2002 OVAC Tournament

49th Annual Ohio Valley Athletic Conference (OVAC) Wrestling Tournament

Date: January 17-19, 2002
Location: Wheeling Civic Center

Team Scores:
1. Oak Glen 209.5 (Overall and AAA Champions)
2. Beaver Local 206 (AAAA Champions)
3. John Marshall 203.5 (AAAA Runners-Up)
4. Martins Ferry 201 (AAA Runners-Up)
5. Harrison Central 151.5
6. Brooke 127
7. Shadyside 124 (AA Champions)
8. Buckeye Local 119
9. Cameron 107.5 (A Champions - 14th Year in a Row)
10. East Liverpool 99
Indian Creek 99
12. Monroe Central 90.5 (AA Runners-Up)
13. Barnesville 90
14. St. Clairsville 84
15. Shenandoah 80.5
16. Wheeling Park 75
17. Edison 71
18. Meadowbrook 70
19. Union Local 58.5
20. Bellaire St. Johns 58 (A Runners-Up)
21. River 56
21. Wellsville 56
23. Steubenville 55.5
24. Bellaire 54
25. Steubenville Central 39.5
26. Tyler Consolidated 37
27. Beallsville 36.5
28. Weir 31.5
29. Cambridge 31
30. Magnolia 28
30. Weirton Madonna 28
32. Wheeling Central 21
33. Linsly 10
34. Bridgeport 6
35. Bishop Donahue 4
36. Caldwell 0
Conotton Valley 0

103 Championship: Clay Tucker (Martins Ferry) maj. dec. Jon Howard (John Marshall), 14-3
112 Championship: Lucas Huffman (River) dec. Josh Hoover (Beaver Local), 11-8
119 Championship: John Tierney (Martins Ferry) dec. Adam Kennedy (Wheeling Park), 1-0
125 Championship: Josh Johnston (Indian Creek) dec. Roscoe Larew (Beallsville), 9-3
130 Championship: David Tierney (Martins Ferry) dec. Jared Hoppel (Beaver Local), 6-3
135 Championship: Billy Barath (St. Clairsville) dec. Garrett Six (Oak Glen), 3-2
140 Championship: Phil Bliss (Brooke) dec. Jesse Irwin (Shadyside), 7-5
145 Championship: Chris Wilson (Monroe Central) dec. Matt Wharton (Oak Glen), 5-2
152 Championship: Derek George (John Marshall) dec. Derek Roth (Martins Ferry), 2-0
160 Championship: David Bertolino (Buckeye Local) won via forfeit over John Prokapakis (Edison)
171 Championship: Derrick Stickles (Oak Glen) dec. Jordan Williams (Beaver Local), 1-0
189 Championship: Chris Taylor (John Marshall) dec. Ron Hebrock (Oak Glen), 3-1
215 Championship: Adam Hoppel (Beaver Local) dec. Vince Magnone (Weir), 4-3
275 Championship: Jesse Wells (Shenandoah) dec. Tony Carothers (Harrison Central), 2-1

103 Third Place: Anthony Valles (Weirton Madonna) dec. Justin Goneau (Oak Glen), 8-3
112 Third Place: Jesse Emery (Harrison Central) dec. Brian Humphrey (Wheeling Park), 6-2
119 Third Place: Kyle Glasser (Shadyside) p. Mike Fasouletos (John Marshall), 1:30
125 Third Place: Braden Shaw (Brooke) dec. Ryan Turnbull (Buckeye Local), 3-1 OT
130 Third Place: Kyle Mull (John Marshall) dec. Vic Bologna (Harrison Central), 8-6
135 Third Place: Dave Durbin (Brooke) p. Jon Varner (Beaver Local), 1:12
140 Third Place: Steve Flowers (Oak Glen) dec. Kellen Hughes (Indian Creek), 4-0
145 Third Place: Jeremy Shaw (Beaver Local) dec. Brock Bowman (Buckeye Local), 6-4
152 Third Place: Tucker Brown (Cameron) dec. Chad Snider (Tyler Consolidated), 4-3
160 Third Place: Derrick Sefsick (Harrison Central) dec. Chad Barker (Barnesville), 10-4
171 Third Place: James Lyons (Steubenville) dec. Eric Spitznogle (Harrison Central), 6-4
189 Third Place: Jared Williams (Beaver Local) dec. Adam Snyder (St. Clairsville), 5-3
215 Third Place: Josh Stansbury (East Liverpool) p. Chris Fankhauser (Edison), 3:34
275 Third Place: Joe Caughey (Oak Glen) p. Matt Duvall (Bellaire), 0:26

