The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Geneva rolls at CVC
Perry’s Bellissimo shocks with big upset of Hawken’s Reineke at 106 pounds
Some things you see coming. Some thing blind-side you like a brick thrown from a fourthstory window.
Pretty much everyone in Cuyahoga Heights’ gymnasium figured the Geneva wrestling team would walk away with its third straight Chagrin Valley Conference championship.
The Eagles followed through with that projection, crowning champions at 152 (Caleb Selman) and 195 (Brandon Thomas) to pile up 220.5 points, well ahead of runner-up Perry’s 179 points.
If anyone asked for a show of hands for those who felt Perry’s Zach Bellissimo would have upset state-ranked Patrick Reineke of Hawken for the 106-pound championship, not many hands would have gone up.
Certainly not that of Bellisimo himself.
But thanks to a four-point move in the second period — including his first-ever takedown of his cousin Reineke — Bellissimo decisioned Reineke, 8-7, in the upset of the tournament.
Reineke (22-0 heading into the match) is the third-ranked Division III 106-pounder in Ohio, while Bellissimo is ranked a distant 26th.
“It’s great. I can’t even believe it,” said Bellissimo, marveling at his win over his second cousin.
“I’ve never taken him down before today. Ever. We’ve trained together for years, but the last time we wrestled (in a real match) he tech’d me 15-0 in about a minute.”
Reineke, a fifth-place finisher at the Division III state tournament last year as a freshman, nearly got a takedown in the closing seconds, but couldn’t complete the move. When Bellissimo walked off the mat, he did so to a hero’s welcome from his Perry teammates.
“He’s a stud! A stud!,” said senior Kyle Rowan, who won his fourth CVC title a handful of minutes later. “I can’t believe he won. Props to him. He’s an animal.”
Bellissimo, Rowan (120 pounds) and Colin Koenig (138) brought home championships for the second-place Pirates. But the tournament had long been decided before the finals even began. That’s because Geneva’s superior depth and outstanding early rounds gave the Eagles a 51-point lead going into the placement round.
Geneva had a rough final round, going 2-4 in championship matches. But in addition to the titles won by Selman and Thomas, the Eagles got runner-up finishes from Johnny Wayslaw (132), Jesse McElroy (138), Brett Goff (145) and Charlie Taylor (220). Additionally, they got a thirdplace
finish from Cole Vennis (160) and fifthplace finishes from Jayden Sabol (106) and John Amato (182).
Including third- and fifth-place matches, the Eagles went 5-6 in placement matches, meaning 11 of their 14 wrestlers made the podium.
Not only is this Geneva’s third straight CVC championship, but it’s the Eagles’ fifth tournament title this year to go with the ones they won at the Kenston Invitational, Riverside Rumble, South Rebel Invitational and Howland Invitational.
“You’re right. It wasn’t the best final round,” Coach Chris Stamper said. “We haven’t had a final round like that all season. It’s not that we wrestled bad. We faced some tough kids. I’m hoping our guys learn from it when tough matches happen at Alliance (in the D-II district).” Selman won his 100th career match on Day 1 of the CVC on Jan. 31. He then went out and pinned Kirtland’s Aidan Marsh for the 152-pound title.
“He got the first takedown,” Selman said. “I slowed the pace and it worked out in the end.”
Thomas took down Independence’s Luke Clymer with 30 seconds left, gave up a late escape and held on for his second CVC title.
Thomas credited his win to patience, with his only takedown coming 5-minutes, 30-seconds into the match.
“Coming into this year,
that was my biggest flaw. I wasn’t patient,” he said. “I wanted to end matches quickly. (This year) I wanted to wrestle sound, wrestle smart and not rush anything.”
Berkshire finished fifth as a team. Sophomore 182-pounder Lucas Stoddard pinned Independence’ Brian Vollman in the third period for his second CVC title in as many years.
Stoddard had knee surgery on Dec. 13, so the CVC title held a lot of significance to him.
“Just to be here is the best feeling in the world,” he said after running his season record to 17-0. “I’m not the most in-shape guy or the leanest guy, but I knew if I go up early and kept pushing, it would put pressure on him. That was the key to the match.” Hawken senior Will Lindsey was all smiles after winning the 285-pound title with a second-period pin of West Geauga’s Lou Alesnik. An injury kept him out of the 2019 CVC tournament, so this was Lindsey’s first league title.
“Scoring points is my complete focus,” Lindsey said, “getting my offense going as soon as possible.”
As far as top-four finishes go, Geneva and Perry led the way with seven each. Perry went 3-1 in championship matches and 2-1 in third-place matches.
“I think coming into sectionals like this, we’re going to get a lot of kids to districts,” Koenig said. “We’re looking good right now.”