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CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio -- The FloNationals were one of the three major events on this end of season championship weekend for high school folkstyle wrestling. A pair of No. 1-ranked wrestlers won second consecutive championships this afternoon at the second-year event hosted by Walsh Jesuit High School just outside of Akron, Ohio. Both wrestlers are also currently ranked second in their respective graduating classes.
Morgan McIntosh (Calvary Chapel, California), a senior 189 pound wrestler bound for Penn State, won his three matches prior to the final by technical fall, 23-9 major decision over a state runner-up, and 24-11 major decision over a state champion. In the championship final, McIntosh faced No. 8 Gabe Dean (Lowell, Michigan), and emerged with a convincing and controlling 11-6 victory.
After getting just one takedown in the first period, despite dominating the leg attack activity, McIntosh turned up the pressure and intensity in the second period to extend the 2-1 lead to a 9-4 lead with three takedowns. "I changed up my attacks, just opening it up to get in low," McIntosh said. "The big thing was to continue pushing the pace, as I had in the first period."
With the order of matches being random for the finals, McIntosh's match was seventh, which made him the first ever two-time FloNationals champion. "It is great," said McIntosh. "I've done a lot of winning over the last three years."
Joining McIntosh as a two-time champion was junior Jason Tsirtsis (Crown Point, Indiana), who won the 135 pound weight class after competing in the regular season at 140 pounds. The two-time Super 32 Challenge runner-up wrestled Super 32 champion Steve Spearman (Erie McDowell, Pennsylvania) in the last match of the afternoon. A first period takedown and a whole bunch of riding time was enough to see him emerge with the 4-2 victory.
"It's a great tournament, and it feels good to win it," Tsirtsis commented. "I love the riding time and college out of bounds rules. It makes the matches more fun and technical." Jason also indicated that he will be wrestling this coming weekend in the FILA Junior freestyle event at 132 pounds, and will seek to make the world team at the trials in Franklin, Indiana in the middle of May.
The other wrestler seeking to defend his FloNationals title, No. 4 Conor Youtsey (Mason, Michigan) fell short in the championship match against No. 16 Dean Heil (St. Edward, Ohio) by a 4-3 score. In the second last match of the afternoon, Heil came back from giving up a late third period takedown to get an escape and a takedown of his own to win the match.
In trying to counter Youtsey's control of the ties through the front headlock and underhooks, Heil knew he had to "catch (my) opponent off guard" and "right after the escape was my best opportunity." And that is how he got in on an open double leg to score the match-winning takedown."
Despite some struggles during the regular season, Heil came on strong in the post-season and at the FloNationals, where he had three major decisions and a 7-1 victory over No. 9 Joey Dance (Christiansburg, Virginia) prior to the final. "I finally got my weight under control, and changed up my approach to the matches (and the other aspects of the sport)."
One of the more exciting finals matches was the first one of the session at 140 pounds, where Super 32 Challenge champion (with a victory over Tsirtsis) Roger Wildmo (Durand, Michigan) emerged with a 9-8 victory over No. 13 Isaiah Martinez (Lemoore, California). Trailing 4-2 after one period, giving up a pair of leg attack takedowns, Wildmo -- ranked No. 2 at 152 nationally -- was able to surge back some mid-match adjustments.
"I just defended my legs a bit better, worked hard to get some more attacks and improve my positions," was Wildmo's response when asked about those adjustments.
He cut the deficit to 7-6 after the second period, as he scored a pair of takedowns in that period. An escape and late takedown in the third period gave Wildmo his first lead of the match. Then, despite a late escape from Martinez, he held on for the victory.
"I haven't had to scramble so much in a long time, but I wasn't uncomfortable, though I'd just rather control the match," commented the Michigan State bound Wildmo.
The theme of the next match was complete domination, as junior Elijah Hull (Lewis County, West Virginia) earned a 15-0 technical fall in 3:16 against Austin Maneese (Clear Fork, Ohio). Despite it being the middle of baseball season for Hull, he was able to score from an array of attacks on his feet and in the top position.
"I won the state tournament on a Saturday (Feb. 26), and that Monday I was at baseball conditioning," said Hull.
Even though Hull is the starting catcher this year for his baseball team, after not playing last year due to injury, wrestling is clearly his focus for college. "Right after baseball ends, I'm going to start training for Fargo (for the first time)."
Next to the mats was a pair of nationally ranked heavyweights, who traded a pair of escapes. However, it was No. 9 Doug Vollaro (Oviedo, Florida) who emerged with a 2-1 victory over No. 17 Chris Lopez (Carl Sandburg, Illinois) due to accruing greater than a one minute riding time advantage in the match. Vollaro scored an early escape in the second period, before riding Lopez for over 90 seconds in the third period.
"The key was that first breakdown," said Vollaro. "Once I got him down to his base that first time, I felt confident that I could hold him down to get the (advantage) point."
From big to small the finals went, as next to the mats were a pair of freshman 103 pound wrestlers. Third in the state Emilio Saavedra (Pitman, California) earned a 5-2 victory over state champion Nathan Boston (Lawrence North, Indiana). Key to the match was a two-point near fall off his staple two-on-one tilt while riding Boston for the majority of the second period. After getting reversed before period's end, Saavedra came back in the third period with one of his own and rode Boston out to earn the victory; the advantage point making the score 5-2.
"It's my go to move in the top position," said Saavedra about that tilt. The FloNationals title caps off a season in which he had just two losses -- one in the state semifinal and then one up at 119 pounds in a dual meet where he weighed in at 112 pounds. "After the semifinal loss, I've been working even harder for this tournament."
