Ohio State vs. Kent State Highlights

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Lakeside Picture

Ashtabula Star Beacon

Article from local paper about the match:
December 8, 2011

Split city

Lakeside matmen clip Euclid, but bow to North

By BOB ETTINGER
For the Star Beacon
SAYBROOK TOWNSHIP — The Lakeside wrestling got something valuable from both a win and a loss at its tri-match with Euclid and North on Wednesday night at Lakeside Gymnasium.

We had eight freshmen in the lineup tonight,” Lakeside coach Pat Ryan said. “They got some varsity experience. The only way to learn is to be on the mat period. You’re not learning anything if you’re not out wrestling.”

The Dragons (1-1, 0-1 in Premier Athletic Conference) downed Euclid, 45-33, before falling to PAC rival North, 40-21. The Rangers (2-0) beat Euclid, 42-27, in the other match of the evening.

Lakeside opened the tri-match with its victory over the Panthers, but had to fight from behind to do so. Euclid led, 21-12 behind pins from Jeremy Adkins (120 pounds) and Mauryce Starks (132), a technical fall from Darsheed Mustafa (138) and a major decision from Ebrahim Elbagory (106). The Dragons’ Tyler Newsome (113) accepted a forfeit and Keith Griffin (126) had a pin.

The Dragons claimed victories in six of the final eight weight classes for the win.

“We have a lot more experience in the upper weights than in the lower weights,” Ryan said. “Once we’re down to the weights we need to be at, we’ll be a much stronger team.”

“We’re young and this was our first meet,” Euclid coach Mike Turk said. “A lot of teams opened the season last week. This was our first event. That’s going to happen. We had nine sophomores in the lineup with one senior and three juniors.

“I did ike that they competed and didn’t back down. I definitely saw more negatives than positives.”

Joe Kangas started the roll with a pin at 145 pounds and Riley Dell kept it going with a pin at 152 pounds. Otis Conel (170) accepted a forfeit, Justin Wheeler (182) had a pin, Kyle Conel (195) won a decision and heavyweight ChuckMorgan had a pin.

Following the victory, Lakeside had a lengthy wait as the Panthers and Rangers battled it out.Six Rangers — Shane McLaughlin (113), Eric Elchisin (126), Brian Patfield (132), Spencer Kordic (145), Ron Bolden (152) and Jake Ziegler (182) — won with pins.

“Yesterday, we spent all practice worwking on top stuff and turns,” North coach Mark Adkins said. “We practiced after school today and worked on top stuff and turns.

“I’ve been telling the guys that if we get them to their backs, we have got to pin them. They may not get another opportunity to score six points for the team.”

In the final contest of the evening, the Dragons fell behind, 31-0, before Otis Conel accepted a forfeit at 170 pounds. Wheeler had a pin, Kyle Conel earned a decision at 220 pounds and Morgan took a forfeit.

“It helped us learn that even when we have the momentum, they have to keep their focus and concentrate on winning each and every match,” Adkins said.

“They’re a lot stronger and more aggressive than we are,” Ryan said .”We’re still learning. I think (our guys) experienced a little humility tonight. They learned you jsu tcan’t quit. They learned you just can’t go out and muscle guys because you have to wrestle guys two and three years older.”       

Ettinger is a freelance writer from Ashtabula.

Lakeside and North

Last night we kicked off the season in Ashtabula with duals against Lakeside and North. Below is the morning announcement that was read during 2nd period today;
"The wrestling team kicked off the season last night in Ashtabula with matches against Lakeside and Eastlake North.  Each were hard fought battles, but the grapplers dropped both decisions, 45 to 33 and 42 to 27.  Positives for the Panthers were Jeremy Adkins, Darsheed Mustafa, and Noah Brown winning both matches to go 2 and zero on the year so far.  Other wrestlers picking up their first wins of the season were Ebraham Elbagory, Maurryce Starks, James Henderson, and Linje Ross.  Senior Rynell Roper stood out with his two victories because, in doing so, he passed former wrestler Joe Tucceri as our schools' all-time leader in career wins.  Rynell has now has had his hand raised 110 times in victory! Congratulations Rynell! The wrestlers are next in action at the Painesville Riverside Rumble this Friday and Saturday. Go get'em Panthers!"
We still have work to do to get to where we need to be. Practice will be short but intense today as we prepare for the Riverside Rumble.

Week 1

This opening week takes us to Ashtabula on Wednesday to face Lakeside and North. Then on Friday and Saturday we travel to Painesville for the Riverside Rumble. Good Luck Panthers!

