The Mark of Greatness: David Habat Takes Down Tony Jameson in Epic Bout

“We shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air. We shall defend our island whatever the cost may be; we shall fight on beaches, landing grounds, in fields, in streets and on the hills. We shall never surrender.”

So said Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of Great Britain in World War II, in regard to his country defending the seemingly-unstoppable German Invasion.  The Germans were known for their blitzkrieg tactics (lightning war) that involved relentless attacks of blinding speed. 

And such was the challenge in front of young David Habat in the Semifinals at the Massillon Perry District.  The super-freshman from St. Ignatius faced down the another wrestler known for his all-out seemingly unstoppable attacks.  Much as the Germans in 1940 had completely overran Poland and France (among others) with their war machine- Tony Jameson had ran over an array of outstanding opponents and made it look easy.  Without question, the most dangerous wrestler in the state in 2x state champion Tony Jameson.  Their isn’t a wrestler in Ohio who is as relentlessly proficient at putting outstanding competitors on their back as the junior from Youngstown Austintown Fitch.  Lopsided wins against state runner-ups Jeffrey Pelton (13-2), Michael Lybarger (12-5) and Marcel Clopton underscored that fact.  Simply put, let up for an instant against “Tony J”……and you are counting the lights.

With the constant-attacking style of Jameson creating numerous scrambles for Jameson to capitalize on a single mistake by his opponent, I remember thinking before the District that any wrestler who was going to beat Jameson was going to have to think like Churchill did in 1940- that wrestler was going to have to be willing to never let up for a single instant- to never take a rest.  They were going to have to be willing to maintain their position and eventually, be willing to fight it out in the “trenches” despite maintaining perfect position- in short, it would take a wrestler with not only drive and skill, but with the ability to maintain their composure no matter how unusual the situation they were in- they would have to resist the temptation to “outfunk” the funkmaster- a near-impossible task.  I must admit, I never thought that wrestler would be the superb freshman David Habat.  

I can’t even begin to capture the intensity in the gym of Massillon Perry on this Saturday afternoon- the site of, by far, the state’s toughest District- let me just say that it was the most intense competition I have been to all year with the (possible exception of the St. Edward-Blair dual).  And this particular match was, by far, the most intense match of the day. The fact that it was District rather than state meant that all the supporters of both wrestlers, and many other interested fans, could crowd around the mat for the match freely (unlike a state final where you are quite a distance away), and the District officials did not even attempt to stop them from doing so.  Having all the supporters of these wrestlers right there at matside definitely ratcheted up the intensity level that much higher.  It felt like a schoolyard fight between the two toughest kids in school, with a mob-like crowd circling around the fighters to support one or the other.

As the match started, Habat wasted little time in going to an ankle-pick that he timed perfectly to snag Jameson’s ankle just as he stepped.  This pick would have made Cael Sanderson proud.  Jameson, not known to concede much, quickly went to a series of funky counters. I expected the usual scenario, with Jameson hitting counter after counter until he broke through.  Instead, what happened was very surprising.  The Ignatius Freshman matched Jameson move for move, with deliberate yet textbook technique which never got him out of position. Each Jameson counter seemed to put him in a little worse position than the one before, until he had nowhere left to go, and Habat was awarded the takedown.  Now, Jameson is happy to give up ten points if he can score twenty, and I’ve seen him taken down before.  Yet, it was unmistakable there was something different about the way Habat methodically maintained his poise in this scramble, using Jameson’s style against him.  This was the first time in the last two years that I have considered that Tony J. could actually lose.  

The remainder of the period saw Habat ride out Jameson hard and control the action accordingly.  For the most part, Habat was really in control, riding with a deep waist much of the time, but anytime Jameson went to the “funk” it was clear that the freshman was ready and poised to fight him every step of the way- literally matching Jameson move-for-move.  Two other things were clear- Habat was stronger than Jameson, and the tough Habat ride was beginning to wear on, and perhaps frustrate, the two-time state champion   The first period ended 2-0 as Habat supporters applauded vigorously. 

In the second period, Habat chose down.  You simply can’t keep Jameson off the scoreboard all six minutes, and Jameson went right to his “crab ride and rolling half” combination (ironically, another move Cael Sanderson was very successful with) and checked up the Ignatius Freshman for a three point near-fall.  This was the point in time where Habat’s resolve was truly tested- after wrestling such a brilliant first period, the two-time state champ had took the lead from him in a matter of seconds.  I have to admit, I thought young Habat would fold at this point, but instead he showed himself to be made of pure steel. Habat scored an escape and tied the score at 3-3, which was how the second period ended.

Jameson chose neutral in the third period.  Habat quickly snatched an ankle-pick that was a carbon-copy of the first period “pick” as the crowd went into a frenzy. Just as in the first, Habat calmly matched his foe move for move, seemingly in better position with each sequence of action.  The inevitable takedown gave Habat at 5-3 lead. The last minute of the match saw Jameson try the same ill-fated move (a sort of “granby”) repeatedly and Habat maintain control, in one of these sequences Habat nearly came up with backponts, and never was Jameson really close to an escape or reversal.  As the final seconds ticked down, the crowd roared as Jameson looked stunned that his two year winning streak was coming to an end.   

