In the first year of the Mark Skonieczny era for the Streetsboro Rockets’ wrestling team, his squad qualified nine wrestlers to the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division II district meet but only one advanced to the state meet. According to Skonieczny, the Rockets had a few wrestlers who squandered their chances to become state qualifiers and does not plan to let history repeat itself this season.
“It was an eye-opener, especially for some of the guys that have never made it to the district that made it down last year and have set their goals this year to get out. Seeing their teammates not get out just lets everybody know there are no guarantees,” the second-year coach told The Weekly Villager on Nov. 30. “You have to start earning it from day one. It is a tough district, and you have to come in there healthy with both guns a blazing.”
The Rockets enter the season with a distinct change in the landscape to Division II, as defending team champion St. Paris Graham has been transferred to Division III, but will now face the likes of Perry, who was the 2024 Division III sectional and district champions and also Chardon, which recorded a fourth-place finish at the 2024 Division I sectional tournament.
The Rockets will benefit from some continuity, only graduating three seniors who were district qualifiers last year, while six who qualified will return.
In addition to having a wealth of returning district qualifiers, Skonieczny added that Streetsboro will have more depth in the line-up, fielding a staunch collection of wrestlers from the 106-pound weight class all the way to the 175-pound weight class. While the heavyweights remain thin, he added that the team has received an infusion of talent in the other upper weights which will make Streetsboro a more complete team.
Streetsboro’s most experienced wrestlers returning this season are sophomore 113-pounder Jarreau Walker, junior 132-pounder and 2024 state placer Anthony Sindelar, senior 165-pounder Cohen Klimak and senior 120-pounder Matt Klimak.
For the sophomore Walker (31-1), he has unfinished business.
Last season, he earned a state bid in the 106-pound weight class by being crowned the district champion but was stripped of his state berth being assessed his second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty following his victory in the district championship bout, which ended his season. After experiencing a bitter end to his freshman season, Skonieczny said that Walker is ready for redemption.
“Jarreau is that big bonus guy for us. Whether or not we win that first weight class or not, he will get us bonus points in that second match,” Skonieczny noted. “He is always fun to watch. When he wrestles, he wrestles hard and is fun to watch.”
The 132-pounder Sindelar (44-9) will be moving up two weight classes from his previous weight class in his sophomore year with an eye toward reaching the state championship after a breakout sophomore campaign and being Streetsboro’s lone representative at the state meet.
“Anthony is pretty much a state finalist or bust this year,” Skonieczny noted. “He made it down and got on the award stand and now he has to make it to the finals. That’s the mindset I make him have.”
After recording his 100th career victory last year, Cohen (39-8) returns for his final year having just missed out on nabbing his third straight state berth last year when he finished as a state alternate.
“I will tell you it is placing or bust,” said Skonieczny. “He is an extreme athlete, he had an amazing year at quarterback and ran for 1900 yards as a quarterback. He just needs to put his final season together and if things go the way you expect them to go, he should be a top 6 guy in Columbus.”
Matt (25-15), Cohen’s cousin, will also play a bigger role this year after finishing as a district qualifier for the first time in his varsity career last season.
“Matt was at 120 last year and he had a great year at 120, but Anthony dropped to 120 last year so had to jump up and wrestle at 126 later in the season and made it out of the sectionals and made it down to the district meet,” Skonieczny said. “He is one that we feel is on the bubble and can make it to Columbus.”
Some underclassmen will also take the reins this season to make their mark including sophomore 106-pounder John Bollinger (7-7), freshman 126-pounder Brayden Kittle (0-0), freshman 144-pounder Mason Giambrone (0-0) and sophomore 175-pounder John Martin (0-0).
Streetsboro’s season begins when it competes at the North Coast Classic at the Independence Fieldhouse on Friday at 7:30 a.m.
