By DAVID WALSH - The Herald-Dispatch
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Tim Johnson/The Herald-Dispatch Huntington heavyweight Kenny Hutchinson, right, works to pin Liberty's Lincoln Harrison in a first-round match Friday.

HUNTINGTON -- Riverside High wanted a change in wrestling scenery. So coach Scott Blank and his team ventured by van from Painesville, Ohio, to Huntington this weekend to compete in the 22nd annual WSAZ Invitational at Veterans Memorial Field House.

"We were looking for something different," Blank said Friday night before high school action began. "We get to travel and see different styles. It’s a good experience."

Riverside, a Division I (Ohio’s largest classification) school, is located near Cleveland which is one of the wrestling hotbeds in the Buckeye State and nationally as well.

"Any team you meet in that area is solid," Blank said.

Before this weekend, the Beavers have gone up against the likes of Beachwood, Madison, Lake Catholic, Mentor and Kenston just to name a few powers. Kenston is No. 4, Lake Catholic is No. 6 and Mentor is 12th in this week’s Cleveland Plain-Dealer wrestling Top 25 poll. And then there’s St. Edward, No. 1 in the Plain-Dealer poll and 10th in USA Today’s Super 25.

Riverside, with just four seniors in the lineup, has some wrestlers to watch. Neal Lakia is 15-1 at 130 pounds. His brother, Eric, is 14-2 at 119. Eric Greig, at 140, also rates high.

Blank said the Beavers didn’t change any training habits for this event.

"We train like it’s any other tournament," he said. "In our area, there are a lot of takedowns, so we have to be good on our feet. We’ll watch, learn and do our best."

The Lakias and Robert Tanski, who competes at 145, said they were glad to be here.

"We were excited about making the trip," Neal Lakia said. "The experience will help. We have to take it to them."

"We’ll just wrestle our style, cut it loose," Eric Lakia said. "We know it’s going to be tough."

The WSAZ event compresses a lot of action in a short period of time. For high schools, two rounds were held Friday night. In addition, the tournament features freshman, junior high and middle school teams.

Action resumes at 10 a.m. today and continues through 7:15 p.m. when championship finals are scheduled. The top eight finishers in each weight class receive awards.

Huntington, Herbert Hoover, Point Pleasant and Cabell Midland rated as contenders for the Class AAA title. Independence, Williamstown and Wirt County are Class AA-A teams to watch.

Tanski said he was eager to get on the mat.

"We’re all up for this one," he said.

"We’ll go out, do our best and whatever happens happens," Neal Lakia said. "We have to stay focused."

This booking has turned into a family affair for the Beavers. Parents and friends made the trip down and were seated next to Cabell Midland backers in the stands at the field house.

Two of the most vocal fans are Joe and Andy Matson, whose son, Pete, wrestles at 135. Joe is president of the Painesville Township Wrestling Club. Andy is the "money woman," Joe said.

"This is good for the boys," Joe Matson said. "They’re away from home. It helps them come together and grow up."

Fund-raising is one of the club’s functions. The club raised the money necessary for the Beavers to make this trip. Their headquarters is the Red Roof Inn.

"They’re a young team," Andy Matson said. "Scott’s a good coach. He’s bringing the program back. We’re glad to help."

The club also helps conduct two tournaments each year -- Beaver Brawl (jayvee teams) and 16-team Riverside Rumble (varsity competition).

The Matsons are no strangers to the field house. From 1961 through 1965, when they attended Wheeling Central Catholic, they made the trip to Huntington each year for the West Virginia Catholic High School Tournament. The Maroon Knights won three of the four years they were in school.

"That was fun," Andy said.

Next year, Joe Matson said it’s likely the jayvee team will come down as well.

"If the competition is good and the kids learn, we’ll be back," Blank said.

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