ST. CLAIRSVILLE – When you win matches its easy to place high in a wrestling tournament and when you place your entire team its easy to cruise to victory like Ohio Division I power Teays Valley did Saturday night. The Vikings mat program powered through the 14-team Best Value Inn Invitational with ease with four grapplers in championship bouts.


"Earlier in the day my kids came in saying we can win this tournament," Teays Valley coach Todd Nace said in between championship matches. "We were able to wrestle well in earlier rounds tech falling and pinning a lot to give us those bonus points."

Taking home the loan gold for the Vikings was 112-pounder Zac Conn. Hot off his 100th victory last week, the senior standout worked over David Mahan of Oak Glen (W.Va.) scoring three sets of near fall points before sticking him in 2:42.

"Zac is a special kid and one of those guys that a coach expects to wrestle at the highest level," Nace said as Conn captured his third consecutive Best Value Inn title. "He is one of five seniors on the team and has proved great leadership on the mat."

Battling the ups-and-downs of the tournament, Nace said his team's biggest setback came in the semifinal round as six of his grapplers fell short.

"I had to tell those guys not to get down on themselves and the team," Nace said. "This is when we needed to wrestle our best to come back and pin in their placement match."

Nace's words of wisdom didn't go unheard as five of those six grapplers – Kolton Stemen (125), Johnny James (130), Nate Ormiston (160) and Christian Battle (189) – went to win their consolation finals match for a bronze award.

"Some of those guys stepped up huge today and went more noticed than some of the kids I expect to see in the finals week in week out," Nace admitted. "Christian Battle was one coming in not seeded and placing third."

Battle topped two seeded – Mike Longacher of Dover and Jerry Kahl of Shadyside. Battle's match-up with Longacher went tooth and nail coming away with an 8-7 decision and pinned down the shoulders of Kahl in 3:35.

Another making an impact for the Vikings was heavyweight Robby Spencer. Last season Spencer topped out the season with 10 wins and is already at 15 this season with a third place finish Saturday evening.

Having the most individual success in the tournament came from Division II's Tallmadge. The Blue Devils posted three individual champions – Jeff Brown (135), Nick Ursetti (140) and Aaron Donze (189). The trio combined for 10 pins, a tech fall, two major decisions and 18 wins.

Other individual champions included East Liverpool's Mike Mercer (103) and Cagney Springfield (125), Marietta's Nate Hupp (119), St. Clairsville's Dominic Prezzia (130), Nitro's Seth Easter (145), Oak Glen's Cody Miller (152) and Doug Murray (285), Dover's Bobby Gilmore (170) and John Glenn's Justin Gidcumb (215).

TEAM SCORING
Teays Valley 351, Oak Glen 300.5, Dover 224.5, East Liverpool 219.5, Tallmadge 189, St. Clairsville 172, Williamstown (W.Va) 153, John Glenn 134, Barnesville 125, Shadyside 122, Nitro (W.Va.) 99.5, Shenandoah 85, Marietta 83, Wellsville 68.5


CHAMPIONSHIP
103 -- Mike Mercer (EL) pinned Kamron Stemen (TV), 1:59.
112 -- Zac Conn (TV) pinned David Mahan (OG), 2:42.
119 -- Nate Hupp (MAR) dec. Sean Jordan (TV), 5-3
125 -- Cagney Springer (EL) tech. fall Seth Callarik (STC), 16-0.
130 -- Dominic Prezzia (STC) dec. Ethan Gray (OG), 3-2.
135 -- Jeff Brown (TALL) dec. Joel Paolo (OG), 4-1.
140 -- Nick Ursetti (TALL) dec. Paden Potts (OG), 10-3.
145 -- Seth Easter (NIT) major dec. Kurtis Jefferis (BARN), 4:55.
152 -- Cody Miller (OG) dec. Johnny Merryman (SH), 5-2.
160 -- Bobby Gilmore (DOV) pinned Zach Six (OG), 0:40.
171 -- Keith Heldt (DOV) major dec. Sam Gilmore (TV), 13-4.
189 -- Aaron Donze (TALL) tech. fall Mike Mann (BARN), 17-2.
215 -- Justin Gidcumb (JG) major dec. Nick Thompson (TALL), 13-5.
285 -- Doug Murray (OG) dec. Jimmy Boyd (OGx), 2-1.


