Lakewood Sends the Most Wrestlers to State Tournament in 50 Years

Despite facing great adversity all season long — despite having 14 kids quit the team — the return of Vince Curiale as coach of wrestling squad proved to be a success.

The school is sending more grapplers to compete in state-tournament action since the 1950’s, after as three qualified to square-off in Columbus.

Leading the way at this weekend's district tournament in Lorain was 119-pounder Yousef Abdel Salem, who took home second, falling to cross-town rival St. Ed’s Dean Heil via tech fall.

"Heil is a tough kid, he may not lose at all the rest of the year, and may breeze all through state," Curiale said. "Yousef wrestled great. He went ahead of him, were attacking him a little bit, but things just didn't go our way. But maybe if he gets more agressive, he may see him again next week."

Abdel Salem, a senior,  had a very impressive tournament leading up to his loss in the finals. He had a 17-1 tech fall in his first match over Perrysburg’s Jamie Waltermeyer, a 17-2 tech fall in his second match over Medina’s JJ Koenig and then a 13-3 major decision over Wadsworth’s Aaron Warsler.

Nick Ramsey finished his district action with a win, as he took home third place with a tough 4-3 decision over Cuyahoga Falls Colin Taylor.  Ramsey, also a senior, won his first match via a 10-3 decision over Brecksville’s Dylan Good, took his second with a 19-4 tech fall over Perrysburg’s JP Newton, then had to punch his ticket to state the hard way, via the consolation bracket after losing to Medina’s Mike Griffith.

He met a familiar foe in his first match, Good, and scored a 9-3 decision this time to earn an automatic berth to state before downing Taylor.

" Nick is getting better and better each week," Curiale said. " He's peaking at the right time. "

Also heading to the Shottenstien Center this week is Abdel Salem’s brother William at 130 pounds. The junior won his first match 13-9, then fell to Wadsworth’s Alfredo Grey in his second. He came back with a vengeance earning a pin in 1:41 in his next match, and then an 11-5 decision, followed by an 5-3 overtime decision against Midview’s Josh Ayers.

The Rangers just missed having a state alternate, as Adam Feckley fought his heart off, but lost a 2-1 decision to take home sixth place.

"We had a great weekend, the kids prepared real well last week and they are buying into our program," Curiale said. "The kids are working twice as hard and it shows. They understand the hard work is going to pay off and obviously this weekend showed that."

LAKEWOOD and ST. EDWARD, LORAIN DISTRICT RESULTS IN BOLD

103: Krumheuer (Midpark) d. Hornack (Medina), 6-3; Third: Mueller (Oimsted Falls) d. Davis (Clay), 10-5; Fifth: Diaz (Lorain) by inj. def. Torres (Elyria)

112: Bright (St. Edward) d. Screptock (Clay), 8-5; Third: Jones (Wadsworth) d. DuPratt (Olmsted Falls), 1-0; Fifth: Getto (Medina) m.d. Demio (Strongsville), 14-0.

119: Heil (St. Edward); t.f. Y. Abdel-Salem (Lakewood), 17-1; Third: Matos (Ste) d. Warstler (Wadsworth), 7-4; Fifth: Pruchinski (Brecksville) by inj. def. Elden (Slyvania Northview).

125: Squire (Wadsworth) d. Scheidel (St. Edward), 5-3; Third: Garcia (Elyria) d. Scholtz (Strongsville), 3-1, OT; Fifth: Brunner (North Olmsted) m.d. Walker (Copley), 13-2. 

130: Baran (Brecksville) d. Gray (Wadsworth), 6-4; Third: Amenta (Clay) p. W. Abdel-Salem (Lakewood), :45; Fifth: Heffernan (St. Edward) m.d. Ayers (Midview), 17-4.

135: Barber (St. Edward) d. Griffith (Medina), 8-4; Third: Ramsey (Lakewood) d. Taylor (Cuyahoga Falls), 4-3; Fifth: Baughman (Wadsworth) d. Good (Brecksville), 10-7.

140: Ball (Wadsworth) d. Gupko (Nordonia), 7-4; Third: M. Hammer (Medina) p. Hiles (Brecksville), 4:30; Fifth: Basinski (Amherst Steele) d. Feckley (Lakewood), 2-1.

145: Wenger (Wadsworth) d. Garrison (Copley), 10-5; Third: Wright (Elyria) t.f. DeCavitch (Springfield), 16-1; Fifth: Saridakis (Brecksville) d. Opial (Toledo Whitmer), 4-3.

152: Martin (St. Edward) p. Stuckart (Westlake), 3:48; Third: T. Hammer (Medina) m.d. Price (Elyria), 15-2; Fifth: Edwards (Wadsworth) d. Barr (Brecksville), 3-2.

160: Abounader (St. Edward) by def. Roddy (Brecksville); Third: Brandenburg (Wadsworth) t.f. Zayed (North Olmsted),16-0; Fifth: Davis (Midview) p. Koncek (Midpark), 4:53.

171: Willet (Brecksville) d. Davis (St. Edward), 4-3; Third: Kohlhofer (Springfield) d. Boff (Perrysburg), 3-2; Fifth: I. Cloyne (Clay) p. I. Wheeler (Copley), 3:40.

189: Wheeler (Copley) m.d. Suvak (St. Edward), 8-0; Third: Trautwein (Fremont Ross) d. Curtis (Brunswick), 8-2; Fifth: Veler (Clay) d. Medina (Lorain), 3-2.

215: Tavanello (Wadsworth) d. Walz (St. Edward), 5-1; Third: Gott (Elyria) p. Willis (Lorain), 3:39; Fifth: Carter (Perrysburg) d. Gaghen (Clay), 3-1, OT.

285: Kuhar (St. Edward) d. Crowley (Wadsworth), 5-0; Third: Brown (Sandusky) d. Gray (Clay), 7-3; Fifth: Frank (Avon Lake) d. Hiss (Copley), 2-1, OT.