Another wrestler seeking to bounce back from state tournament defeat was the champion of the 125 pound weight class, No. 18 Kagan Squire (Wadsworth). After finishing third and second the prior two years, the junior entered state as a clear favorite but had some struggles -- barely surviving his semifinal in the ultimate tiebreaker before losing the final in overtime. However, in this tournament, Squire had two pins, a technical fall, and a 10-2 major decision prior to the final.
"After state I took a week off," Squire said. "While upset about the outcome, I wasn't going to let it define me as a person."
To earn this title, he beat No. 6 Zane Richards (Carbondale, Illinois) 2-1. Squire rode Richards out in the second period, scored a relatively early escape in the third period, and then fended off some Richards attacks. Though penalized for stalling two times, the riding time advantage point earned him the victory.
"My strong top position and defense usually wins me these close matches," observed Squire.
Bouncing back from state tournament disappointment continued to be the theme, as Nick Bonaccorsi (Bethel Park, Pennsylvania) earned the title at 171 pounds with a 3-1 victory over two-time state champion Blake Stauffer (Neosho, Missouri), after upsetting No. 13 (at 189) Brandon Griffin (Sprauge, Oregon) 2-0 in the semifinal.
In both of those matches, one of the points that Bonaccorsi scored came due to the riding time advantage being greater than one minute.
After qualifying for state in his first three years of high school, with just a pair of eighth place finishes, he entered this year's state tournament undefeated. However, Bonaccorsi drew another undefeated wrestler (John Staudenmayer, ranked No. 19 nationally), fell short in that match and finished third.
"I wasn't satisfied after state," said Bonaccorsi. "I wanted to keep wrestling, was hungry for some more, and heard that this was a good tournament. It also helps me out with the riding time at the next level (having signed to wrestle at the University of Pittsburgh)."
Close matches continued to be the order of the day, as a pair of Ohio juniors took to the mat at 112 pounds, with No. 4 George DiCamillo (St. Ignatius) facing off against Cory Stainbrook (Walsh Jesuit). The unranked Stainbrook reached the final with a 3-2 win over No. 18 J.R. Wert (Christiansburg, Virginia) and 6-4 win over No. 15 Jarred Brooks (Warsaw, Indiana).
Like in his semifinal against Godwin Nyama (Brashear, Pennsylvania) and his final three matches at the Ironman, DiCamillo had to rally back from a deficit to emerge as champion in the Walsh Jesuit gym for the second time in 2010-11. Ridden out in the second period, DiCamillo rode his opponent for more than a minute of the third period before giving up the escape, which gave Stainbrook a 1-0 lead.
Inside the last 30 seconds of the match, DiCamillo shot in on a sweep single to the right, scrambled to reach the far leg and score the go ahead takedown right on the edge of the mat. "It's just a tradition that I have to make it exciting in this gym," said DiCamillo.
DiCamillo and Stainbrook wrestle with each other a lot in the off-season, competing for the same club program at events such as the Disney Duals. "It's hard to go up against such a good friend, someone I work with a lot," DiCamillo added, "however, I got the win and hopefully kept the audience intrigued."
After pulling off the upset of the tournament in the semifinals, a 2-1 victory over two-time state champion Tank Knowles (Calvary Chapel, California) -- ranked No. 5 nationally -- junior Matt Meadows (CVCA, Ohio) was unable to muster another victory of similar ilk in the final. Like Meadows, senior Logan Erb (Wapakoneta, Ohio) upended a nationally ranked wrestler by a point in the semifinal round -- a 3-2 victory over No. 12 Michael Kroells (Scott West, Minnesota). The pair of Buckeye State wrestlers that did not win a state title this year traded escapes in the regulation portion of the final at 215 pounds.
In the overtime period, Erb earned a takedown right before time was up at the edge of the mat to win 3-1. When asked about always seeming to wrestle in low scoring matches, Erb responded, "It's really hard to explain, but I'm fine with it as I win most of them." The 2010 state champion is currently unsigned, not sure what his college plans are, except for that he'll be competing down at 197 pounds.
After a string of close matches, No. 3 (at 135) Nate Skonieczny (Walsh Jesuit, Ohio) absolutely took it to his finals opponent at 130 pounds, three-time state champion Quentin Murphy (Holley Central, New York). Murphy is ranked No. 13 nationally at 135 pounds, and earned a freestyle win last spring over Skonieczny at the FILA Cadet Nationals.
However, in this match the Walsh Jesuit junior took it to Murphy scoring nine takedowns on the way to a 21-6 technical fall victory. It was three single legs and six double leg scores. "He left it open for me, so I just kept taking advantage of it," said Skonieczny about his double leg takedown scoring. "Why change something that's working so well."
Ending the three finals match victory string for Ohio wrestlers was No. 19 Joey Davis (Santa Fe, California) when he upended No. 6 Ian Miller (Oak Harbor) 11-9 in a battle of two-time state finalists. State champion this year, Davis used four takedowns -- mostly open double leg attacks -- to secure the victory over the Ironman and 2010 state tournament champion Miller.
"It's the same exact open space double leg as (NCAA champion, Dan Hodge Trophy winner and InterMat Wrestler of the Year Jordan) Burroughs," said Davis about his primary scoring move.
Rounding out the champions was No. 13 Geordan Speiller (Oviedo, Florida), who earned a 4-2 victory over Kevin Beazley (Detroit Catholic Central, Michigan) at 160 pounds on the strength of two inside trips -- one in the first period, and one in the third period. All this coming despite his a major cut/opening over his right eye that came during his first match of the tournament on Saturday afternoon.
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