Chardon wrestlers took on the Orange Lions on Feb. 17 for their regular season finale. In a quick dual match in which all but one bout was decided by a fall, the Hilltoppers defeated the Lions, 48-33.
Match photos click here.
Chardon wrestlers took on the Orange Lions on Feb. 17 for their regular season finale.
In a quick dual match in which all but one bout was decided by a fall, the Hilltoppers defeated the Lions, 48-33.
Gaining individual victories for the Hilltoppers were Alex Ash, Dylan Kick, Aidan Croyle and Will Vucetic.
“I thought our kids came out pretty aggressive, and I was happy with the way they wrestled,” Chardon Head Coach Nick Salatino said.
In the 150-pound match, Alexander Ash pinned his opponent in the second period.
“Tonight’s match went pretty well,” Ash said. “Took a little bit longer than expected. I had him stuck on his back almost the whole time.”
After Ash pinned his opponent, the Hilltoppers won the next three straight matches at 157, 165 and 175 pounds.
Dylan Kick (157 pounds) pinned his opponent in the third round of his match.
“It went really well,” Kick said. “The kid didn’t score a single point, so I am pretty proud of that.
“My strategy, well, it was mostly (focused) on takedowns, get takedowns, get takedowns, and hold him down — and hopefully pin him at the end.”
Next up, in the 165 pound match for the Hilltoppers, was Aidan Croyle, who also earned a third-period pin.
“It was a good match, it was a good fight,” Croyle said. “It was pretty even up until the end, but I ended up pinning him. I’m pretty happy about that.”
Croyle’s main strategy for the bout was to focus on takedowns and accumulating points.
“I just looked for takedowns and tried to get as many points as I could, tried to keep him down, and was looking for pins,” Croyle said.
His coach thought Croyle’s performance was significant in helping Chardon win the dual match.
“I thought Aidan wrestled really well,” Salatino said. “He just kept coming forward. He got to the legs quite often. He turned him at the end — turned a tight match into a pin.”
The Hilltoppers’ final individual victory of the night was obtained by junior Will Vucetic in the 175-pound match.
Vucetic, one of the top wrestlers in the state, is currently ranked 23rd in the 175-pound weight class.
Vucetic pinned his opponent in the second period of his bout.
“Tonight’s match went pretty good for me,” Vucetic said. “I was just really working on my shots, something I don’t hit all of the time, but came out with the win. It felt good.”
After the dual match, Coach Salatino talked about the great season Vucetic is having.
“Will, he’s our best wrestler,” Salatino said. “He’s almost flipped the switch completely from where he was last year. He’s got 32 wins. He’s looking forward to sectionals.
“We wrestled really well back in January, running through the beginning part of February. He hasn’t had a lot of competition lately, but next week will be different.”
The Hilltoppers begin postseason competition Feb. 25 at the OHSAA sectionals tournament.