Nasty Pancake to Pin

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Dirty Flo Scramble

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Former Panther Wrestler in the News

Jason Russell Goes 4-0 to Lead ‘Berg Grapplers at Olivet (Mich.) Duals

Match Results vs. Wisconsin – LaCrosse | Match Results vs. Alma (Mich.) | Match Results vs. Trine (Ind.) | Match Results vs. North Central (Ill.)
OLIVET, Mich.—Sophomore 184-pounder Jason Russell (Columbus West) went 4-0 wrestling in the 197-pound weight class to lead the Heidelberg University wrestling team to a 2-2 record today at the Olivet (Mich.) College Duals at the Cutler Event Center in Olivet, Mich. The Student Princes fell to University of Wisconsin – LaCrosse, 28-9; won two straight matches against Trine (Ind.) University, 28-23 and Alma (Mich.) College, 21-18; and lost to North Central (Ill.) College, 22-20. First-year head coach Ned Shuck notched his first two dual-match wins at the helm of the program.
Russell won his four matches four different ways, posting a decision and major decision against LaCrosse and Alma, respectively, and pinning Maxwell Begovich of Trine in 3:36 and recording a technical fall against Dylan Mahler of North Central in 5:19.
Junior 149-pounder Andrew Johnson (Weston/Ostego) pinned two opponents, Forrest Romer of Trine in 3:06 and Blake Olson of North Central in 2:52, and tallied an 11-2 major decision in his match against James Carey of Alma.

Freshman 165-pounder Dylan Norwood (Euclid) also recorded a pin, taking down Brandon McLaughlin of Alma in 6:57, just before the third period buzzed sounded.

Sophomore 125-pounder Delian Schneider (Tiffin/Columbian) recorded a 9-8 decision and 13-5 major decision in his first two matches.
Also recording wins were senior 133-pounder Tom D’Alessandro (Mayfield/Mayfield Heights), sophomore 141-pounder Chris Osborne (McComb), sophomore 157-pounder Justin Wharton (Oregon/Clay) and sophomore 165-pounder Jake Cochran (West Jefferson).
The ‘Berg grapplers will enjoy a two-week layoff before competing at the Ohio Northern University Invitational on Dec. 3.

Additional Contact Information: 

For more information on Heidelberg athletics, contact director of sports information & athletic marketing Andrew Middleman at (419) 448-2140 or amiddlem@heidelberg.edu.

Jordan Burroughs - Athlete of the Year Candidate

Beat the Streets 74kg - Jordan Burroughs vs. Aniuar Geduev

Jordan Burroughs: Double Trouble

Swing Single Low Finish

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Stephen Neal: Shoot for the Stars

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Sweep Single

First Day of Practice

The first day of practice is here!

There are no losers in wrestling, just winners and learners.- Unknown

Let's Do It!

Former wrestler in starting line-up tonight!

Heidelberg Wrestling Team to Host Olivet (Mich.) in Dual Match Tuesday TIFFIN, Ohio—The Heidelberg University wrestling team will open its home schedule and dual match slate Tuesday, Nov. 8 when it hosts Olivet (Mich.) College in a non-conference dual match at Seiberling Gymnasium in Tiffin, Ohio at 7 p.m. The Student Princes are coming off 20th place finishes (among 24 teams) in both the freshman/sophomore (85 points) and open (13 points) divisions at the Eastern Michigan Open in Ypsilanti on Saturday. Sophomore Jeremy Stepp (Cincinnati/Princeton) posted a fourth-place finish, going 3-2 and tallying 15 points, at 184 pounds to lead the team. Tomorrow’s match is the first of nine dual matches on the 2011-12 slate, including returning a trip to Olivet to compete at the Olivet Duals on Nov. 19. Probable Starters 125: Robbie Bidlingmaier vs. Delian Schneider 133: Kam Olsen vs. Tom D'Alessandro/Steve Harmon 141: Kenny Richmond vs. Chris Osborne 149: Gage Pederson vs. Andrew Johnson/JC Giffin 157: Steven Mena/Dan Fleet vs. Justin Wharton 165: James Myers vs. Dylan Norwood 174: Trevor Tyler vs. Jake Cochran 184: Josh Crawford vs. Jeremy Stepp 197: Justin Leonard vs. Jason Russell 285: Logan Renas vs. Jerry Knapp Good Luck Dylan! Make Euclid proud!

Almost time!

Wrestling season is almost upon us. The first official practice is on Friday November 11th from 2:45 to 5:15. This is a reminder that all forms must be turned in by then. Can't wait to see you there!

