Girard's Joey Klimenko (right) tries to take down Brookfield's Brayden Reed in the 106-pound final at the Jackson-Milton Invitational in North Jackson on Saturday.

NORTH JACKSON — Hundreds pushed through the bitter cold and snow in order to compete in or attend the annual Jackson-Milton Invitational on Saturday, which featured veterans and newcomers alike taking home first place.

While the likes of Jackson-Milton’s undefeated Jack McDevitt and state placer Aiden Stecker of Salem expectedly continued their respective strong seasons, fans were also treated to one of the most shocking results of the tournament, courtesy of South Range freshman Sam Vivo.

Facing Crestview senior Trey Horst in the championship final, Vivo appeared overwhelmed by the experience and strength of Horst, who took control of the match and found himself on the verge of pinning Vivo.

However, Vivo, despite seemingly being overmatched, got off of his back and put himself on top of Horst.

“Going into the match, I knew he was tough, strong and really fast. So I knew he was going to come out strong first period, but he made a big cut, and I knew he would gas out eventually,” Vivo said. “I felt, when he had me on his back, all that pressure coming off. And after, when I felt it, I was getting my hips up slowly, and I hurried up and threw him.”

The sudden reversal of fortunes meant that Vivo was now the one angling for the pin, while Horst was trying to survive from an unfavorable position with time on the clock.

Vivo said the crowd’s initial eruption when he flipped Horst prevented him from hearing anything other than the roar, including his coaches. Fortunately, the audience eventually quieted down just enough for the freshman to take notice and put their advice into action.

“He was so strong,” Vivo said of Horst. “It was hard to pin him. I just kept settling back, taking my time. And when I finally got him, I squeezed his head, got my elbow to the mat and I knew it was game from there.”

South Range assistant coach J.T. Seesholtz, who sat in Vivo’s corner for the final, marveled at Vivo’s ability to follow the coaches’ instructions during even the most intense moments.

“He listens,” Seesholtz said. “There’s coachable and uncoachable kids. He’s a very coachable kid, and he makes adjustments according to what we’re saying matside. And that’s hard to do because a lot of kids can’t hear because it’s so loud. For whatever reason, he’s able to lock into our voices and make those adjustments and do what he just did.”

The win marks the first in high school for Vivo, who had fallen short of a title a few times earlier this season. Girard’s Joey Klimenko knows the feeling.

A junior, Klimenko arrived at Jackson-Milton on Saturday having placed twice but never won the tournament. As a freshman, Klimenko wrestled well above his natural weight of 86 pounds while still managing to place. Last year, he improved his performance despite still wrestling about 15 pounds up.

Finally well-suited at 106 pounds, Klimenko, who said he now feels healthier, stronger and more confident, made the most of his third trip to North Jackson by routing his first three opponents before defeating Brookfield’s Brayden Reed in the final.

“He’s always been way smaller than everybody he’s wrestled,” Girard coach Jim Cardiero said. “…He’s always been a good wrestler, [but] he’s never been big enough to compete at a high level, so he’s finally there [and] he’s gonna have some success doing it.”

In addition to the physical maturation, Klimenko said he has refined his mental state wrestling over the years. While admittedly still on edge during tournaments, the Girard junior said he has come a long way in managing his nerves amid the chaotic competitions.

“I’m definitely stressful for every match. I’m worrying. I’m thinking of everything, what I have to do, what I want to do, what people want me to do and that all just impacts my performance. But I have to get in my own head and realize I just have to go out there and win,” Klimenko said.

In years past, Klimenko, one of Girard’s top performers this season, indicated he might have crumbled under the pressure he puts on himself had he not learned to manage expectations.

“My third or fourth year wrestling, I almost quit. I was done,” Klimenko said. “I was in fifth grade [and] came off of a big loss to get into state. I was devastated. I was like, ‘I’m not gonna do this next year.’ But over the years, I just kept going, kept realizing that I have to put myself through these challenges in order to prevail.”

SALEM WINS TITLE AS TEAMS PREP FOR EOWL

The Quakers of Salem dominated the competition Saturday. Salem scored 267.5 team points, nearly 100 more than second-place Girard. Stecker, Dom Jezek, Shawn German, Caleb Burt and Will Harmon led the way with first-place finishes in their respective weight classes.

