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Two-time state champion and Ohio State recruit Nick Tavanello is ranked No. 2 in the state in Division I heading into this weekend's Grizzly Invitational Tournament.

It used to be tough to find good competition for Wadsworth two-time state champion Nick Tavanello at heavyweight.

Sure there was the occasional Cody Klempay of Canon-McMillan at the North Canton Hoover Tournament or Aaron Pipkins of Maple Heights at the Division I State Duals.

At the Brecksville Holiday Tournament, Olentangy Liberty’s Luke Fleming gave Tavanello all he could handle in a 1-0 match.

But nothing will prepare Tavanello for the state tournament like Saturday’s 26th annual Grizzly Invitational Tournament.

Tavanello – ranked second in Division I by Intermatwrestle.com’s Josh Lowe before St. Edward’s Greg Kuhar’s season-ending knee injury – will have Sandusky’s Mike Brown (No. 3, Division II, 7th in state last year), Fleming (No. 5, D-I), Clay’s Garrett Gray (No. 6, D-I, 6th in state last year) and Glenoak’s Derrick Everitt (No. 7, D-I) to deal with.

“It’s going to be a really good mini-state tournament for him,” Wadsworth coach John Gramuglia said. “You couldn’t ask for anything more. We were looking for a featured weight and I think we found it.”

The Grizzlies, who have won the last 10 GITs, might have found a little bit more when they expanded the 12-team field to 16.

Now that the GIT invited Hilliard Darby, Lakewood, Ryle, Ky., and Oregon Clay to go along with mainstays Ellet, Garrettsville Garfield, Canton GlenOak, North Canton Hoover, Howland, John Adams, Olentangy Liberty and Southeast, it promises to be a strong team race.

That would be Clay, the team that snapped Wadsworth’s two-year run at the BHT in December and Hoover, which finished third behind the Grizzlies at its own tournament.

“It took a huge step forward and we’re really excited about that,” Gramuglia said. “We used to have a premier Christmas tournament and we decided to move it back a month. Now, it’s back to that premier tournament in late January.

“It’s a huge challenge for us. We’ve won the last 10 and now you have a team that has beaten us earlier this year.”

A year ago, Wadsworth had 10 wrestlers reach the finals with Kagan Squire (125), Alfredo Gray (130 pounds), Chris Baughman (135), Nate Ball (140) and Sheldon Brandenburg (160) joining Nick Tavanello (215) as champions.

Squire, Baughman, Tavanello, Mathias Zollinger and Brandon Jones return as finalists this year.

Comets streaking

Overlooked a bit at the 25th annual Bill Dies Tournament because of Barberton’s runner-up showing was the effort of Coventry.

The Comets finished fourth behind strong efforts from Jesse Gunter (3rd, 120), Travis Gosnell (4th, 285), Dillon Headrick (5th, 195), Brandon Rang (6th, 152), Michael Fagan (7th, 106) and Zack Lake (8th, 126).

That put them five points behind perennial power Elyria in the race for third, marking the first top-five finish at the Dies for Coventry in over a decade.

Hammer time

Matt Hammer keeps moving up the charts. With eight wins last week, the two-time state placer climbed the ladder and is now second in Medina in career wins after passing his brother Teddy (136).

With six more victories, the 138-pounder will pass 2011 Bees graduate Mike Griffith and become the winningest wrestler at Medina. It will also make him No. 14 in Medina County annals.

More GIT

Garrettsville Garfield’s Kevin Stock (1st, 182) and Aaron Yonker (2nd, 160) return as finalists at the GIT. For a complete list of returning placers, CLICK HERE.

Tickets

Tickets for the 75th annual state tournament will go on sale Monday (Jan. 30) at any Ticketmaster locations or by calling 1-800-745-3000.

The cost for an all-session ticket book (five sessions) is $75 each for entry and club Llevels seats and $55 each for the terrace level.

Single session tickets for the tournament, which runs March 1-3 will go on sale Feb. 20 and are $15 each.

West Virginia Duals

Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy travels to Parkersburg to compete in the West Virginia Duals this weekend after a runner-up finish a year ago.

Over the two-day tournament, the Royals won their pool by defeating Caldwell, Lasalle and four teams from West Virginia in Brooke County, Parkersburg South B, Roan County and Lewis County. 

They advanced to the championship bracket where they knocked off Lexington, 39-30, before losing to West Virginia state champion Parkersburg South.

Going undefeated on the weekend were Nathan Tomasello (113) and Matt Meadows (220).