The Gryphon wrestling team pulled out of the Rocky Mount High parking lot at six a.m. Saturday morning. It was an early start on a below freezing morning. The bus would not pull back into that same parking lot until just after 11:30 that night.
The day was mixed with successes, failures, highs, lows, bruises, scrapes and bloody noses. Not to mention the occasional nap on the gymnasium floor or in the bleachers. In the end, most of the guys had wrestled four or five matches, with several placing in the top three in their divisions. Those efforts gave the Gryphs a fourth place finish as a team.
Long day. Tough day. Good day. Wrestling day.
Not sure why I still need to refer to pre-season rankings when we are halfway or better through the season, other than I cannot locate any updates from those who do those sorts of things. But at least that gives you an idea of the competition the Gryphons have been going up against this year.
Coach Jermaine Jones has always believed that you don't get better by beating up on inferior competition, you go out there and compete with the big boys. You learn more by losing than by winning, as the saying goes.
The Edenton-Holmes Aces, ranked (Pre-Season) #8 in 2A, invited some very good competion into their house for this one. The Currituck Knights, who ended up on top of the heap this time around, were ranked #4 3A in the East. (RMHS was ranked #8 3A East). The Pasquotank Panthers (#4 2A East), First Flight Nighthawks (#5 2A East) and Louisburg Warriors (#3 1A East) were all competing. Also there was Manteo High (who always seem to have only a half team, but individually are very good wrestlers), North Pitt Panthers, Northeastern Eagles and Apex - what a ride from Wake County!
Ahmir Scott won all four of his matches by pin to take first place in the 112 pound weight division and Francisco Alfaro took first place by winning all five of his matches at 130.
Dedrick Silver took home a second place medal at 171 by going 2-2. Silver won his first two matches of the day before falling by a single point. The loss halted an impressive 14 wins in a row to open his season.
Daryl Cross lost a coin flip to finish third. Yes, a coin flip.
NCHSAA rules limit wrestlers to 5 matches in a day. Daryl was 3-2 in a tough 189 pound division where a couple of wrestlers had tied with the same record. Since they could not wrestle, it was decided off the mat. (This account is not official, only my assessment of the circumstances).
Guy Williamson finished 3-1 to take third at 215, while Johnny Stewart finished in third by going 3-2 on the day.
Ezekial Thorne, Chandler Phillips, J K Williamson each went 2-2 for the tournament.
If Jones does not come up with a surprise match this week, the Gryphons will be on the practice mat until Saturday, January 10, when the second round of the NEW 6 Conference Duels will be at Northern Nash High School.
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