THE PLAIN DEALER FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1997 HIGH SCHOOLS THE PLAIN DEALER PLAYERS OF THE WEEK Dan Holzheimer School: St. Ignatius Sport: Wrestling Class: Senior Age: 17 Ht: 5-8 Wt: 135 Last week: Helped Wildcats to third place in Solon Comet Wrestling Classic by winning 135-pound weight class. Season: Is 3-0 with two technical falls and a major decision. Personal: Division I state qualifier as junior at 130 pounds, sectional champion at Midpark, overall record 29-9; standout at midfield and two-time letterman in lacrosse; enjoys reading and playing video games; wilderness retreat leader; favorite movies are the Star Wars trilogy. Kevin Durkin School: Padua Sport: Wrestling Class: Senior Age: 18 Ht: 6-0 Wt: 171 Last week: Pinned way to 171-pound title at Avon Lake Knights of Columbus Tournament.
Season: Is 4-0 with four pins. Personal: District qualifier in Division I last season; weighed 112 pounds as sophom*ore, 135 as junior; favorite athlete is Dan Gable; big Indians fan; officer in National Honor Society; has 4.4 grade-point average; favorite television shows are "ER" and "Jeopardy." Heidi Taggatz School: Hudson Sport: Gymnastics Class: Senior Age: 17 Ht: 5-2 Wt: 135 Last week: Three-year starter and co-captain opened season by placing first on uneven bars and balance beam in meets against Western Reserve Conference foes Kenston and Cuyahoga Falls. Personal: Is competing with torn anterior cruciate ligament that she will have operated on after she graduates; two-time state meet qualifier, football cheerleader: and member of Student Volunteer Board; enjoys inline skating, snow skiing and shopping; fan of Ohio State football and Kent State gymnastics; admires Olympic gold medalist Amanda Borden. PLAIN DEALER HONOR ROLL The following were selected as Players of the Week in The Plain Dealer's seven-county coverage area for the week of Dec. 8-14: ICE HOCKEY: Scott Graham, Shaker Heights.
GIRLS BASKETBALL: Katie Benjamin, Kent Roosevelt; Erika Eckert, Manchester; Tracy Jacobs, Shaker Heights; Sarah Mattson, Riverside; Angela Medhurst, Aurora; Katie Palumbo, Brooklyn; Myesha Perkins, LISTINGS Southview is looking for freshman football games for the 1998 season, along with girls tennis matches, soccer and golf matches for next fall. The Saints are also seeking boys and girls track meets this spring. Contact Faculty Athletic Manager John Brezovsky at (440) 277-7271. Clearview is seeking coaches for its juniorhigh girls basketball program for the current season. Interested parties must have sports medicine certification and CPR training.
Contact Jim Horvath at (440) 988-4329. Lancaster seeks a varsity football head coach. Send a letter of interest and a resume to Merwyn Bowdish, Athletic Director, Lancaster High, 1312 Granville Pike, Lancaster, Ohio 43130. Deadline is Jan. 23.
Perry needs a few teams for the NEO Swim Invitational on Jan. 10. Call Fred Arnold at (440) 259-9452. Also needed is a seventhgrade football opponent the week of Oct. 12, 1998.
Contact John Dorko, (440) 259-9505. varsity basketball games, a basketball Lincoln West seeks girls junior and scrimmage and wrestling matches. Contact Mack Rice at (216) 634-2407. Orrville needs a football game Sept. 18, 1998.
Call Kent Smith, (330) 682-2506. Revere needs a ninth-grade volleyball assistant coach and an assistant wrestling coach. Call Larry Larson, (330) 659-5223 or (330) 258-4223. Ashtabula Harbor seeks a boys varsity and junior-varsity basketball game. Call (440) 993-2560.
Falrview needs an assistant swim coach, a freshman basketball coach and a freshman boys basketball coach. Send a resume to Ray Ebersole, Director of Student Activities, Fairview High, 4507 W. 213th Fairview Park, Ohio 44126. Fairport seeks varsity football games the sixth and ninth weeks of the 1998 season. Call ATLANTIC CITY NON-STOP JET TRIPS New Year's Eve Red-Eye OVERNIGHT PERSONAL TRAVEL 1-800-354-5505 Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER SPORTSCARD SHOW DEC.
