WRESTLING: Poyser Wins District, Gray Also Advances to State

By Leopard Nation · Published February 28, 2011 · Updated February 28, 2011

Poyser, Gray Heading to Columbus

The Louisville Leopards will be well-represented by two of the best in next week’s State Meet in Columbus. Junior Lucas Poyser (152) defeated Crestwood’s Mitchel Porter in overtime to become the Firestone Division II District Champion of the 152-pound weight class, after qualifying for state the day before. Senior Travis Gray (215) destroyed Akron Kenmore’s Stephan Vincent 13-5 to capture a state birth.

Poyser’s match against Porter consisted of a flurry of abnormal events. In the first period, the two opponents were called for locking hands. After this incidence, Porter flung his shoe, but that didn’t phase Poyser one bit. They battled to a 5-5 tie at the end of regulation, before Poyser fired out of the gate to take down Porter in capturing a 7-5 victory and the Firestone District Crown.

Gray qualified for state in the 215-pound weight class with his 13-5 win over Vincent. “I had nothing to lose, just leave it all on the mat,” Gray said after earning his first trip to state. “That’s what I did. All my hard work paid off, finally.”

Gray was pinned by Geneva’s Tommy Padavick in the third-place consolation match, but nevertheless will be competing alongside Poyser in Columbus next weekend.

Poyser (37-8) the 1st-seed out of the Firestone District will face off against New Carlisle Tecumseh’s Chuck Buchanan (28-12) the 4th-seed out of the Goshen District in the first round of the 152-pound weight class. Gray (26-13) will the 4th-seed out of the Firestone District will compete against the 1st-seed out of the Goshen District in Travis McIntosh (43-1) of Washington Courthouse Miami Trace in the first round of the 215-pound weight class. Matches begin March 3.

FULL DISTRICT RESULTS

FIRESTONE DIVISION II DISTRICT

(At Firestone High School)

Team Standings—1. Walsh Jesuit 192; 2. Crestwood 169.5; 3. Lake Catholic 127.5; 4. St. Vincent-St. mary 119.5; 5. Aurora 96; 6. West Branch 83.5; 7. Kenston 83; 83; 8. Canton South 66.5; 9. Perry 62.5; 10. Canfield 56.5; 11. Coventry 50; 12. Louisville 47; 13. Marlington 43. 14. West Geauga 39; 15. Edgewood 36; 16. Field 34.5; 17. Hubbard 33.5; 18. Southeast 32.5; 19. Geneva 31.5; 20. Jefferson Area 27.5; 21. Woodridge 23; 22. Streetsboro 21.5; 23. (tie) Fairless 20; Ravenna 20; 25. University School 14; 26. (tie) Warrensville Heights 12; Conneaut 12; 28. (Tie) Orange 11; Archbishop Hoban 11; 30. Norton 10; 31. Kenmore 9; 32. Northwest 8; 33. Alliance 7; 34. Buchtel 6; 35. Benedictine 5; 36. Revere 4; 37. (tie) Harvey 2; Salem 2; 39. Tallmadge 1; 40. (tie) Springfield; North.

First Place—103—Schoeppner (Canton South) dec. Rix (STVM), 5-2. 112—Stainbrook (Walsh) pin November (West Geauga), 3:17. 119—Kostandaras (Walsh) dec. Cash (Aurora), 3-2. 125—Smith (Kenston) pin Reed (Canfield), 4:58. 130—DiJulius (Walsh) maj. dec. Benedict (Canfield), 18-2. 135—N. Skonieczny (Walsh) maj. dec. Kazimir (Kenston), 19-6. 140—Fox (Field) dec. Fee (Lake), 6-4. 145—Novak (Walsh) dec. Horovitz (Crestwood), 5-2. 152—Poyser (Louisville) dec. Porter (Crestwood)m 7-5. 160—Lamancusa (West Branch) dec. Matarrese (Crestwood), 5-2. 171—McNamara (Aurora) dec. Ryba (Crestwood) 5-3. 189—Monroe (Crestwood) dec. Lockhart (Coventry), 4-3. 215—Stone (STVM) dec. Miller (Perry), 5-1. 285—Lugo (STVM) dec. Higgins (Marlington), 3-0.

Consolation Match—103—Taton (Lake) dec. Nemec (Crestwood), 3-1. 112—Morris (Canton South) pin Graham (West Branch), 2:21. 119—Coates (Lake) dec. Gibson (STVM), 5-0. 125—R. Skonieczny (STVM) dec. Kager (Crestwood), 2-1. 130—Raper (Fairless) dec. Skulina (Streetsboro), 4-2. 135—Brezovec (Aurora) dec. Monaco (University), 1-0. 140—N. Skonieczny (Walsh) dec. Severino (Edgewood), 5-3. 145—Bryan (Lake) dec. Bates (Marlington), 3-0. 152—Nadeja (Hubbard) dec. Gallagher (Aurora), 3-0. 160—Bulstrom (Canton South) dec. Brokaw (Southeast), 11-7. 171—Lawrence (Southeast) dec. Lias (Hubbard), 10-4. 189—Melchiorre (Walsh) pin Lestock (Lake), 4:14. 215—Padavick (Geneva) pin Gray (Louisville), 4:09. 285—Pavlik (Ravenna) dec. Sharp (West Branch), 4-2.