Head coach Drew Hart attributed the success to a veteran-laden roster that is accustomed to the program’s goals and culture.

“We have a lot of seniors, so we got a lot of kids that came up through our program, through the youth and the junior high. Each year, it’s getting better and better. Those guys are at their peak right now, being seniors. And we’re deep at every weight class, which is nice.”

The strong showing is an encouraging sign, especially considering it is the final weekend before the Eastern Ohio Wrestling League (EOWL) tournament, annually one of the toughest events held in the Mahoning Valley. Many local teams will compete at the EOWL before attending the Top Gun tournament in Alliance the following weekend, both of which they hope will prepare themselves for the quickly approaching postseason.

“It’s all prep for the end of the year, and that’s kind of how we treat it with our boys too,” Jackson-Milton head coach Brian Weidenthal said. “Obviously, we want to come in and compete, wrestle tough and win matches, but at the end of the day, it’s kind of about getting back to the drawing board and seeing what we got to do to fix areas of weakness, excelling in the areas of strength and keep moving forward.”

The EOWL tournament will be hosted on Friday and Saturday at Austintown Fitch.

MAHONING VALLEY PLACERS

106: Joey Klimenko, Girard (first place); Brayden Reed, Brookfield (second place); Ralph Stellato, South Range (third place); Luke Bezilla, Salem (fourth place); Kellin Williams, Western Reserve (fifth place); Devin Pal, South Range (sixth place).

113: Caleb Marrison, Pymatuning Valley (second place).

120: Dom Jezek, Salem (first place); Dionte Matthews, Girard (second place); Donovan O’Brien, Brookfield (third place); Brady Backlawsk, Western Reserve (sixth place).

126: Sam Vivo, South Range (first place); Trey Horst, Crestview (second place); Santino Serrano, Girard (fifth place); Hunter Johnson, Jackson-Milton (sixth place).

132: Caleb Burt, Salem (first place); Lucian Carl, Girard (second place); Jayden Scott, Jackson-Milton (third place); Scott Leach, South Range (fourth place); Niko Fasick, Girard (fifth place).

138: Jakob Deluca, Poland (first place); Joe Montgomery, Grand Valley (third place); Teagan Knight, Pymatuning Valley (fourth place).

144: Jack McDevitt, Jackson-Milton (first place); Joey Kana, Salem (second place); Trevor McElhaney, Crestview (third place); Brawley McCowien, Pymatuning Valley (fifth place).

150: Shawn German, Salem (first place); Bennett Claypoole, Pymatuning Valley (second place); Tyler Millerleile, Poland (third place); Noah Popson, Jackson-Milton (fifth place); Josh Smith, Crestview (sixth place).

157: Will Harmon, Salem (first place); Edward Stachowicz, South Range (second place); Bo Julian, Crestview (third place); Damion Shoff, Pymatuning Valley (fourth place); Vinnie Ragozine, Girard (fifth place).

165: Zach Ward, Girard (first place); Brock Piatt, Jackson-Milton (second place); Brandon Kana, Salem (third place); Caleb Sinn, Western Reserve (fourth place); Forest Portman, Salem (fifth place); Mackston Ellis, Salem (sixth place).

175: Aiden Stecker, Salem (first place); Savva Direnzo, Poland (second place); Tucker Steiner, Girard (third place); Ryan Waldo, Grand Valley (fourth place); Johnny Tomaino, South Range (fifth place).

190: Brennan Moore, Pymatuning Valley (first place); Vinny Tufaro, Poland (second place); Ayden Patchin, Salem (third place); Dom Bailey, South Range (fourth place); Xavier Winner, South Range (fifth place); Dresmond Jennings, Western Reserve (sixth place).

215: John Finello, Pymatuning Valley (first place); Hunter Taylor, Western Reserve (second place); Dom Porter, Jackson-Milton (third place); David Mayhew, Salem (fifth place).

285: Donte Pipkins, Salem (second place); Cole Capelli, Jackson-Milton (third place); Logan Sheen, Salem (fourth place); Michael Uplinger, South Range (fifth place).