The 71st annual state wrestling tournament concluded with four area wrestlers winning a state title on Saturday night at the Value City Arena within the Jerome Schottenstein Center on the campus of the Ohio State University.

Please check out the print Akron Beacon Journal or the ohio.com website on the Internet for coverage about the state tournament that appeared from Thursday through Sunday.

Here is a quick synopsis:

Champions

Brunswick senior Richie Spicel won the Division I 140-pound state title and finished the season with a 43-0 record under the leadership of coach Mike Koshar. Spicel also won a state championship as a freshman in 2005 at 130 pounds.

Walsh Jesuit senior Chase Skonieczny won the Division II 135-pound title and finished the season at 44-2 under the guidance of coach Bill Barger.

Perry junior Seth Horner won the Division I 130-pound state title and finished the season at 40-4 under the leadership of coach Brent McBurney. Horner defeated Wadsworth sophomore Brad Squire (42-3) in the finals.

Aurora sophomore Ty Mitch won the Division II 103-pound state title and finished the season at 39-5 under the guidance of coach Dick Bliss. Mitch’s triumph came at the expense of Walsh Jesuit freshman Johnni DiJulius (48-5), who is also a close friend.

Runner’s-up

The area also featured eight wrestlers that placed second.

In Division I: Squire, Barberton senior Adam Cogar (47-1 at 215) and Perry juniors Sam White (37-3 at 112) and Nick Heflin (45-4 at 152).

In Division II: DiJulius and Highland junior Tyler Houska (39-6 at 215).

In Division III: Norwayne senior J.D. Smyers (44-2 at 171) and Triway senior Cory Akin (34-9 at 215) in Division III.

It should be noted that Squire and White were champions in 2007, a headline for the Sunday wrestling notebook was a little misleading regarding White.

A simply amazing kid

Hillsboro senior Dustin Carter’s qualification for the state wrestling tournament at 103 pounds caught the attention of many in Columbus.

A rare blood disorder at age 5 led to limb damage. Carter, a quadruple amputee, has built a powerful upper body. His arms end near his elbows, his legs above where knees would be. When he doesn’t wrestle, he uses prosthetic legs.

He was recognized before the semifinal round Friday and received a roaring, standing ovation that lasted over a minute. CBS interviewed him Thursday and filmed his first-round match, a victory.

Carter lost twice Friday, however, and finished the season 40-4.

Splendid Records

Richie Spicel concluded his Brunswick career as the school’s all-time leader in wins with 160. He said he is considering going to college and wrestling at Asland University, Ohio University and Gardner-Webb.

Chase Skonieczny, a Kent State recruit, concluded his career with a 166-26 record. The 166 wins are a school record at Walsh Jesuit.

Adam Cogar is headed to the University of Virginia to wrestle and study pre-med after compiling a 175-21 record under the leadership of coach Dave Mariola. He carries a 4.2 cumulative grade point average. The 175 wins are a school record at Barberton.

Johnni DiJulius’ 48 wins are the most in a single season at Walsh Jesuit.

Smooch, smooch

Walsh Jesuit coach Bill Barger planted a kiss on the forehead of Warriors senior Chase Skonieczny in the media room after the 135-pound wrestler won the Division II state title.

“I have been around it a lot and they are all special, especially for a kid that grinds it out,” Barger said.

Skonieczny, Walsh’s 39th state champion, jumped into the arms of assistant coaches Jeff Black and Clint Musser on the mat following his 5-0 victory in the finals.

“I have been coming down here since I was a little kid,” said the 18-year-old Skonieczny, who entered this season as a three-time state placer in high school and with a decorated resume as a youth and middle school wrestler. “It’s 15 years in the making. March 1st, it’s been my day all season. It’s been marked on my phone and on my calendar at home.”

Surprisingly explosive

Horner and Squire put together a very good match, that Horner ultimately won 4-2 in overtime.