20-21, 10-5pm BROOKPARK ARMORY 6225 ENGLE RD. (1-71 at Snow Rd. W. 60 Tables Adm: Cleveland Indians Pitcher JARET WRIGHT Appearing Live Sat. 1-3pml Autographs: $20 $30 Cleveland Indians Rookle SEAN CASEY Appearing Live Sun.
1-3 Autographs: $10 $20 Gallery Promotions Int: 581-3546 Young Bulldogs learning fast Usually, scoring 220 points in a wrestling tournament is more than enough to win. But that was not the case last weekend in the Mansfield Madison Tournament, in which Olmsted Falls finished second with 220 points. The host Rams won it with 226. You won't, however, find Bulldogs coach Bill McGrain complaining. Olmsted Falls had four champions in juniors Paul Hodermarsky (119) and Nick Pfaff (125), sophom*ore Ian Grimaldi (152) and senior Michael Weeks (171).
Pfaff beat two-time Division II state qualifier Zack Miller of West Holmes, 7-5, in the title round, and Weeks beat Division I state qualifier Justin McGregor of the Rams, 4-2, in the finals. Two other sophom*ores, Mike Gross (130) and Kevin Hoy (160), reached the finals for Olmsted Falls, did senior Doug Fitzgerald (152). "I thought we did real well," McGrain said. "There were good wrestlers in this tournament. What hurt us was they scored six places in an eight-team tournament.
"My team is so young. We've got so many sophom*ores and juniors, but these kids are getting better and better each time they step out on the mat." BEST YOUNG TEAM? Speaking of young, Maple Heights could have the best. young wrestling team in Ohio. The Mustangs won the Franklin Heights Tournament last weekend by placing 12 of 14 wrestlers. Maple had one champ in Brandon Fogliano (135), one of three senior starters along with Sean Carano, second at 125, and Bob Overman, third at 160.
Carano lost in the last four seconds of sudden death when he was penalized for locking hands in the finals against Division I state runner-up Dugan Bentley of Groveport Madison. Other runners-up for Maple were sophom*ores Brian Cundall (112) and Joe Phillips (145), freshman Sonny Spadaro (130) and junior Chris Clemence (215). Mustangs coach Jamie Milkovich had five other third-place winners in freshmen Ryan Fogliano (103) and Tony Magistrelli (152), and sophom*ores Jason Pflug (119), Brian Hasenohrl (171) and Mike Burda (189). Pflug lost in the first round to senior state qualifier Josh Daugherty of Centerville by one point on a false start. "We've won this tournament four times in its eight-year history," Milkovich said.
"But it's the first time we've won in four years, and we did it with the second-highest point total STRANGE RESULT As a returning state place-winner, Brecksville-Broadview. Heights sophom*ore Craig Dimitris was seeded third at 119 pounds at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman Tournament last weekend. Bees teammate Ryan Scott, who like Dimitris will wrestle somewhere between 119 and 130 pounds, was also at 119, and unseeded. Guess what happened? Dimitris lost in the second round to Copley junior Gabe Smith, 8-7, when Smith took him down in the last second. Scott, in an opposite bracket, reached the semifinals before losing to state champ Brent McBurney of Massillon Perry, 12-5.
Scott then met Smith in the consolation semifinals for third place and beat him, 11- 8. Meanwhile, Dimitris breezed through the consolations with four lopsided victories before winning the other semifinal, 6-4, in overtime over Rob Apgar of Blair Academy (N.J.). This meant Dimitris and Scott had to meet for third place, but Bees coach Tom Mulhall had Dimitris win by forfeit. "Ryan pulled a hamstring the last five seconds in his match against Smith," Mulhall said. "He wasn't able to practice Mon-day, and I doubt we'll be able to use him in our dual meet with North Ridgeville." UNIQUE RECORD Besides being Ohio's winningest wrestling coach and recent owner of his 300th career victory, Gene Gibbons of John Marshall owns one other unique record.
