AVON LAKE – Avon Lake’s Kevin Brunner has battled through three years of ups and downs during his high school wrestling career.

Brunner blasted out the gate as a freshman and won the 103-pound championship at the Knights of Columbus Invitational. As a sophomore, he rolled through the season just to fizzle out at sectionals. Last season, he finished just one match from the Division I state tournament.

“I can’t believe it’s my senior year … it’s ridiculous,” Brunner said. “Getting a good start to the season this weekend is really important to me. Winning our tournament is also important.”

Brunner got off to a great start Friday night, picking up three first-period pins during the opening night of the 29th annual K of C tournament. The wins give Brunner 97 for his career, and picking up three more today would give him the 130-pound title and 100 for his career.

But he’s on a collision course with Avon sophomore Zane Zeman, who picked up two wins and had a second-round bye. Zeman was also a state alternate last season – in Division II at 125 pounds – and knows a little bit about Brunner.

“I met him this summer,” Zeman said. “We were drill partners during a weeklong camp at All-American Wrestling out in Grafton.”

The wrestlers each said they hit the mats shortly after their disappointing district tournament finishes, and both look forward to the potential meeting in the championship match.

“It’s going to be a really close match if that’s what ends up happening,” Brunner said.

The potential individual matchups are only part of the drama set up by Friday night’s action. Amherst blew through the three rounds of action and holds a commanding 103-81 lead over second-place Bellevue heading into today’s bracket action.

Doing well in the Shoremen’s season-opening tournament is becoming a bit of a tradition for the Comets, as they’ve finished in the top two the past four seasons – winning the team title in 2006.

“This is always a good tournament to start off the season,” Comets coach Brian Cesear said. “Your wrestlers are guaranteed to get a lot of matches and it allows us to work on some things we haven’t gotten to in practice. It’s good to see the positive results. It shows the kids that what we’re doing works.”

Things have never stopped working for the young crop of phenoms on Keystone’s roster. Sophomore 103-pounder Brian Spangler, twin brother William Spangler and junior James Gerken all blew through their opponents on the first night of action.

Brian Spangler opened many eyes and mouths last March as he pounded his way to a fourth-place finish in the Division II state tournament. Gerken (152 pounds) qualified to the state tournament last year, and William Spangler was a state alternate at 119 pounds.

“We all worked throughout the summer because we wanted this to be our year,” Gerken said. “The very next day after the state tournament ended, I was back on the mats. I probably worked out five days a week during the offseason.”

The Wildcats have dropped into Division III this season, which apparently isn’t a blessing for all concerned.

“I’d have liked to stay in Division II,” Brian Spangler said. “I knew the kids at that level and I felt comfortable at the sectional and district sites.”

Missing in action

Several notable area wrestlers weren’t competing Friday night:

• Defending 125-pound champion Brandon DeLorge of Avon had his season start delayed due to a knee injury. Eagles coach Joe Mauser said there is no timetable for his return.

• Defending 160-pound champion Alex Basinski of Amherst is still on the mend from a football injury. Cesear said he is hoping to have Basinski back in the lineup next week.

• Keystone district qualifier Casey Gawen was sidelined with knee inflammation, but Wildcats coach Jim Pycraft expects the 140-pounder to be back in the lineup shortly.

• Vermilion district qualifier Alex West – 112 pounds in Division II – was unable to complete after coming down with the flu, according to Sailors coach Tony Budka.

Contact Shaun Bennett at 329-7137 or sbennett@chroniclet.com.

FRIDAY’S LOCAL RESULTS

TEAM STANDINGS: Amherst 103, Bellevue 81, Port Clinton 78.5, North Ridgeville 75.5, Nordonia 75, Normandy 72, Rocky River 65.5, Lakewood 59, Keystone 54.5, Avon 53, Toledo St. John’s 51, Avon Lake 47, Holy Name 38, Oberlin 26.5, Valley Forge 20, Vermilion 20.

103 – Brian Spangler, Keystone (2-0); Drew Dickson, North Ridgeville (1-1); Tim Vidoni, North Ridgeville (1-1); Dakota Walker, Amherst (0-2); Adam Graehling, Avon Lake (0-2); Dylan Stiner, Keystone (2-0); David Tomko, Vermilion (1-1).

