'Dirty Dozen': Viking Matmen Gain Respect
It has been an uphill battle, but the Villa Angela-St. Joseph High wrestling program is beginning to make people sit up and take notice. Though small in number--with just 12 matmen on the squad this year--the Vikings now boast a higher level of wrestling talent than they’ve had in recent years.
The unofficial team nickname this year is “The Dirty Dozen,” which was the title of a movie some years back about a group of roughneck soldiers who displayed courage and determination in carrying out a dangerous mission.
Head coach Bob Mullin might not go as far as to compare his grapplers with the characters in that movie, one of whom was played by Jim Brown, although he does sense an enhanced degree of determination being shown by his key wrestlers – especially the core group that accounted for the bulk of the Vikings’ team points in the recent Division III sectional tournament at Beachwood High.
Four VASJ grapplers advanced from that event to the district tournament at Garfield Heights. (You might say that the Dirty Dozen was trimmed to the “Fantastic Four.”)
Leading the way for the Vikings was Phil Wellington, the senior 189-pounder who emerged as a sectional champion with a 4-3 victory in his title bout against Chanel’s Johnathan Schafer. In two previous encounters, Schafer had gotten the best of the St. Joe ace, including a 7-4 decision in the North Coast League tournament in early February.
“Phil has been working on a couple of things, including the way he finishes his takedowns,” explains Coach Mullin. “Against Schafer, he was able to complete his takedowns. He’s really a better wrestler than he thought he was. He now has more confidence.”
As a junior, Wellington qualified for the Division III state tournament and took a 27-3 season record into the district meet this time around.
At Beachwood, VASJ chalked up 112 team points to finish sixth out of 15 teams, despite lacking entrants in five of the 14 weight classes. Chanel, the No. 1-ranked team in Ohio in Division III, captured the sectional crown with 299.5 points, followed by Pymatuning Valley with 181.5.
In addition to Wellington, the Vikings’ district qualifiers were: Mato Vunak at 119 pounds, Ryan Gallagher (145), and D’Ante Jackson (215).
Vunak, who placed fourth, lost a close 6-4 battle with Chanel’s Graham Coghlan in the consolation final. Gallagher, who was a defensive standout on the Vikings’ football team, earned second-place honors, also losing to a tough Chanel wrestler in the finals. Jackson picked up a third-place medal at 215 pounds after pinning Kirtland’s Jim Durst in 2:56 in the consolation final.
Gallagher sported a 25-8 record heading into the district meet—which was postponed by one day due to the recent snowstorm. Jackson was 22-10 and Vunak owned a 19-10 mark.
The Beachwood sectional wasn’t the first time that the Vikings have gone up against the Chanel juggernaut this season. They also squared off in the Catholic Invitational Tournament in Toledo and again in the NCL meet. But that’s fine with Coach Mullin.
“We like to measure ourselves on the mat against good wrestlers,” he says. “And a tournament like the CIT has a lot of good wrestlers.”
For one thing, such encounters provide a good yardstick for assessing the team’s progress. “Although we have only 12 wrestlers on our team this year,” Mullin said after the CIT, “I’ve been very pleased with the progress we’ve been making.” For the season, the Vikings compiled a 7-4 dual meet mark, despite losing to neighborhood rival Euclid. Against the Panthers, VASJ had to forfeit in five weight classes, but actually won six of the nine matches that were contested.
Clearly, the coach was hoping to see signs of further progress at the district—and perhaps even the state tournament—where Chanel will certainly be the favorite once again.
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Mullin’s assistant coaches this season include John Storey, who guided the St. Joseph High matmen to a Division I state title about 20 years ago, and Mike Mihalic, who was a state runner-up for the Vikings at 119 pounds.
At a mid-season practice session, Mihalic gave the team a heart-felt pep talk, urging the wrestlers to give their maximum effort in every match and to “leave it all on the mat.” There is no shame in losing to a superior wrestler, he advised, “as long as you’ve truly done your best and you’ve given your opponent the best that’s in you.”
Anything less, Mihalic suggested, would be tantamount to showing disrespect to an opponent.
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CAPTION FOR ACTION PHOTO –Dropped off at Cheryl’s.
ALL TANGLED UP – VASJ grappler Russell Harrison (on top in red uniform) found himself in a pretzel-like hold during an early round match at the Division III sectional at Beachwood. A freshman 140-pounder, Harrison enjoyed a fine season, but failed to advance to the district tournament.
CAPTION FOR GROUP PHOTO: This photo was submitted earlier to run with story on the website. But it could also be used in the print edition if space permits.
TOP VIKINGS – Key members of “The Dirty Dozen” pose with Coach Bob Mullin in the VASJ wrestling room. Left to right: Mato Vunak, Ryan Gallagher, Coach Mullin, Phil Wellington, Russell Harrison, and Chris Pokorny. The five have helped spearhead the Vikings’ resurgent performance this year.. (Photo by John Sheridan)