He is the state's only three-time state runner-up. Gibbons was second three times at 155 pounds. He finished behind Galen Roush of Western Reserve Academy in 1945, Peter Smythe of University School in 1946 and Gil, Dubray of John Marshall in 1947. But Gibbons had the last laugh. He won an NCAA title at 167 pounds in 1952 wrestling for Michigan State.
AGE NO PROBLEM Don't think for one minute that Gibbons has slowed down just because he is 67 years old. "Age is no problem," Gibbons said. "The problem is, I had a hip replacement two years ago. Now when I demonstrate a hold and I'm down on the mat, the kids have to help me get back NO WONDER Bellevue once again dominated the Avon Lake Knights of Columbus Tournament. The Redmen, who had four individual champs in Laramie Spurlock (160), Russ Kuhns (189), Courtney DeLuca (215) and heavyweight Brian' Hughes, have captured the team title three of the last four years.
How can a non-Cleveland area team come. in and clean up in Avon Lake? Easy. has a coach with Cleveland connections. Coaching the Redmen is Jim DePolo, the grandson of Ron DePolo, who wrestled on the great 1951 Cleveland West team that won the state title with six individual champions. PAT GALBINCEA GYMNASTICS INSIDER gymnastics only during the winter, choosing Midpark gets some good news to spring play soccer instead in of the fall working and out run at a track in gymnas- the tics club.
With the likes of Medina, Brecksville- skills. It's just a matter of her taking it slow "I encourage her to do more gymnastics, Broadview Heights and Brunswick battling and getting used to the brace." but she likes doing everything else," coach for the title, competing in the Pioneer Con- That was good news for Midpark, which Anissa Smith said. "I always tell her, 'You ference is always a tall order, even when a also will rely on juniors Becky Turk and Su- know how awesome you will be if you go to a team is healthy. sie Leonard, and freshmen Kristi Schaef, Under that scenario, injuries mean trou-: Amy DeAngelis and Nicole Giovannesi. Bergh was pretty awesome last week, ble, and that's what Midpark thought it was Kassouf's stress fracture is one of many placing first in the all-around in dual meets facing before the season.
injuries suffered by individuals before the against Hudson and Chardon and sweeping That's when it was thought junior Ann season. the individual events against Chardon with Marie Kassouf would be lost for the season "Most of the reasons for these injuries is a personal high all-around score of 31.70. because of a stress fracture in her spine. overuse," Thome said. "But without particiThe injury requires the two-time state meet pating in a year-round program, getting a in Player NOMINATIONS of the Week TAKEN nominations, When calling qualifier to wear a back brace 23 hours a college scholarship is very tics coaches in The Plain Dealer gymnasday, until Feb.
10. area are to call (216) 999-4370 or 1-800-388- coverage "Ann Marie just started working out a WINTER GYMNAST Kenston junior couple of weeks ago," Meteors coach Genie Julie Bergh is a rarity among successful 4370 each Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thome said. "She hasn't lost any of her high school gymnasts.
Bergh competes in BOB FORTUNA Oberlin; Jessica Shepherd, Ellet; Courtney Willman, Mentor. BOYS BASKETBALL: Phil Argento, Lutheran West; Lindbergh Chatman, Archbishop Hoban; William "Sonny" Johnson, Garfield Heights; Joe Kolencik, Wickliffe; JarMihalic, Amherst Steele; Scott Springer, Hawken; Dustin Thomas, Garrettsville Garfield; Brian Thompson, Norton; Steve Vega, Avon. Wally Kesling, (440) 354-3592. Uniontown Lake seeks basketball and football coaches. Call Jim Tawney or Mark Reiman at (330) 877-4282.
Elyria First Baptist Christian seeks junior-high soccer games. Call Ray Cox at (440) 458-5185. Olentangy needs a home football game for week three in 1998. Call Mark Princehorn at (614) 548-8090. Brecksville-Broadview Heights seeks volleyball coaches.