112 – D.J. Murdock, Avon Lake (3-0); Bobby Vedda, North Ridgeville (0-3); Mark Matos, Amherst (3-0); Frank Rodgers, North Ridgeville (1-2); Travis Harbert, Vermilion (0-3); Cole Ramsey, Avon (0-3); William Spangler, Keystone (3-0).

119 – Justin Dodge, North Ridgeville (0-2); Alex Funderberg, Amherst (1-1); David Evans, North Ridgeville (1-0).

125 – Justin Gross, Vermilion (0-2); Marc Carosella, North Ridgeville (2-0); Ben Gawen, Keystone (1-2); Costas Kocan, Amherst (3-0); Adam Barker, Avon (2-1); Mike Kosmo, Amherst (2-1); Tom Sweeney, Avon Lake (0-3).

130 – Zane Zeman, Avon (2-0); Luke Elbert, Amherst (1-1); Anthony Bartlome, Vermilion (0-3); Keyano Burgess, Avon (0-3); Erickson Andrews, Oberlin (2-1); Tom May, North Ridgeville (1-2); Nate Hart, North Ridgeville (1-2); Kevin Brunner, Avon Lake (3-0).

135 – Matt Zepp, North Ridgeville (2-0); C.J. Basinski, Amherst (3-0); Jimmy Jones, Avon Lake (0-3); Ayoub Kirresh, Avon (2-1); Kirk Foster, Keystone (3-0); Mike Troncoso, Avon Lake (2-1).

140 – Mike Sliman, Amherst (2-0); Matt Campo, Avon (1-1); Josh Kocsis, Oberlin (0-2); Austin Spenzer, Avon Lake (2-0); Ruben Soto, Avon (0-3); John Whipkey, North Ridgeville (3-0).

145 – Tom Buchanan, Keystone (1-2); Jimmy Emerson, Avon Lake (1-2); Chase Walters, North Ridgeville (1-2); Colin Styer, Oberlin (2-1); Devan Price, Amherst (3-0); Jake Johnson, Vermilion (0-3); Jim Barker, Avon (2-1).

152 – James Gerken, Keystone (3-0); Matthew Gerhardinger, Oberlin (0-3); Gabe Felici, Avon Lake (0-3); Josh Buchanan, Keystone (0-3); Kyle Jones, Amherst (2-1); Terrell Walters, North Ridgeville (1-2); Tim DiFrancesco, Avon (1-2); Anthoney Budka, Vermilion (3-0).

160 – Devin Motoc, North Ridgeville (0-3); Hayden Buckley, Avon (1-2); Jason Anthony, Vermilion (1-2); Alex O’Dor, Amherst (3-0); Mason Hart, Oberlin (0-3); Brandon Mundell, North Ridgeville (2-1).

171 – Mike Mees, North Ridgeville (3-0); Travis Klotz, Avon (2-1); Cody Smith, Oberlin (0-3); Steve Lopez, North Ridgeville (2-1); Hamza Kirresh, Avon (1-2); Ryan Kohl, Vermilion (1-2); Brian Nelson, Amherst (1-2); Ryan Fayak, North Ridgeville (1-2).

189 – Robert Carter, Vermilion (0-3); Phil Hicks, North Ridgeville (1-2); Jake Cumberledge, Amherst (3-0); Mason Bremke, Oberlin (2-1); Riley Brown, Keystone (0-3); Ben Yaggie, Avon (2-1).

215 – David Chapman, Avon (0-3); Zach Reese, North Ridgeville (1-1); Andrew Brumenschenkle, Amherst (3-0); Tyler Pigott, Oberlin (2-1); John Flesher, North Ridgeville (1-2); Vinnie Mannino, Vermilion (0-3).

HVY – Anthony Chizmadia, Keystone (3-0); Fred Breeding, Amherst (1-2); Nate Nix, North Ridgeville (0-2); Cory Frank, Avon Lake (2-0); Robert Lear, Vermilion (0-3); Patrick Arendt, Avon (0-2); Vinny Rodriguez, North Ridgeville (1-1).

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