Sports

Fitch second at Hoppel Memorial Wrestling Tournament

By Mike Brown

December 17, 2023 7:28 AM

Austintown Fitch’s Dom Boano, left, prepares to pin Steubenville Catholic Central’s Miguel Jauregui in their 138-pound match during the 46th annual Everett Hoppel Memorial Wrestling Tournament Saturday at Beaver Local High School. Beano went on to place sixth in the Tournament. Photo/Mike Brown Mike Brown/Mahoning Matters

EAST LIVERPOOL — Austintown Fitch led Youngstown-area teams at the 46th annual Everett Hoppel Memorial Wrestling Tournament hosted by Beaver Local High School Saturday.

Beaver Local repeated as the tournament champion with 319 points.

Who won individual championships for Austintown Fitch?

Fitch finished as the tournament runner-up with 248.5 points and had 12 placers, including two champions in 144-pound Lewis Deloach and 190-pound Devin Phillips.

“We had two champs today,” said a pleased Austintown Fitch head wrestling coach John Burd. “Lewis Deloach and Devin Phillips did a really good job for us. Lewis is a senior and didn’t place here last year and he came in and the mindset was right and he found a way to get a championship, and Devin Phillips is a junior and put in a lot of time in during the offseason for us and is another champ. He’s a hard worker and lives in the weight room and doesn’t miss a workout. That’s why those two found a way to get on top of the podium today.”

Deloach, a senior, won his crown with a 4-1 decision of Caiden Cooley of Richmond Edison, while Phillips claimed his title with a 5-1 decision of Kane Curran of Beaver Local.

Other standouts for Austintown Fitch

Other Falcon placers included Brayden Gerthung (second, 106 pounds), Skye Jones (second, 120), Evan Protopapa (second, 132), Kai Cosa (second, 150), Mark Stankorb (second, 215), Liam Yanveri (fifth, 165), Noah Bolen (fifth, 285), Dom Boano (sixth, 138), John Hake (sixth, 175) and Brayden Soverns (fifth, 113).

“We have five others that made the finals, so we had seven in the finals,” praised Burd. “We have a younger team this year but these guys are competitive. We only have three seniors in our lineup and 11 underclassmen.”

Boardman finished sixth in the tournament

Boardman garnered sixth place in the team standings with 140.5 points.

Leading the Spartans was junior Max Switka who won the 150-pound championship with a 16-4 major decision of Cosa of Fitch.

Boardman’s other placers included Willie Rankin (second, 138), Frank Quinlan (third, 106), Santino Slipkovich (third, 144), Jacob Boyles (fourth, 175), Ayden Srock (seventh, 120), Ronnie Hass (seventh, 165) and Santino Radujkovic (seventh, 215).

Beaver Local had five individual champs in the tourney, including Justice Fisher (106), Bobby Buchheit (132), Evan Ours (138), Ryan Chafins (157) and Gabe Morgan (175).

Overall, Beaver Local had 15 place winners in the tournament.

Fitch, which is 5-0 on the season, will host a dual meet tournament on Friday.