CVCA Wrestlers Win Third in State

The CVCA wrestling team entered the ‘08-’09 season with great optimism, but also with many questions. In one sense the team had four returning state placers; however, the coaches did not know exactly what to expect from the five freshmen in the varsity line-up. The coaches’ questions were answered by late December after recording an undefeated record in duals and winning the Division III Medina Invitational first-place trophy. A clearer picture of the team began to emerge in early February when the Royals won the PAC-8 Tournament and advanced 11 wrestlers to districts by winning the Rootstown Sectional.
The team was full of confidence heading into the district tournament at Maple Heights High School. The coaches knew that with a complete team effort many wrestlers could qualify for the state tournament. In fact, eight wrestlers qualified as the Royals won their first district title in school history. Qualifying to state were Michael Ratay, Seth Powers, Zak Vargo, Brandon Sommers, Tyler Powers, Matt Meadows, Alex Utley, and Greg Hojnacki.
At the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, the Royals wrestled extremely well. Michael Ratay finished seventh in state, Brandon Sommers finished sixth, Seth Powers fourth, Greg Hojnacki and Zak Vargo third, Alex Utley second, and Tyler Powers won the state championship for the Royals! This team effort lead to a third-place finish in a tight team race – the Royals were only 10 points behind the first-place team.
Overall the season was a great success. Under the senior leadership of Tyler Powers, Matt Hickin, and Greg Hojnacki, many of the underclassmen wrestled extraordinarily well. Of the five freshmen in the varsity line-up, two were state qualifiers and two were district qualifiers, while one placed in sectionals. The coaches look forward to next season with confidence. Congratulations, Royals wrestlers!