Throughout the match it was impossible to conclude anything other than Habat could potentially become one of the all-time greats.  In my view, in the last 20 years there has not been a freshman middleweight (130-152) who is competing at the level that Habat is right now.  Habat is the total package- fast, highly polished technically, brutally strong, and as “poised” as a young Dustin Schlatter.  He can created his offense, he can scramble, he can ride. 

I spoke with both wrestlers after the match.  Habat was elated (as you might expect) by the win, but showed a mature perspective on the bout that belied his years. “Last year, I wrestled a lot of very good high school kids “close” at tournaments, but I usually lost those close matches.  But I’ve gotten a lot stronger- and this year I’ve broken through from losing those close matches to winning them.  I had to learn to scramble because I wrestled a lot of high school kids who were stronger than me in the past.”

Jameson was gracious in defeat.  “He wrestled a heck of a match. He put it on my today.  I give him credit.  I don’t want to take anything away from him, he’s a great kid and a great wrestler, but that was the worst match I’ve wrestled in two years.  I’ll be ready next week.”

And yet, this was just the first chapter of this great rivalry. Look for a   Habat fell 3-2 to state champ Richie Spicel (outstanding in his own right) in the finals, and Habat and Jameson will meet in the most anticipated match of the semis (note:  Ohio Wrestling Site will be providing live updates for this match). More on these match-ups tomorrow in the forthcoming state preview article.

Richie Spicel Defeats Marcel Clopton

Only at Massillon Perry would a semifinal between a state champion and a state runner-up get “second billing” to the other semifinal at that weight class.  While the anticipation was not quite as high, the match between state champ Spicel and state runner-up Clopton was still one of the highlights of a great day of wrestling. This, and the final, were textbook Richie Spicel wins. When Clopton took too big of a step late in the first, Spicel made him pay with his trademark fireman’s, dumping the Shaker Heights senior directly to his back for a takedown and two back-points.  It’s possible that there isn’t a wrestler in this state better at wrestling with a lead than the Brunswick junior- and Spicel seemed to know the match was won- pumping his fist as the period ended 4-0. 

The second period saw some good shots by both wrestlers, only to be thwarted by superior defensive attempts.   Spicel was awarded a takedown off a re-shot that appeared a bit premature, but the call stood, stretching Spicel’s lead to 6-1.  A Clopton escape made it a 6-2 final in favor of Spicel.  

Consolation Semifinals

There is no round in this sport, maybe in any sport, that is quite as overwhelming as the consolation semifinals at Districts.  Winning and losing in a sport that is basically physical combat when you boil it down, is much more personal than, say, losing in individual sports like track or swimming.  There is never less “gray area” than with that consolation semifinal round. Having wrestled this match three times- I can say that every instant- every single motion- of this match will be vividly ingrained in a wrestler’s mind for years to come.  Emotion plays a huge role- you can lose a close bout in the semifinals and be back on the mat for the biggest match of your life roughly an hour later- against a guy who just won his last match, or several matches.

Given that Massillon Perry was hands-down the best District in the state- the stakes were only that much higher.  Of the 27 top-ten ranked wrestlers who did not qualify for the state tournament, more of them saw their seasons end at Massillon Perry, than at the other three Division I Districts combined.  Most of these wrestlers would have won, it would seem, at least one of the other three Districts.  This round was very hard to follow- as there were no updated brackets provided and four mats going at once- but a couple of matches really stood out:

Todd Casper outlasts Bob Creatore

Outside of the epic Jameson/Habat bout, no match was more memorable than the consolation semifinals between seniors Todd Casper of Medina High School and Bob Creatore of Youngstown Boardman.  Creatore opened the first stanza with a takedown for a 2-0 lead at the end of the first.  However, Casper rode out Creatore in the second period, denying him a crucial escape point in a tight bout.  After Casper escaped early in the third, he hit a nice “throw-by” to take a 3-2 lead with under a minute to go.  Creatore managed to escape this time, evening the score at 3-3. 

That’s when the drama started, Casper appeared to score a go-behind takedown for the winning points in the last five seconds.  From my view, there was a split secondwhere he got behind Creatore and “checked him up” such that control should have been awarded.  However, it was only an instant- and then Creatore squared off so that there was no control.  The officials initial ruling was that it was no points.  The Medina coaches were livid at the call, and after conferring, the officials then reversed themselves and awarded the takedown to Casper.  At that point, Coach Dominic Mancini went out on the mat to bend the official’s ear.  You couldn’t hear what was being said, but Mancini seemed to be calmly, but persistently, making the case for why it should not have been a takedown.  His approach of persistence without being confrontational seemed very effective in getting his point across. 

The officials then went and re-conferred for a VERY long time as the careers of two seniors hung in the balance.  It occurred to me that there was nothing in the world that could make me change places with the officials at that point- as the long delay lead to the fans/parents of both wrestlers becoming increasingly vocal, plus pressure coming from both coaches…….finally, after what seemed like close to ten minutes- the officials re-reversed the call, and we were headed to overtime.  The Medina Coaching staff went positively unglued with the turn of events.

