Mixed fortunes
The Salathiel brothers win and lose at the Welsh Schools Championships, writes Gareth Jones from ringside
SOMETIMES the backstory is as important as what happens in the ring. Such is the case with Thomas Salathiel.
Eighteen months ago he arrived at the Pantside gym run by former ‘world’ champion Gavin Rees as an obese 12-year-old, weighing 88kg. On Sunday he became Welsh Schools B champion at 46kg, taking a split decision over Afan Spartans’ Sheldon Howells.
Kid brother Luke Salathiel came up short at Minors B 32.5kg, a majority of the judges favouring Premier’s Rocco Crocker, one of several 2022 winners to collect second titles.
One pair of brothers could celebrate a double triumph. Southpaw Peter Mullane edged out another of last year’s victors from Premier, Alfie Aston,
at Minors B 35.5kg, while at Schools B 57kg, Terry Mullane, himself a winner in 2022, dominated all three rounds against Pontypool’s Jayden Fisher. Both received their vests from their Chepstow clubmate, Commonwealth gold medallist Rosie Eccles.
Two other siblings were also successful. Cardigan’s Claire Lloyd outpointed Gwynfi’s Kyla Edwards at Schools
A 36kg – one of four straight finals staged on Friday night – and brother Ianto Lloyd is clearly following in the bootsteps of the Croft twins, whose father, Guy, was in the corner when he dismissed Coedeva’s Ashley Williams
in two on Saturday before a dominant display to beat Kayden Powell (Gilfach Goch) in the Schools B 54kg final, surprisingly only on a split.
Back in the day Premier coach Gareth Perkins won five Welsh schools titles. He had two offspring competing for the same honour at the Sport Wales National Centre. Ethan Perkins lost on a split in the Minors B 34kg semi-finals to Pontyclun’s Ollie Philpott, who went on to defeat promising Rhoose southpaw Isaac Hazelwood in the final.
But big sister Erin Perkins dominated her Schools A 52kg decider, forcing a second-round count on Pantside’s Isobelle Lane en route to a unanimous vote. Erin will be one to watch when the GB event comes to Cardiff next month.
Erin was the Swansea club’s fifth champion while Porthcawl and Pyle, Cardigan and the Apollo’s outfit from Cardiff each collected three vests.
Two of the Apollo’s representatives caught the eye. The face of Minors A 32.5kg winner Finley Bridle was a mixture of anguish and hope as he awaited the result of his clash with Premier’s Vinnie Trotman, followed
by repeated jumps of joy when his unanimous success was confirmed. And at Minors B 37kg, ‘Milky Bar Kid’ John Coffey took off his glasses at ringside, climbed through the ropes and turned into a tornado, clearly outscoring Pontypool’s Cade Mattravers.
There were two contests in which winners from last year faced each other. First, at Schools B 42kg, Gabriel Hegarty (St Joseph’s, Newport) proved much too strong for Chepstow’s game Wilander Ordinado, but things were a deal closer when Llanrumney Phoenix southpaw Ashton Fox-price edged a split at Schools B 48kg over Hope Price,
from Porthcawl and Pyle.
In the Schools B 66kg class Pembrokeshire lefty Sean Bolger
(The Yard) unanimously outpointed West Wales rival Ifan Evans, from Carmarthen, on Friday, gaining revenge for his loss last year when Evans beat him in the Schools A 60kg decider.
Two others who could relax over the weekend won by stoppage. At Schools A 52kg, Jenzen Miguel-powell
(Briton Ferry) needed less than a round to demonstrate his superiority over Coedeva’s Jack Stephens, while it was round two when the taller Thomas Evans (Gwynfi) celebrated victory against Keegan Osborne, from Hesds of the Valleys ABC, at Schools B 63kg.
Amazingly, there were two Schools B entrants – born in 2009, remember – in the 90kg class and the young behemoths engaged in an entertaining scrap before the more accurate Dylan Jones (Porthcawl and Pyle) earned a split over Afan Spartans’ Charlie Noakes.
Two champions were crowned without boxing when their opponents withdrew, Rhoose’s Archie Preece at Schools A 46kg and Cardigan’s Maximus Kirkwood in the Minors B 43kg section. Kirkwood was particularly deserving: following the announcement of his quarter-final victory he was the victim of an unprovoked bare-fisted punch from his irate rival which knocked out a tooth. Despite that Max reappeared to win his semi-final inside two rounds. The culprit later apologised, but will still face disciplinary action.
OTHER CHAMPIONS
Minors A: 34kg: Josh Gallagher (Premier); 35.5kg: Harry Moore (Gelligaer); 41kg: Joe Gilmore Jones (Stallion); 43kg: Bobby Clark (Premier); Minors B: 38.5kg: Joe Smith (Somerton Rascals); 40kg: Shaun Price (Stallion); 48kgf; Beau Torrance (Pontypool); 56kg: Darcy Pesticcio (Prince of Wales); Schools A: 32kg: Bailey Robinson (Pontyclun); 34kg: Lucas Jenkins (Premier); 36kg: Morgan Davies (Caernarfon); 38kg: Carter Ronan (Porthcawl and Pyle); 42kg: Sam O’callaghan (Afan Spartans); 44kg: Ashton Morgan (Cwmavon Hornets); Schools B: 36kg: Sampson Jeanes (Porthcawl and Pyle); 40kg: Waltey Connors (Apollo’s); 44kg: C.J. Price (Penyrheol); 50kg: Owen Scanlon (Eastside); 52kg: Corey-jayden Sherlock (Jack 2 a King).