THIRD-FOURTH
103 -- Domonick Burchett (OG) major dec. Corey Wheeler (TALL) , 14-0.
112 -- Jon Barker (BARN) dec. Matt Dunbar (NIT), 7-4.
119 -- Preston Foster (EL) pinned Jason Ripple (DOV), 1:12.
125 -- Kolton Stemen (TV) dec. Steve Sturn (MAR), 6-2.
130 -- Johnny James (TV) dec. Tyler George (WMS), 5-2.
135 -- Mackenzie Peters (WMS) pinned John Darnell (TV), 1:24.
140 -- Josh Coil (EL) pinned Tony Jones (WMS), 5:00.
145 -- Nick McAvoy (OG) dec. Zach Van Way (JG), 6-4.
152 -- Travis Siegenthaler (DOV dec. Keith Johnson (DOVx), 8-1.
160 -- Nate Ormiston (TV) dec. Jeff Hanselman (WELL), 5-0.
171 -- Josh Radabaugh (WMS) pinned Nick Wells (SHEN), 1:59.
189 -- Christian Battle (TV) pinned Jerry Kahl (SH), 3:45.
215 -- Dennie Ours (EL) pinned Levi Holcomb (STC), 1:38.
285 -- Robbie Spencer (TV) pinned Jeremy Rice (JG), 2:41.


FIFTH-SIXTH
103 -- Cody Kelley (WMS) major dec. Scott Spano (STC), 13-0.
112 -- Bryan Crozier (SH) major dec. Michael Yockey (STC), 12-2.
119 -- Dillon Nolte (STC) pinned Ethan Bennington (JG), 3:00.
125 -- Kody Crooks (BARN) dec. Seth Stickley (SHEN), 5-4 OT.
130 -- Sam Dunbar (NIT) tech. fall Steven Davis (JG), 18-1.
135 -- Matt Flanigan (WELL) pinned Vince Ours (EL), 5:01.
140 -- Tovy Grove (DOV) dec. Nathan Jordan (TV), 14-13.
145 -- Tyler Luft (TV) pinned Kenny Nickerson (STC), 1:26.
152 -- Zach Graham (TV) pinned Brandon Bartnicki (STC), 1:26.
160 -- Mark Board (WMS) pinned Dylan James (EL), 2:59.
171 -- Anthony Cornell (OG) pinned Brian Kahl (SH), 4:30.
189 -- Mike Longacher (DOV) dec. Ryan Crabtree (WELL), 5-2.
215 -- Nate Miller (TV) pinned Brad Ritenour (DOV), 1:46.
285 -- Thomas Moore (SHEN) pinned John Swigart (TALL), 1:20.

Prezzia strikes gold
• Teays Valley runs away with Best Value Inn tourney

By BRIAN COOK
Times Leader Sports Writer

With the team hardware way out of reach Saturday evening, one Belmont County grappler – Dominic Prezzia – was able to come away with an individual title at the Best Value Inn Wrestling Invitational in St. Clairsville.
“He's been progressing very well, ”St. Clairsville coach Jay Michael said about his 130-pounder. “The big loss at Barnesville has really got him going.”
Prezzia, a freshman standout, towed the line with veteran grappler Ethan Dray of Oak Glen in his title match.
The Red Devils’ grappler went scoreless in the opening panel against Dray. Going down in the second period, Dray recorded the first point with an escape, 1-0.
Following a series of controversial take down attempts, Dray used his injury time for his bum knee going into third period with a short lead.
“Getting our confidence level up is one thing we need to work on,” Michael commented as Prezzia wasn't able to turn the corner on some of his shots in the second period. “He was in on the legs twice and the third time ended on his knees which we have to capitalize on.”
Prezzia returned fire in the third with a quick escape to even the score,1-1. Scrapping back-and-forth Prezzia showed a freshman can wrestle, hitting a takedown to move ahead 3-1. Dray would add an escape, but failed to pick up any more points as the clock ticked to zero.
“The big thing is getting Dominic to wrestle like he did in the third period all the time,” Michael said. “To win big matches you have to be in big matches, and a lot of them, it's the only way to get better."
For Shadyside, Johnny Merryman (152) fought a tough battle in his finals match to Cody Miller of Oak Glen.
Miller found the opening takedown to get the early lead as Merryman trailed the remainder of the match. Keeping in arms reach, Merryman was able to pick up a pair of points late in the match and was on the grasp of nearfall points before an inadvertent whistle with five seconds to go handed the Tiger a 5-2 setback.
“I thought we were more the aggressor in that match. It could have gone either way,” Shadyside coach Scott Kinemond said. “The penalty with the poke in the eye changed the momentum. Going from two-points down to three hurt us. The inadvertent whistle didn't help either, but without the penalty maybe we could have gotten another takedown to tie it up.”
Other local wrestlers falling in championship competition from Belmont County included St. Clairsville’s Seth Callarik (125), Barnesville's Kurtis Jefferis (145) and Barnesville's Mike Mann (189).
Finishing on top in the team scores was Teays Valley (351) followed by Oak Glen (300.5).
“We had 14-of-14 placing in the top six and that's huge for any team,” Teays Valley coach Todd Nace said. “I have watched these kids grow up on the mat and I am very proud of their effort.”
Cook can be reached at bcook@timesleaderonline.com