“He’s very strategic,” Wadsworth coach John Gramuglia said of Horner. “He’s explosive and he’ll lull you to sleep. He is very hard to wrestle. You don’t expect the explosiveness and then boom he’s by you. He’s a heck of an athlete.”

Scarlet and Gray

Austintown Fitch senior Tony Jameson (145 pounds) became the 16th wrestler in the state tournament’s history to win four state titles.

Following Jameson’s victory he paraded around the mat with an Ohio State banner and received a loud ovation. Jameson, 4-2 this season and 168-6 in his career, is an OSU recruit.

Firestone senior Leeanna Hoover won the Division I girls state diving championship Thursday morning in Canton. Her teammate, senior Bethany Haver, placed second.

Walsh Jesuit senior Tia Marquinez placed ninth in the Division II girls diving championship.

The boys diving championship is scheduled to start tonight at 7 p.m.

Look for a story in Friday’s Akron Beacon Journal about the state diving meet.

The Walsh Jesuit wrestling team defeated Wheeling Park (W. Va.) 41-33 in the championship finals to finish first Saturday in the West Virginia Duals.

The Warriors went 9-0 in the dual tournament held at Parkersburg High School in West Virginia.

Five Walsh wrestlers compiled individual records of 9-0 during the tournament: freshman Johnni DiJulius (112 pounds, 35-4), junior Richie Knotek (130, 27-11), senior Chase Skonieczny (145, 30-2), senior Cody Cheatham (171, 25-5) and senior Kevin Bailey (189, 29-9).

Skonieczny now has a career record of 151-26 and needs 11 more victories to become Walsh’s all-time career leader in wins.

Wadsworth sophomore Brad Squire defeated Perry junior Seth Horner by an 8-4 decision to win the title in the 130-pound weight class at the 14th annual Walsh Jesuit Ironman.

Squire, who is a defending Division I state champion, is the first wrestler in Wadsworth history to win an Ironman title and the first area wrestler to win an Ironman championship since CVCA graduate John Weakley accomplished the feat in 2005.

Squire went 5-0 during the past two days in one of the nation’s most prestigious high school wrestling tournament. Squire’s career high school record is now 39-0.

Two other area wrestlers made it to the Ironman finals.

Perry junior Sam White, a defending Division I state champion, lost by a 5-0 decision, and Walsh Jesuit senior Chase Skonieczny, a Kent State University recruit, was eliminated by injury default. Skonieczny placed second at Ironman for two consecutive years.

Click here for the story.

LEW STAMP/Akron Beacon Journal

Perry senior Dan Genetin gets Wadsworth junior Danny Foore in a hold during the 14th annual Walsh Jesuit Ironman. Genetin won the match and went on to finish third in the 125-pound weight class.

Heading into the second day of the 14th annual Walsh Jesuit Ironman - one of the nation’s elite high school wrestling tournaments - 11 area wrestlers were still alive in the championship bracket.

After Saturday’s quarterfinals and semifinals, only four of the 11 have advanced to a title match.

Perry junior Seth Horner and Wadsworth sophomore Brad Squire will face off in the championship match of the 130-pound weight class, meaning one area wrestler is guaranteed to win a title. Squire went 34-0 and won a Division I state title last season. Horner has placed third at the Division I state tournament each of the past two seasons.

Perry junior Sam White, a defending Divison I state champion, will meet Monroeville sophomore Logan Stiebler in a championship match in the 119-pound weight class. White finished fifth at Ironman last year, and Stieber placed second.

Walsh Jesuit senior Chase Skonieczny will face St. Edward junior Collin Palmer in a title match in the 135-pound weight class. Skonieczny, a Kent State University recruit, took third at the Division II state tournament and second at Ironman last season. Palmer is a two-time Division I state champion.

I’m at the tournament now, and I will update after the finals. Stay tuned.

The 2007-2008 high school wrestling season started this week and is already in full swing with the some of the best wrestlers in the nation competing Friday and Saturday at the 14th annual Walsh Jesuit Ironman.

