When it comes to Ohio’s Junior High State Tournament, there really isn’t anything else quite like it. In Ohio, Jr. High State is not separated by divisions like high school. This State Tournament is 1 division, loaded with the very best in the entire state. For a wrestler to win a Jr.High State Title in Ohio once is a great accomplishment for most. However, in the first few years of the tournament Ohio saw a young man named “Tony Tortorici” come in and clean house for 3 years in a row. Tony, I guess you could say is the “OG”, “Trend Setter” for perfection, and winning the one division Jr.High State Tournament 3 years in a row.
As we all know there have been so many great wrestlers that have come through the OAC events, winning Grade School State Titles and also in Jr.High. So many great wrestlers went on to become high school superstars and even some have represented the US Men’s National Team and winning World and Olympic Gold. We look back here at Tony Tortorici and see some of the guys he beat in route to winning 3 middle school state titles. Tony was ahead of his time and age group, to say the least. His technique and toughness were above all the other wrestlers in middle school. He was also extremely athletic and gifted.
I remember being at tournaments when I was younger and watching him wrestle guys that were in high school already and accomplished. He was tech-falling varsity wrestlers when he was only in the 8th grade. In fact, when he was an 8th grader, my father was coaching one of the high school boys from Madison, Paul Compton. Paul had been to Fargo and on Team Ohio. So Paul was clearly a tough wrestler. Tony stepped out onto the mat and torched him. When my father found out that Tony was only in 8th grade his jaw dropped. This kid was on another level in every aspect. Tony had the best career you could have ever asked for from a Jr.High Wrestler. However unfortunately due to certain situations and life being life Tony never once competed at the OHSAA State Tournament. Many would have penciled him in to become a multiple-time Division 1 State Champion for Euclid. Sadly, we never got to see that happen. However, I do know that Tony now is involved with the MMA community and does his best with coaching the fighters and showing them how to wrestle. So with this little back story let’s get to Tony’s three Jr.High State Titles.
In 2000, just the second year of the OAC Jr.High State Tournament being established Tony was competing at 114 pounds. This was the year that this young man would win his very first of three, Jr. High State Titles. In fact, Tony dominated the entire tournament. He didn’t even have a close match in the finals, and oh yeah the guy he beat in the state finals happened to be “Tim Miller” of Wadsworth. Tim went on to become a 3x OHSAA State Placer, finishing 3rd,2nd and 1st. Tony tech falled Tim Miller in the finals to win his very first Jr. High State Title. Mind-boggling if you ask me. Again, I truly wish we all got to see what Tony would have done in High School. The top six in this weight class were as follows:
2000: 114lbs
1.Tony Tortorici, Euclid
2.Tim Miller, Wadsworth
3.Eric Bellotie, Elyria
4.Paul Jang, Westerville
5.Guy Aber, Wilmington
6.Ryan Burns, Hillsboro
In 2001, just two years into OAC running the Jr.High State Tournament Tony was in the 132lb weight division. These were the days when there were only top 6 finishers also. So even just to place at this venue was a true accomplishment. Just qualifying for some was big. However Tony had different plans. Tony won his second of three State titles this year defeating “Ryan Burns” of Hillsboro in the finals in overtime. Other than that close match the rest of the tournament, Tony either tech failed his opponent or pinned them. Now, this is not because he was a larger kid in middle school and more mature, this was just him being that good. I mean in 3rd place was “Mike Miller” from Uniontown Lake who went on to become a 3x OHSAA State Champion. Josh Kallai of Wadsworth ended up taking 6th place and he is another member of Ohio Wrestling Royalty. Tony was torching kids in 7th grade. The top 6 were as follows:
2001: 132lbs
1.Tony Tortorici, Euclid
2.Ryan Burns, Hillsboro
3.Mike Miller, Uniontown Lake
4.Josh Winner, Alliance
5.Daniel Stover, Newark
6.Josh Kallai, Wadsworth
In Tony’s 8th grade season, it could be said that he maybe should have just wrestled a high school schedule. Even though that wasn’t possible to do here in Ohio like some other states happen to allow. Tony just might have been a State Champion in high school this year. Clearly, he had 0 ounce of competition in the middle school ranks. Nobody could handle his physicality and maturity. He had such brilliant takedowns and was so incredibly strong that his opponents just couldn’t hang. In what would become his third Jr.High State Title. Tony only wrestled a total of 9 minutes throughout the tournament. In fact, the kid Tony pinned in the finals happened to be Travis Popham who would go on to become a 2 time State Runner up at the OHSAA State Tournament. Tony pinned every single wrestler that stepped across from him this weekend. Sure this has been done in Ohio. But this was THE FIRST. The First time this had ever been done since the induction of the OAC Jr.High State Tournament. An absolutely amazing accomplishment and a trend that would only lead others to follow in his footsteps and become Ohio Royalty. The top six this year were as follows:
2002:146lbs
1.Tony Tortorici, Euclid
2.Travis Popham, Mt.Vernon
3.Justin Berdysz, Garfield Hts.
4.Kurt Hess, Polk
5.Shaun Mack, Defiance
6.Matthew LaFollette, Raymond
Most of these wrestlers that lost to Tony over a three year span went on to compete and do great things in high school. All while we missed out on what could have been one of the greatest wrestlers to ever compete in the state of Ohio. No one can tell what would have happened but I do think we all have a pretty good idea with the rate he was going that we would have surely seen multiple trips to the OHSAA State Finals and possibly State Titles and even 4. It is nice to hear that Tony is doing well, he has a family of his own. He trains fighters that want to work on their wrestling. In fact when I was a freshman in college I went to my Alma Mater to watch an open tournament. Tony had entered and was in the open division. He actually wrestled our High School Coach. He lost a close 3-1 match. He hadn’t even wrestled in how many years but there he was hanging tough with a multiple time division 2 NCAA All-American. That pretty much sums up about how truly amazing this young man was in his early years. A true warrior on the mat and he was truly fun to watch. Wishing you well and for many more years of teaching wrestling Tony.
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