TEAM SCORING
Teays Valley 351, Oak Glen 300.5, Dover 224.5, East Liverpool 219.5, Tallmadge 189, St. Clairsville 172, Williamstown (W.Va) 153, John Glenn 134, Barnesville 125, Shadyside 122, Nitro 99.5, Shenandoah 85, Marietta 83, Wellsville 68.5

CHAMPIONSHIP
103 -- Mike Mercer (EL) pinned Kamron Stemen (TV), 1:59.
112 -- Zac Conn (TV) pinned David Mahan (OG), 2:42.
119 -- Nate Hupp (MAR) dec. Sean Jordan (TV), 5-3
125 -- Cagney Springer (EL) tech. fall Seth Callarik (STC), 16-0.
130 -- Dominic Prezzia (STC) dec. Ethan Gray (OG), 3-2.
135 -- Jeff Brown (TALL) dec. Joel Paolo (OG), 4-1.
140 -- Nick Ursetti (TALL) dec. Paden Potts (OG), 10-3.
145 -- Seth Easter (NIT) major dec. Kurtis Jefferis (BARN), 4:55.
152 -- Cody Miller (OG) dec. Johnny Merryman (SH), 5-2.
160 -- Bobby Gilmore (DOV) pinned Zach Six (OG), 0:40.
171 -- Keith Heldt (DOV) major dec. Sam Gilmore (TV), 13-4.
189 -- Aaron Donze (TALL) tech. fall Mike Mann (BARN), 17-2.
215 -- Justin Gidcumb (JG) major dec. Nick Thompson (TALL), 13-5.
285 -- Doug Murray (OG) dec. Jimmy Boyd (OGx), 2-1.

THIRD-FOURTH
103 -- Domonick Burchett (OG) major dec. Corey Wheeler (TALL) , 14-0.
112 -- Jon Barker (BARN) dec. Matt Dunbar (NIT), 7-4.
119 -- Preston Foster (EL) pinned Jason Ripple (DOV), 1:12.
125 -- Kolton Stemen (TV) dec. SteveSturn (MAR), 6+2.
130 -- Johnny James (TV) dec. Tyler George (WMS), 5-2.
135 -- Mackenzie Peters (WMS) pinned John Darnell (TV), 1:24.
140 -- Josh Coil (EL) pinned Tony Jones (WMS), 5:00.
145 -- Nick McAvoy (OG) dec. Zach Van Way (JG), 6-4.
152 -- Travis Siegenthaler (DOV dec. Keith Johnson (DOVx), 8-1.
160 -- Nate Ormiston (TV) dec. Jeff Hanselman (WELL), 5-0.
171 -- Josh Radabaugh (WMS) pinned Nick Wells (SHEN), 1:59.
189 -- Christian Battle (TV) pinned Jerry Kahl (SH), 3:45.
215 -- Dennie Ours (EL) pinned Levi Holcomb (STC), 1:38.
285 -- Robbie Spencer (TV) pinned Jeremy Rice (JG), 2:41.

FIFTH-SIXTH
103 -- Cody Kelley (WMS) major dec. Scott Spano (STC), 13-0.
112 -- Bryan Crozier (SH) major dec. Michael Yockey (STC), 12-2.
119 -- Dillon Nolte (STC) pinned Ethan Bennington (JG), 3:00.
125 -- Kody Crooks (BARN) dec. Seth Stickley (SHEN), 5-4 OT.
130 -- Sam Dunbar (NIT) tech. fall Steven Davis (JG), 18-1.
135 -- Matt Flanigan (WELL) pinned Vince Ours (EL), 5:01.
140 -- Tovy Grove (DOV) dec. Nathan Jordan (TV), 14-13.
145 -- Tyler Luft (TV) pinned Kenny Nickerson (STC), 1:26.
152 -- Zach Graham (TV) pinned Brandon Bartnicki (STC), 1:26.
160 -- Mark Board (WMS) pinned Dylan James (EL), 2:59.
171 -- Anthony Cornell (OG) pinned Brian Kahl (SH), 4:30.
189 -- Mike Longacher (DOV) dec. Ryan Crabtree (WELL), 5-2.
215 -- Nate Miller (TV) pinned Brad Ritenour (DOV), 1:46.
285 -- Thomas Moore (SHEN) pinned John Swigart (TALL), 1:20
 

Fact Box
PREP? WRESTLING
Who: Best?Value Inn Invitational.
When: Friday & Saturday, 11 a.m. & 10 a.m.
Where: St. Clairsville HS.