Mitch Clark Highlight Video at 2009 Sports Outreach Banquet

JUNIOR WORLD FS: Asgarov (AZE) dec. Stieber (USA), 60 kg finals

Cookin' in Cleveland 3 (Cookin' Dance)

Dylan Norwood WMaj 9to0 vs Quemonte Leonard (BEDFORD) 171

Rynell Roper WDec 4to3 vs Nick Kaczkowski (Olentangy Liberty) 160

Lance "the Party" Palmer !!!

Jeremy Adkins WDec 3to1 vs Tyler Talley (BEDFORD) 112

Linje Ross WPin vs Antwand Hill (BEDFORD) 285

Rynell Roper WMaj 11to3 vs Quemonte Leonard (BEDFORD) 160

Zak Adkins WPin 52sec vs Davon Norflet (BEDFORD) 145

David Cozart WPin vs Justin Santiago (CONNEAUT) 152

Dylan Norwood WPin 43sec vs Harley Seegart (CONNEAUT) 171

Linje Ross WPin 11sec vs Joe Rozalski (CONNEAUT) 285

Zak Adkins WPin vs Hunter Lahti (CONNEAUT) 145

Lamar Gunter WMaj 12to3 vs Kyle Spragg (CONNEAUT) 189

Jeremy Adkins WPin vs Ethan Graner (CONNEAUT) 112

Linje Ross WDec 3to2 vs Eric Hawk (GENEVA) 285

Darsheed Mustafa WDec 9to2 vs SCOTTI WARNER (GENEVA) 130

Dylan Norwood WPin vs Leon Hunt (GENEVA) 171

Zak Adkins WPin vs Jason Huelskamp (GENEVA) 145

Noah Brown WPin vs Timothy Pumphrey (GENEVA) 215

David Cozart WPin vs R Kramer (BENEDICTINE) 152

Zak Adkins WPin vs Z ZIPPERT (BENEDICTINE) 145

Lamar Gunter WPin vs josh Landon (BEDFORD) 189

Linje Ross WPin vs DESHONTE DAVIS (LORAIN) 285

Darsheed Mustafa WDec 3to1 vs Damon McIntosh (BEDFORD) 130

Lamar Gunter WDec 8to3 vs Josh Landon (BEDFORD) 189

Rynell Roper WDec 6to2 vs MICHAEL HAUMESSER (NORMANDY) 160

Darsheed Mustafa WPin vs JEFF DELEPENIA (JOHN MARSHALL) 130

David Cozart WDec 6to5 vs LUKE GLASKO (NORMANDY) 152

David Cozart WDec 9to4 vs CARL WEAVER (SHELBY) 152

Dylan Norwood WPin vs DEVON BLYTHEWOOD (BEDFORD) 171

Dylan Norwood WPin vs JOE LIPSTER (CANTON GLEN OAK) 171

Zak Adkins WPin vs Mukaddim Mukaddimov (Dayton Horizon) 145

Zak Adkins WPin vs RYAN GALLAGHER (VASJ) 145

Darsheed Mustafa WPin vs Sherau Shakhmanderov (Dayton Horizon) 130

David Cozart WPin vs Dzafar Salamav (Dayton Horizon) 152

Dylan Norwood WPin 34sec vs Andre Martin (VASJ) 171

Dylan Norwood WPin 41sec vs Redvon Ridvonoff (Dayton Horizon) 171

Linje Ross WPin 14sec vs Corey Adams (Dayton Horizon) 285

Mike Figer WPin 56sec vs Kahmal Shakhmanderov (Dayton Horizon) 119

Rynell Roper WPin vs Paul Rini (VASJ) 160

Dylan Norwood WPin vs KAI HAAVISTO (Wickliffe) 171

Jeremy Adkins WPin vs COREY BALLINGER (AKRON KENMORE) 112

Noah Brown WPin vs CARL HAMPTON (JOHN MARSHALL) 215

Rynell Roper WDec 7to2 vs Quemonte Leonard (BEDFORD) 160

Rynell Roper WPin vs Anthony Horton (JOHN MARSHALL) 160

Zak Adkins WPin vs OSCAR NEUHAUS (ORANGE) 145

Anthony Martin WPin vs Rico Ritunna (Brookfield) 112

Dylan Norwood WDec 12to5 vs Tim Streisel (MADISON) 171

Rynell Roper WDec 6to3 vs Wright Ryan (GENEVA) 160

Rynell Roper WMaj 9to0 vs Matt Scott (BRUSH) 160

Ebrahim Elbagory WPin vs Maritza Rosa (Rhodes) 103

Lamar Gunter WDec 3to2 vs David Jamieson (Brookfield) 189

Noah Brown WDec 14to7 vs Sigi Martinez (Harvey) 215

Rynell Roper WDec 11to5 vs DAN LAND (MADISON) 160

