Hawken, Newbury impress

Nine area wrestlers advanced to the semifinal round at the Division III District at Garfield Heights, putting them one win away from a coveted spot at the state tournament.

Hawken and Newbury advanced their full contingent of qualifiers to the second day and have wrestled into the top 10 of the team race.

For Hawken, it was the quartet of sectional champions who were at it again as Will Lindsey joined the Reineke brothers, Jackson and Patrick, in semifinals, and Christian French also advanced with a victory.

Younger brother Patrick (106) was the first to strike. After an opening-round pin in 48 seconds, Reineke controlled a 7-1 decision in the quarterfinals to set up a highly-anticipated rematch.

Reineke, a freshman, was a state runner-up a year ago at 86 pounds at the OAC Junior High School State Tournament.

His opponent is fellow freshman Nolan Frye of Cuyahoga Heights who was also a junior high state runner-up last March at 102 pounds. Reineke and Frye met a couple times earlier this year, including in the CVC finals, with Frye coming out on top in both highly contested bouts.

On the strength of pins in each of the first two rounds, older brother Jackson (120), now a junior, was

a state qualifier last year and is on the cusp of a return trip Columbus. He is set to square off with junior Seth Unkefer of Waynedale, champion from the Northwestern sectional.

Lindsey has been a dominant force this year en route to a 44-1 record. Even more spectacular is the fact that Lindsey has yet to be taken down this season. The Hawken junior breezed through the first two rounds, winning each by pin. His semifinal round opponent is Dalton senior Joe Miller.

Five Newbury wrestlers advanced to the second day including two semifinalists (Mitch Sanders and Alex Piczer) and three who earned victories in the wrestlebacks (Jared Zimperman

and brothers Joey and Thomas Bond).

Sanders, a district placewinner last year and twotime sectional champion, continued his success as he advanced with two one-sided matches in an 8-1 decision and a pin. The son of long-time Newbury coach and community member Marty Sanders has a daunting task in the semifinals as the specter of two-time All-Ohioan Ryan Boyle, a senior from Rootstown, awaits him. Boyle placed fourth in the state at 220 as a sophomore and seventh in the state at 195 last year.

Piczer, a senior who only weighs around 195, earned a berth in the semifinals at 220 on the strength of pins in each of the first

two rounds. Well-conditioned for the grind of the matches at this level, Piczer has been key to Newbury’s success this year. He looks to avenge a loss from earlier in the year at Waterloo as he faces will be junior Anthony Czap of South Range.

Berkshire freshman Lucas Stoddard, fourth at the junior high school state tournament last year, won a wild 18-10 major decision over Elyria Catholic’s Malik Gaddy. Stoddard was put to his back in the first period but credits his coaches as the reason he never hit the panic button.

Also advancing to the semifinal round were Kirtland’s Konnor Duncan, Doug Byrne of Wickliffe, and Cardinal’s Jerry Rose.