Hitting the mid point in the season, the St. Clairsville mat program will see where everyone is at as they host its annual Best Value Inn Invitational beginning Friday.

The Red Devils two-day grind will maintain some of the top wrestling talent in Ohio and West Virginia with returning tournament champions and 13 time consecutive West Virginia Class A/AA champions Oak Glen. Trying to relinquish the Golden Bears of their team title will be Ohio Division I power Teays Valley.

"Oak Glen will come in as the favorite based on their strong wrestling tradition," East Liverpool coach Todd Smith said. "But Teays Valley will have some pretty solid kids too. There team from last year qualified for the Ohio duals which is a great accomplishment based on their standings at district."

Having a combination of Ohio and West Virginia squads on the mat this weekend will bring a different style of grappling to the valley. Ohio, typically known for wrestlers on their feet, and a few of the West Virginia squads in attendance, are more known for keeping matches closer and wrestling on the mat.

"I think this gives the tournament a little more flavor," St. Clairsville coach Jay Michael said about bringing in the different teams with different styles of wrestling. "It's exciting for the kids not to see the same kids week in and week out. It is also going to make it an exciting finals."

One of the most exciting wrestlers to watch will be coming in from Nitro, W.Va. Seth Easter, who comes from a strong family tradition of wrestling, is on the verge of rounding out his senior year in a flawless measure. A three time West Virginia Class AAA state champion, Easter will be the toughest match for anyone he toes the line with in the 145-pound bracket.

"We haven't been able to challenge that boy yet," Oak Glen coach Larry Shaw commented about Easter's talent and how both his brothers are currently wrestling in college. " He has handled our guys the last three years in this tournament."

Other Ohio Division II schools fighting in the team rankings will be Dover, East Liverpool, John Glenn, Marietta and Tallmedge. Ohio Division III schools participating are Shadyside, Shenandoah and Wellsville. Other West Virginia teams are Nitro and Williamstown.



COOK'S EYE CATCHERS

At 112 pounds, Barnesville's John Barker has been an early force. Taking home some early hardware, the Shamrock junior keeps himself in the close matches and is capable of turning in some big wins.

At 130 pounds, Dominic Prezzia of St. Clairsville has been of the best campaigns for a freshman in the valley this season. Earning gold at the Irish Invitational and silver at the Barnesville Emerald Pointe Wrestling Invitational, Prezzia is more than capable of adding another piece of hardware to his trophy stand.

At 130 pounds, Tyler George of Williamstown will not lay down on the mat. The Yellow Jackets sophomore is very talented for his age and will be a factor in the later rounds of this tournament.

At 135 pounds, Mackenzie Peters of Williamstown will lead the Yellow Jackets up north to the Best Value Inn Tournament. Peters, a returning West Virginia Class A/AA place winner, has continued where he left off last season earning multiple victories in dual competition.

At 145 pounds, Sean Easter of Nitro comes into the tournament undefeated and nationally ranked 15th by WIN Magazine. The Wildcats senior's talent is well above the field in this tournament and will breeze through.

At 152 pounds, Johnny Merryman is still looking for the best competition in the valley as the junior's record is still spotless this season.

At 215 pounds, Dennis Ours of East Liverpool is a solid grappler. Sitting with only two losses on the season, Ours is strong as an ox and capable wrestling with the best of them.

At Oak Glen, picking a top wrestler from this team is no easy task. Anyone of the low to mid weights can come away with a individual title. Starting the season strong, Cody Miller (152) enter the weekend with a spotless ledger while teammate Troy Eckleberry (119) is also very competitive on the mat. Other top Oak Glen wrestlers entering the tournament include David Mahan (112), Ryan Asbury (125), Ethan Dray (130), Nick McAvoy (145) and Zack Six (160).

"I look at the season in three phases," Shaw explained. "We are finishing phase one now and so far things are going well. We have had to make some adjustments in the lineup and are continuing to find the best guys in the lineup. Phase two is wrestling in the conference tournament and phase three is wrestling for a state title."

Shaw says he looks forward to the St. Clairsville tournament each season.

"The prime reason to get into St. Clairsville 9 or 10 years ago is for OVAC seeding," Shaw said. "We don't see a lot of these smaller schools and the tournament has evolved so much I believe the competition is good for our guys."