103 Fifth Place: Luke Hoppel (Beaver Local) p. Jordan Seidler (Monroe Central), 2:18
112 Fifth Place: Ben Cain (Meadowbrook) p. Chris Troyan (Martins Ferry), 2:38
119 Fifth Place: Scott Campbell (Harrison Central) dec. Jonathon McFarland (Brooke), 11-6
125 Fifth Place: Jared Anderson (Barnesville) dec. Mike Jones (Martins Ferry), 6-0
130 Fifth Place: Shawn Fullerton (Cameron) dec. Jason Lucas (Barnesville), 4-2
135 Fifth Place: Ryan Ferguson (Monroe Central) dec. Corey Smith (Martins Ferry), 3-1
140 Fifth Place: Chris Case (Bellaire St. Johns) dec. Jason Peddicord (Barnesville), 2-1
145 Fifth Place: Jeremy Cowan (East Liverpool) dec. Bobby Samsa (Shadyside), OT Criteria
152 Fifth Place: Luke Burkhardt (Shadyside) dec. Ryan Tacosik (Union Local), 3-1
160 Fifth Place: Roger Kupfer (Cameron) won via disqualification over Robbie Dimmerling (Monroe Central)
171 Fifth Place: Justin Hepe (Bellaire St. Johns) dec. Jon Arnette (Wellsville), 5-2
189 Fifth Place: Anthony Gump (Indian Creek) dec. Derek Conrad (Meadowbrook), 4-2
215 Fifth Place: John Wells (John Marshall) dec. Bill Whitehill (Oak Glen), 6-2
275 Fifth Place: Koel Davia (Union Local) dec. Eugene Henry (John Marshall), 3-1

7th-8th Place Consolation Final Matches
103 Anthony Duffield (East Liverpool) dec. Scott Bumrardner (Wheeling Park), 10-5
112 Allen Taylor (John Marshall) dec. Matt Smith (Brooke), 2-0
119 John Petrozzi (Buckeye Local) dec. Ben Young (Steubenville), 7-3
125 Jason Koontz (John Marshall) dec. Aaron Brown (Monroe Central), 5-1
130 Clayton Benedict (Monroe Central) dec. John Leas (Indian Creek), 3-1
135 Chase Jolly (Edison) dec. Thad Crosier (Steubenville), 7-0
140 David Babel (Steubenville) dec. Brandon Bruce (Bellaire), 12-5
145 Jason Bahmer (Barnesville) p. Jeff Casey (Meadowbrook), 2:33
152 Johnny Jefferies ( Barnesville) tech. fall Luke High (Cambridge), 15-0
160 Chris Green (East Liverpool) dec. Chris Yoder (Martins Ferry), 5-1
171 Tyler Schumacher (Monroe Central) dec. Sean Grinch (Shadyside), 5-4
189 Dustin Holt (Martins Ferry) p. Jon Gordon (Wheeling Central), 0:23
215 Joe Weaver (Magnolia) dec. Codey Leach (Shenandoah), 3-2
275 Troy Allenby (Wheeling Park) p. Michael Price (Cambridge), 4:13

103 Champ Semi A: Tucker (MF) won via inj. default over Goneau (OG)
103 Champ Semi B: Howard (JM) dec. Valles (WM), 6-2

112 Champ Semi A: Huffman (R) maj. dec. Humphrey (WP), 15-4
112 Champ Semi B: Hoover (BvL) dec. Cain (M), 7-1

119 Champ Semi A: Kennedy (WP) maj. dec. Fasouletos (JM), 12-2
119 Champ Semi B: Tierney (MF) dec. Campbell (HC), 5-0

125 Champ Semi A: Johnston (IC) dec. Anderson (Barn), 3-0
125 Champ Semi B: Larew (Beal) dec. Jones (MF), 5-0

130 Champ Semi A: Tierney (MF) maj. dec. Bologna (HC), 13-4
130 Champ Semi B: Hoppel (BvL) dec. Lucas (Barn), 5-1

135 Champ Semi A: Six (OG) dec. Varner (BvL), 7-5
135 Champ Semi B: Barath (StC) dec. Smith (MF), 7-6

140 Champ Semi A: Irwin (SS) dec. Hughes (IC), 7-1
140 Champ Semi B: Bliss (Brk) dec. Flowers (OG), 4-1

145 Champ Semi A: Wilson (MC) dec. Shaw (BvL), 5-4
145 Champ Semi B: Wharton (OG) p. Bowman (BuL), 5:10

152 Champ Semi A: George (JM) dec. Snider (TC), 9-2
152 Champ Semi B: Roth (MF) dec. Brown (Cam), 7-2

160 Champ Semi A: Prokapakis (Ed) won via disqualification over Kupfer (Cam)
160 Champ Semi B: Bertolino (BuL) p. Dimmerling (MC), 4:51

