Kenston’s Doyle finishes as the runner-up at 55th K.I.T.

“He was breathing extremely fine and talking so it was endurance and his adrenaline that kept him nice and even,” Coach Ricky Deubel said. “You could tell by the sweat but could not tell by the period.”

The Bombers’ 285-pounder grappled against Western Reserve Conference rival Riverside junior Antonio Bottiggi in the final but lost 4-2 in double-overtime to take second place at the 55th Kenston Invitational Tournament in Bainbridge Township.

“It gives him a bunch of confidence going on towards the rest of the year and also gave him confidence to get ready for the postseason in a couple of months,” the sixth-year coach said.

Doyle is enjoying a fast start to the season in his first year as a varsity starter.

The Kenston junior wrestled in the 285-pound bracket last season but competed on the junior varsity team behind his older brother Cale,

After waiting in the wings last year, the younger Doyle has become a tone-setter on a Kenston wrestling team that has just five senior starters.

“He is ready, trying to be physical and his goal is to place at the state meet this year as a first-time starter,” Duebel said. He’s come a long way. This year he is just starting to dominate and starting to understand the sport. I think it is just natural to Sean.”

Doyle earned a first-round bye then pinned Norwalk senior Brendon Gross at the 1:23 mark of the first period.

He then did the same thing against Field junior William Nienhius in the quarterfinal, pinning his opponent in 45 seconds to advance to the semifinal.

“Sean was extremely dominant and went right after the kids and took them down,” Deubel said. “He did not let the kids have a chance to do anything and he just controlled them.”

Doyle then competed in an extremely physical battle against Division II rival Greenberg in the semifinal match.

“They hand fought the whole time,” Deubel said. “It was two big boys wrestling each other so there was a lot of hand fighting and a lot of action so they both defended stuff well against each other.”

Doyle took a 1-0 lead at the beginning of the match. but Greenberg tied it in the third period when he pulled an escape.

Neither wrestler could gain position, forcing a one-minute overtime where they both stayed on their feet but neither one could score, sending the match into a pair of 30-second sudden death overtime periods.

Each wrestler would assume the bottom position and the one on top would try to ride it out for the entire time. The first wrestler who scored would be declared the victor.

After riding out Greenberg in the first overtime, Doyle escaped from the bottom in the second period and then recorded a takedown to best his rival earning a spot in the championship match.

“It was a good win for Sean because it showed his stamina because the match was practically won by his endurance,” Deubel said. “Going on six periods is a long time for heavyweights.”

Greenberg was dropped into the consolation bracket and won his first match when he pinned senior Jacob Holtz after 35 seconds of the third period. He then won the consolation championship by defeating junior Michael Ison of Stronsgville 3-1.

Doyle’s last opponent was conference foe Bottiggi. It was another grueling battle that went into double overtime again but it was the Riverside junior who got the best of Doyle to top him for the title.

“That match was a very athletic match for heavyweights,” Deubel said. “There was a ton of action. Each wrestler was stopping each other’s shots and each other’s attacks and at the end Boggatti got the best of him with the takedown.”

Doyle was not the only Kenston wrestler to make the podium as senior 190-pounder Ben DiMarco took fifth place.

Having originally competed in the 165-pound weight class his first two years in the wrestling program, the Bombers’ senior added some muscle to wrestle in the heavyweight class this season.

“He wanted to get bigger and knew he wanted to wrestle at 190 this year so he put on a lot of muscle this year to get up to that weight and that helps him with his style because he is fast too,” Deubel said. “That is what helps him out.”

DiMarco dominated WRC foe Madison junior Demitry Navarro by pinning him at the 1:42 mark of the first period in his first match, then qualified for the semifinal when he also pinned WRC rival junior Ny’yhan Martin of Riverside in 1:23 of the first period.

DiMarco’s bid for a spot in the championship ended when he lost to North Olmsted senior Gavin Beasley 10-7.

A furious back-and-forth match saw Beasley win after DiMarco was called for a fleeing penalty in the final 15 seconds then surrendered a takedown.

DiMarco lost the consolation semifinal match when he was pinned by Hudson senior Noah Batcher after 42 seconds of the second period.

He competed in the fifth-place bracket and was declared the winner after his opponent forfeited in the fifth-place championship bout.

“I think the K.I.T. was a learning step for him to get him going into practicing his footwork and getting his conditioning back up and getting him to work harder,” Deubel said.

Geauga County rival West Geauga also had success by having junior Ethan Bartlett take third place the 165-pound bracket.

The Wolverines’ junior pinned Revere freshman Cole Gnap at the one-minute mark of the first period in the opening round then pinned sophomore John Stickler from Fairfield in 28 seconds of the third period.

Bartlett was eliminated from the championship bracket when he lost 8-5 to Fairview senor Cole Karliak in the quarterfinals.

He defeated Keystone sophomore Jonathan Gould by a 12-1 major decision in the fourth round of the third-place bracket, then advanced to the semifinal when he defeated North Olmsted sophomore Matthew Chalkwater 5-2.

Bartlett won his semifinal bout when he pinned Rootstown senior Sylas Reihield at the 54-second mark of the third period. He won the consolation championship by defeating junior Cole Dille from Ontario 6-2.

The Bombers will travel to Mayfield for a tri-meet 16 p.m. Friday. then head to Revere for Minutemen Duals in Richfield at 9 a.m. Saturday.