Stay tuned for Ironman updates and click here to check out a notebook from the Beacon Journal’s wrestling preview.

Click here to check out a story about the Beacon Journal’s featured wrestler: Barberton senior Adam Cogar.

ED SUBA JR./Akron Beacon Journal

Barberton senior Adam Cogar lifts a tire during his wrestling training. Cogar finished second in the 215-pound weight class at the Division I state tournament in Columbus last March.

BOYS BASKETBALL

KENMORE 68, WALSH JESUIT 54

Varsity Letters Player of the Game: Kenmore senior forward Antoine Norris had game highs with 18 points and seven rebounds to lead the Cardinals to victory in their season opener.

Click here for a Kenmore vs. Walsh Jesuit game story.

Four area soccer teams advanced to the state semifinals this week, but only two earned a chance to play for a state title in Columbus this weekend.

The CVCA and Jackson boys teams won their respective state semifinal matchups and will vie for state championships.

CVCA defeated Napoleon 3-0 on Tuesday and advances to play Kettering Alter in a Division II state final at 11 a.m. at Crew Stadium in Columbus.

Jackson’s route to the state championship game was a bit more unconventional. The Polar Bears lost their regional final against Mentor in a shootout Saturday. However, Jackson learned Tuesday that Mentor had to forfeit that game because it used two ineligible players. Therefore, Jackson advanced to a state semifinal and took advantage of the rare opportunity by defeating Sylvania Northview 1-0 in overtime on Wednesday. The Polar Bears will play Hilliard Davidson in a Division I state final at 7 p.m. Friday.

KAREN SCHIELY/Akron Beacon Journal

CVCA senior Danny Thompson gets fired up after scoring a goal in the Royals’ 3-0 win over Napoleon in a Division II state semifinal.

The Walsh Jesuit and Archbishop Hoban girls teams both fell short of reaching a state championship game Wednesday night.

The defending state champion Warriors lost to nationally-ranked Strongsville in a shootout. Archbishop Hoban suffered defeat in a state semifinal for the second consecutive year when the Knights fell 2-1 to Hathaway Brown.

Click here for a Walsh girls game story.

Click here for a Hoban girls game story.

I will be in Columbus to cover the CVCA and Jackson boys in their state championship games. Stay tuned to this blog and the Beacon Journal for updates.

FOOTBALL

WALSH JESUIT 35, FIELD 0

Varsity Letters Player of the Game: Walsh Jesuit sophomore Cameron Ontko.

In his second game after missing five weeks with mononucleosis, Ontko carried the ball 18 times for 167 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Warriors (9-1) over the Falcons (9-2). Ontko had touchdown runs of 2, 23 and 37 yards.

Walsh advances to play Cortland Lakeview (9-2) in a regional semifinal at 7:30 p.m. Friday at a site to be determined.

Walsh Jesuit senior shortstop Ross Brunello has committed to continue his baseball and academic career at Kent State University.

Brunello becomes the second member of the class of 2008 to advance to the collegiate baseball level and the 31st Walsh Jesuit player in the last 12 years to advance to the NCAA Division I level.

The 6-foot, 180-pound Brunello will be a four-year letter winner with the Warriors. Last season, he batted .337 with 24 RBI and five home runs and was named the team’s Most Valuable Offensive Player. As a sophomore in 2006, he was an integral member of the Division II state championship team, which was ranked No. 6 in the nation by USA Today. Brunello was honored as a USA Today Player of the Week during the team’s state tournament weekend.

“Ross Brunello is one of those rare players who has been able to make a positive impact on our baseball program in each of his four years at Walsh Jesuit,” Warriors coach Chris Kaczmar said. “He is a very gifted defensive player with an exceptional amount of hand quickness and ability. He is a fearless, hard-nosed competitor, and he loves the game. Ross is also a very hard worker and a tremendous person and friend whom I will miss dearly when he graduates.”