown and I think we had a little letdown. I was happy with the way we performed against Field. We were sky high for that match."
Wrobel thought Fejedelem's 3-2 win over Field's Zack Ladich at 138 in the second bout of the match was important. He also cited Josh Hillier's 11-7 win at 126 against Brett Mayfield as impressive.
The Falcons did not register a takedown until the fourth bout of the match when 2011 state runner-up T.J. Fox (152) overwhelmed Crestwood's Garrett Gerardi 16-1.
"We didn't show up," Retherford said.
Red Devil reserve 220-pounder James Testa, competing in place of Justin Goss (sick), came up with a pin, much to the delight of Crestwood's fans.
Against Southeast, sophomore Connor Nemec (113) answered Gibson's fall with a pin of Nathan Angel in 2:56.
'We needed to stop the bleeding," Wrobel said.
The Pirates competed well minus four starters, according to third-year coach Bob Noall.
"We have to get some guys healthy," Noall said. "We still haven't had our best team on the mat yet. Somebody is always out with a skin rash or an injury.
"Hopefully we earned some respect tonight."
Noall and Wrobel briefly discussed the anticipated strength of 106 and 113 at the West Branch Division II Sectional.
"It can be a blessing in disguise (for Zemaitis) at times," Wrobel said. "It lets you know you are not invincible. There are kids working to beat you."
Crestwood 47, Field 14
132: Kager (C) t.f. Fleming, 21-6. 138: Fejedelem (C) d. Ladich, 3-2. 145: Pochedly (C) m.d. Swigart, 10-2. 152: Fox (F) t.f. Gerardi, 16-1. 160: Keefe (C) t.f. Eckhart, 22-7. 170: Kollman (C) t.f. White, 17-1. 182: Jackson (C) d. Lawhorn, 8-1. 195: Woodward (F) d. Zielinski, 6-2. 220: Testa (C) p. Cox. 285: Battiest d. Smith, 4-1. 106: Zemaitis (C) m.d. Dejulius, 14-2. 113: Nemec (C) p. Lott. 120: Kubiza (F) p. Kulla. 126: Hillier (C) d. Mayfield, 11-7.
Crestwood 42, Southeast 28
138: Fejedelem (C) t.f. Canfield, 17-2. 145: Pochedly (C) d. Sampson, 9-7. 152: Gerardi (C) t.f. Gadd, 25-10. 160: James (S) p. Keefe, 4:24. 170: Brokaw (S) m.d. Kollman, 19-7. 182: Jackson (C) d. Cutlip, 5-3. 195: Zielinski (C) p. Goddard, 3:09. 220: Oringer (S) p. Testa, 1:54. 285: Battiest (C) d. Krauss, 3-1. 106: Gibson (S) p. Zemaitis, 2:46. 113: Nemec (C) p. Angel, 2:56. 120: Smith (S) p. Kulla, 2:20. 126: Hillier (C) t.f. Leslie, 20-3. 132: Kager (C) p. Todd, 1:59.