Call Dan Kalinsky at (440) 546-5316. Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin needs a head freshman football coach, a varsity girls soccer coach, a varsity football game in Week 3 of 1998 and 1999, a varsity boys soccer game, and junior-varsity boys and girls soccer games. Call Rhonda Rickelman, 1-888-214-8108, ext. 215. Bellevue seeks a varsity football home game Sept.
11, 1998, a junior-varsity football home or away game Sept. 12, 1998, and boys varsity basketball home games next season and away games in the 1999-2000 season. Call John Rich, (419) 484-5078. Columbiana Crestview needs varsity football games in weeks 1 and 2 next season. Call (330) 482-4744.
Chippewa seeks one more boys and girls SWIMMING, DIVING: Veronica Luri, Brecksville-Broadview Heights; Jeremy Salomon, Orange. GYMNASTICS: Heidi Taggatz, Hudson. WRESTLING: Tim Corrigan, Twinsburg Chamberlin; Nick Courtad, Aurora; Matt Cruxton, Kenston; Kevin Durkin, Padua; Dan Holzheimer, St. Ignatius; Chandley Lambert, Columbia; Mike Petsanis, Willoughby South; Rob Turner, Kirtland. track team for an eight-team invitational May 2.
Contact Rob Rardin, (440) 658-2011. Cuyahoga Falls needs an opening football game next season, preferably at home. Call Bill Santos or Don Ross at (330) 929-0581. Normandy needs a varsity football game the third week next season. Call Rich Eldemire at (216) 885-2402.
Thomas Worthington needs a boys varsity and junior-varsity soccer away game Sept. 19, 1998. Call Ian Hamilton or Jim Van Arsdall at (614) 431-6513. Bristol Local needs teams for a middle school boys basketball tournament in February. Call David Majick at (330) 889-2621 or (330) 544-4929.
Bedford seeks a dual-meet wrestling opponent Jan. 10. Call Ray Kennedy, (440) 439-4588. Westlake seeks a varsity football opponent for Week 1 next season and an assistant fastpitch softball coach. Call Ken Krepop at (440) 835-6354.
Rayland Buckeye Local needs football games Sept. 25 and Oct. 9, 1998, Call Ed Krulcik at (614) 859-2196. Warren Howland seeks a varsity football head coach. Send a resume to David Mock, Activities Department, Howland High, 200 Shaffer Dr.
N.E., Warren, Ohio 44484. Crestmont's Holiday Sale 1998 CATERA All of Cadillac's amenities including leather interior. Special Lease MONTHS offer $34,250 down payment, 1st payment, sec. tax, title lIcense fees due at delivery. 12,000 mi.
a year, thereafter. Sale ends CRESTMONT THE CADILLAC or Cadillac DEALERS Chargrin Boulevard at I-271 Beachwood 831-5300 THIS HOLIDAY, SHOP with the PRO'S at Saturday, December 20 CAVS TOWN in Gund Arena Meet the Rockers Michelle Edwards, CAVS Dance Team Whammer pm Meet the CAVS Shawn Kemp, Wesley Person Cedric Henderson pm Looking for a holiday gift for the basketball fan in your life? Get to CAVSTOWN, the official CAVS and Rockers Team Shop in Gund Arena on Dec. 20th. The CAVS Shawn Kemp, Wesley Person and Cedric Henderson, and Rocker Michelle Edwards will sign autographs, plus you can meet Whammer and the CAVS Dance Team. Please note these friendly reminders: Player availability and times subject to change.
Wristbands will be distributed to the first 300 fans in line starting at 10:00 a.m. to guarantee at least one autograph per player. Lines outside may be possible. Please dress warmly. Only one item autographed per person.
Player cards will be available and basketballs, pennants and other items can be purchased at CAVSTOWN. Sorry, no personalized autographs or messages. Due to lack of time, photos of or with the players will not be permitted. Cameras will be held at the door. 1 14 CAVS.
bRinG ToN 1.
