Gryphon Wrestlers work through the Holidays

Turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, black-eyed peas, cookies and pie. Oh, that great food we all get to eat too much of during the Holidays!

School's out. Down days. Football bowl games and basketball games on the tube. We get the opportunity to kick back and take it easy during the Christmas to New Year's break, right?

Not the Gryphon wrestling team.

While we all got to eat until we burst, watch sports on television, enjoy no school days or generally do nothing but take in the "Christmas Break", the Rocky Mount wrestlers were still at work. No over indulgence in the holiday food. No down days relaxing. No weekends off. Practice. Work. Maintain the weight. Wrestle.

The Grapplers had their December 19 Milt Sherman Duals Tournament cancelled because of forecasted bad weather, but their Holiday vacation from schoolwork was jam packed with mat time. They traveled to Rosewood High on Tuesday, Dec. 22 to take on the Eagles, plus the Smithfield-Selma Spartans. They hosted the New Bern Bears on Dec. 28. Then threw in a couple of more duals on Dec. 29 against a pair of Viking squads in Greenville, when they took on host Conley and Tarboro High. Here are the results of the Gryphon holiday schedule.

Rocky Mount 64 Smithfield-Selma 12
December 22, 2009
The Spartans added the dual against the Gryphons and host Rosewood Eagles at the last minute and were without many of their regulars. Rocky Mount took full advantage and crushed the depleted Spartan squad.

The Gryphons took the 125 and 130 match by forfeit to start the match 12-0. Chandler Phillips took a major decision victory at 135 to push the Gryphon lead to 16-0.

Rocky Mount also took the 140 and 145 match by forfeit and were up 28-0 before the Spartans won by pin at 152. SSS also gave the 160 and 171 matches away by forfeit to give the Gryphs a 40-6 lead. Triple-S took the 189-pound match by pin to close the gap to 40-12.

Nathan Barbour (215) and Jamor Parker (Hwt) each won by pin, while Mason Holt took a forfeit win at 103 to extend the Gryphon lead to 58-12. A double-forfeit at 112, followed by a John Earl (119) pin put the final points on the board for the Gryphs.

Rocky Mount 42 Rosewood 37
December 22, 2009
The Eagles were ranked one spot above the Gryphons on The Takedown board going into the match, so Rocky Mount figured this would be a tough one. It was an evenly matched bout that went back and forth to the end.

Alex Knight opened up the scoring by pinning his 130-pound opponent, followed by forfeit wins by Phillips and Elliot Whitehead (140) and a quick 18-0 Gryphon lead.

The Eagles got right back into the match by winning at 145 and 152 by pins and at 160 by major decision to pull to within two points. Janicento Williamson won by pin at 172 to extend the slim Gryphon lead to 24-16, but consecutive Eagle pins at 189 and 215 put Rosewood in the lead at 28-24.

Parker (Hwt) and Holt (103) won back to back by pin to put Rocky Mount back on top 36-28. The Gryphons gave up a forfeit at 112 to let the Eagles inch back within two at 36-34. At 119, Earl clinched the match with a pin. The Gryphs lost by decision in the final, 125-pound match for the final score and win.

The Gryphons upped their team record to 7-4 with the two wins at Rosewood.

New Bern 52 Rocky Mount 24
December 28, 2009
The young Gryphons welcomed the Bears and their lofty #2 team ranking into the Rocky Mount Auxiliary gym. Both teams may have been surprised at the start of this one.

After dropping the 125 match by decision and 130 match by pin to start off the night in a 0-9 hole, Phillips got things rolling for the Gryphons by winning the 135 match by pin. The Gryphs were only down 6-9.

The match took on another back and forth tussle from there, The Bears took 140 and 152 by pin and the 160 match by major decision. The Gryphons took the 145 match by pin and were only down 12-25.

Williamson won by pin at 171 and the Bears forfeited the 189 pound match to get Rocky Mount to 24-25 at just over the half-way point.

But that would be it for the Gryphon scoring, as they dropped the next three matches by pin and the final two matches on the night by way of forfeits.

Rocky Mount 69 Tarboro 12
December 29, 2009
The Gryphons faced off against the Vikings for the second time this season. The result was another easy Rocky Mount victory.

Damien Smith (152), Willliamson (171), Adam McRea (119), Nick Westcott (125) and Phillips each took six-point wins by pin. Holt took the match's only decision (7-2).

The Vikings gave the Gryphons five forfeit wins.

Conley 41 Rocky Mount 37
December 29, 2009
Another exciting back and forth battle for the young Gryphon team. Up by two points, 37-35, the disappointed Rocky Mount squad gave the Vikings a forfeit in the final match for a close defeat.

Williamson opened the scoring for the Gryphs, winning by decision. Jeffrey Henderson was next up, and won by major decision at 189 and a 7-0 RM lead.

The Vikings took the lead by winning at 215 and Hwt. by pin, but Holt put the Gryphs back on top, 13-12, with a pin of his own. Sidorayan Petway won by forfeit at 112 for the Gryphons.

Conley took the 119 and 130 by pin and 125 by tech-fall to make the score 29-19 in favor of the Vikings.

Phillips won by way of a 14-second pin at 135 to close the gap to 25-29. But the Gryphs lost by pin at 140 to go back down by ten, 25-35.

Conley gave the Gryphons forfeit wins at 145 and 152, but the Gryphs gave up the 160 pound match for the final score.

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Rocky Mount's record stands at 8-6 as they closed out the 2009 portion of the schedule. Coach Jermaine Jones and his squad will host the Big East Conference Duals on Saturday, Jan. 9. Wrestling will start at 10 in the morning. Each team will wrestle five matches on the day.