171 Champ Semi A: Stickles (OG) dec. Lyons (Steub), 7-2
171 Champ Semi B: Williams (BvL) dec. Spitznogle (HC), 5-4

189 Champ Semi A: Taylor (JM) dec. Snyder (StC), 10-8
189 Champ Semi B: Hebrock (OG) dec. Williams (BvL), 3-1

215 Champ Semi A: Hoppel (BvL) tech. fall Fankhauser (Ed), 20-5
215 Champ Semi B: Magnone (Weir) dec. Stansbury (EL), 3-2

275 Champ Semi A: Carothers (HC) p. Duvall (Bell), 3:46
275 Champ Semi B: Wells (Shen) dec. Davia (UL), 3-2 2OT

Commentary by Jenny Sullivan

Proclaimed as the "greatest team race in 49 years", the 49th Annual OVAC Wrestling Tournament was a sight to behold. From the Opening Parade of Champions, to the naming of John Marshall's Derek George as the Bierkortte Award winner, this tournament was packed with three days of excitement, upsets, and great wrestling.

Going into Saturday night's finals, a mere 14 ½ points separated the first-place team from the fourth-place team. While the other three teams juggled for position throughout the finals, Oak Glen didn't surrender their lead until the 215-lb match, when Beaver Local sophomore Adam Hoppel won his second straight OVAC title with a narrow 4-3 decision over previously undefeated (30-0) Vince Magnone of Weir. The score was now Beaver Local 206, Oak Glen 205 ½, John Marshall 203 ½, and Martins Ferry 201. In what must have been an odd case of déjà vu, Oak Glen Heavyweight Joe Caughey found himself in a must-pin situation in his third place consolation final for the second year in a row. Beaver Local and Martins Ferry had no wrestlers in the Heavyweight finals, so it had now come down to Oak Glen and John Marshall. John Marshall could finish the tournament in a tie with Oak Glen with a loss by Caughey and a decision by Monarch Eugene Henry. The same would hold true with a decision by Caughey and a pin by Henry. A loss by Caughey would give John Marshall the opportunity to win the tournament with a major decision, tech fall, or pin. However, a pin by Caughey would seal the deal for the Golden Bears regardless of how Henry finished.

Joey must have done his math, and he must not have wanted a repeat of last year (when his team had to "settle" for second place with his regular decision in the consolation finals), so he simply took care of business in a matter of 26 seconds with a pin of Bellaire's Matt Duvall to end John Marshall's hopes of their first Overall OVAC crown since 1983. As a result, Caughey and Company would be bringing the title back home to Oak Glen for the first time since 1991, and back to West Virginia for the first time since Wheeling Park took top honors in 1994. Incidentally, Caughey was also named the recipient of the "Hercules" Award.

Cameron's Tucker Brown has had the privilege of placing in the OVAC Tournament four straight years. And unless I just didn't hear someone else's name mentioned, I believe he was the only wrestler this year to do so.

From a personal standpoint, this was one of the most enjoyable tournaments I'd ever attended. Maybe it was because I was a "neutral" fan, not pulling for any team in particular, but for a number of individuals. Maybe it was the excellent job of commentating done by the tournament announcer, who would mention statistics on wrestlers during their matches, or call attention to marquee matches or close matches. Maybe it was because I didn't stress out over trying to get the best seat in the house as I do every year in Huntington (haha). Or maybe it was because I was so impressed with how well the tournament was run. A schedule was printed in the tournament program and the tournament directors hit the nail on the head with their estimates of how long the pre-tournament ceremonies would last. Maybe it was the ceremonies themselves. The Parade of Champions can send chills down your spine when you see between 400 and 500 young men (and one young woman this year - Tyler Consolidated's Jessica Williams) file onto the floor of the Wheeling Civic Center carrying the sign of their school, a la the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics. The closing ceremonies were just as moving, as the individual champions paraded around the mats to the sounds of Queen's "We Are the Champions", and John Marshall's Derek George (this year's Bierkortte Winner for Most Outstanding Wrestler) stood atop the winner's podium receiving a standing ovation from the crowd and congratulations from his coaches and teammates as Whitney Houston's "One Moment in Time" played over the loud speakers.

Whatever the reason, the OVAC Wrestling Tournament isn't just the largest conference tournament in the United States, it's also one of the best. Next year they'll be celebrating their 50th year, so if you find yourself in search of a great weekend of wrestling this time next year, you might just want to make a trip to Wheeling to check it out for yourself!

Submitted by: Jenny Sullivan

Return to the Scores Index Page
Return to the WV-Mat front page