I thought having a state berth snatched away from him might take a toll on Casper- but instead, he quickly went to a foot-sweep and scored the match winning takedown.  While no one else was quite as confident, Casper was completely un-phased by the situation.  “I told my coaches to come off the mat…..I would just take him down again” Casper said.

Crine’s Last Stand

Another wrestler who suffered a positively devastating weekend was senior Dustin Crine of Barberton.  Just to make the semis, Crine had to beat two wrestlers ranked in the top ten.  Specifically, #8 Crine opened with  an 11-8 win over #9 Kretz and a 5-3 win over #3 Tyler Lambert. That set up a semi-final with #10 Ryan Marks of Brecksville.  Marks was the bright spot of what was, on the whole, a disappointing day for the outstanding Brecksville squad (Lang and Zamaria both were upset, #2 Pushpak failed to qualify).  The difference in this bout was simply the ability to finish shots.  Crine had several very nice low single leg attacks, yet Marks always seemed to have one more counter to hold him off.  Marks took two meaningful shots in the match, and finished them both, the first, a fireman’s, and the second, a textbook head-outside single.  Marks has proved “markedly” since the beginning of the season and looks to be a sure-fire state placer this weekend.

That set up another match-up with Kevin Kretz of Twinsburg, a wrestler that Crine was 2-0 against this year.  However, like Marks, Kretzis a vastly improved wrestler from the beginning of the year when he couldn’t crack the top 20.  Just as against Marks, Crine got in on his beautiful low single against Kretz- but couldn’t finish- several times.  Kretz took a 3-1 lead into the third period, when Crine took down.  That proved to be a mistake, as Kretz threw in the legs and a wicked power half for a 6-1 lead with a minute to go.  Assistant Coach Grant Varnum nearly jumped through the roof as he yelled “stay right there, stay right there.” Thee score stood, and Dustin Crine had the dubious honor of being one of the state’s best not to qualify for “the show”.  The look on his face as he came off the mat was one of those things you don’t soon forget.

Akron Firestone

Originally, the plan was for this site to cover Akron Firestone.  However, once out of every six weeks I have to work Saturday mornings….. and I was forced to switch gears when I got out of work later than expected (the semifinals at Perry started two hours later than Firestone).  But it was back to Firestone (with some hesitation, as the action at Perry was incredible) for the finals.
 
Weakley’s Revenge

The most anticipated match of the night was #1 John Weakley against #4 Kevin Bailey.  Bailey has become one of the big stories of the season.  One year ago he finished “two and out” at Firestone to complete his season with an 11-12 record.  John Weakley of course, came into the season as a dominating state champion, freestyle and Greco-Roman junior national all-american, and one of Ohio State’s prized recruits.  Yet at sectionals, Bailey showed up to battle, not compare resumes, and pulled off an 8-4 stunner over the state champ.

The second meeting of these literally cross-street rivals proved markedly different.  Weakley immediately went to his blast double, but Bailey simply kept moving and did not allow the takedown.  Late in the first, Bailey countered a Weakley shot to take a 2-0 lead as it looked like Bailey perhaps just had Weakley’s number.  A second period Bailey escape gave him a 3-1 lead, but Big John quickly drove through him with a double to tie the score at 3-3.  It was at that moment that John Weakley seemed to regain his confidence.

Meanwhile, the big double seemed to have the opposite effect on Baieley.  Instead of keeping pressure on him, for the remainder of the match Bailey was back on his heels, waiting for Weakley to shoot.  There could not be a worse way to wrestle against the senior from CVCA.  Weakley went back to his blast double to take a 5-4 second period lead.  At that point, Bailey shook his head, and you could see the wheels starting to come off.  What followed were four more double legs and a switch reversal for a 15-8 final score.  Without question, repeating his magical upset is going to be an uphill battle, but Bailey will simply never do it by waiting for John Weakley to shoot- a strategy akin to giving a sniper a shotgun to hunt elephants.

Walker Falls to Sharp

State Champ Nathan Sharp and Matt Walker were meeting for the fifth time this year (the sixth time could very well be on a Saturday afternoon in Columbus).  Up to this point, Walker had just one win in four meetings- the previous week in the Sectional finals- but that statistic is deceptive as one of his losses was by disqualification when he lead 10-1.

After a scoreless first period, Sharp escapes to take a 1-0 lead.  Sharp then tried to throw the Alliance senior, who dropped his hips to thwart the throw and score a takedown.  A Sharp reversal, followed by a Walker escape knotted the score at 3-3.  It was at that point that Walker made a critical strategic error.  A 215 last year, Walker tried to cradle the massive Nathan Sharp, an ill-fated strategy that resulted in him basically falling on his back.  Sharp dropped the full 285 lbs on him, and “that was all she wrote”, so to speak, as Sharp took an 8-3 lead.   A late Walker escape made it an 8-4 final as Sharp added another “W” in this great rivalry- thought their next bout, I suspect, will be the one that counts.

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