Reggie Phillips WPin vs Nate Spickler (EDGEWOOD) 135

Rynell Roper WPin vs Tino Vargas (Harvey) 160

Zak Adkins WPin vs Mike Duffy (WEST GEAUGA) 145

Donovan Hobbs WPin vs Nick Tyson (GIRARD) 130

Dylan Norwood WPin vs Joe Karlen (WEST BRANCH) 171

Dylan Norwood WPin vs John Findley (Lorain) 171

Dylan Norwood WPin vs Josh Rivers (LIBERTY) 171

Dylan Norwood WTec 17to2 vs James Hawk (GENEVA) 171

Jeremy Adkins WPin vs Lewis Deak (PERRY) 112

Kevin Leonard WDec 8to5 vs Brandon Jefferson (LIBERTY) 140

Lamar Gunter WDec 8to7 vs Steve Arlesic (EDGEWOOD) 189

Linje Ross WPin 45 seconds vs Jason Velasquez (Poland) 285

Rynell Roper WMaj 14to3 vs ALEC REESE (RIVERSIDE) 160

Lamar Gunter WDec vs David Dombrosky (RIVERSIDE) 189

Lamar Gunter WPin vs josh Landon (BEDFORD) 189

Euclid Wrestling Sports Banquet Awards

Here are the award winners from our end of the year banquet:
Most Valuable Wrester: Rynell Roper
Senior Awards: Lamar Gunter, Zak Adkins, Dylan Norwood, Robert Reeves, David Cozart
Most Pins: Zak Adkins
Most Improved: Dylan Norwood
1st Team L.E.L.: Dylan Norwood
2nd Team L.E.L.: Rynell Roper
3rd Team L.E.L.: Zak Adkins
Clockwatcher of the Year: Lamar Gunter
Porker of the Year: Linje Ross
"Assistant" Coach of the Year: Dylan Norwood
Fastest Fall: Linje Ross
Team Motivator: Zak Adkins
Most Courageous: Ebrahim Elbagory
Underdog Match Winner: Dylan Norwood
Key Match: Jeremy Adkins
Most Escapes: Zak Adkins
Most Reversals: Rynell Roper, Dylan Norwood
Most Penalties: Ebrahim Elbagory, Rynell Roper, Dylan Norwood
Most Likely to be a WWE Villain Award: Linje Ross
Chris Tucker Award: Noah Brown
Steven Tyler Award: Dylan Norwood
Where's Your Head At?: Kevin Leonard
@#?! Award: Noah Brown
Team Sacrifice: Mike Hobson
Ladies Man: Ebrahim Elbagory
Rookie of the Year: Jeremy Adkins
Beast Award: Anthony Martin
Panther Award: Darsheed Mustafa
Physical Fitness Award: Darsheed Mustafa
Adversity Award: Lamar Gunter
Resiliency Award: Mike Hobson
Coaches Award: Robert Reeves, Rynell Roper, Ebrahim Elbagory

Zak Adkins WDec 3to2 vs Tyler Pidgeon (WEST BRANCH) 145

Rynell Roper WPin vs Devon Frye (GIRARD) 160

Zak Adkins WDec 9to4 vs Tyler Pidgeon (WEST BRANCH) 145

Zak Adkins WMaj 13 to 3 vs Tom Gucciardo (RIVERSIDE) 145

Zak Adkins WPin vs Jorge Mantilla (Kirtland) 145

Rynell Roper LDec 6to4 vs Aaron Walden (Mason) 160

Rynell Roper WPin vs C Azzarello (BENEDICTINE) 160

Rynell Roper WDec 5to3 vs RYAN WRIGHT (GENEVA) 160

Lamar Gunter WPin vs C Kilbane (BENEDICTINE) 189

Dylan Norwood WDec 9to2 vs P Smith (BENEDICTINE) 171

Dylan Norwood WPin vs Josh Landon (BEDFORD) 171

Lamar Gunter WDec 6to1 vs DEVON BLYTHEWOOD (BEDFORD) 189

Darsheed Mustafa WDec 10to6 vs Graig Snovak (Austintown Fitch) 130

Rynell Roper WDec 10to5 vs Tevin Harvey (Barbarton) 160

Dylan Norwood WPin vs Brett Beadling (Jackson) 171

Zak Adkins WDec 6to4 vs Daniel Lynch (St Ignatius) 145

Rynell Roper WDec 7to5 vs Ethan Janesz St Ignatius 160

Rynell Roper WDec 5to3 vs Zach Ellsworth (Wooster) 160

Rynell Roper WDec 11to6 vs Shiloh SmallsMoore (Solon) 160

Dylan Norwood WDec 5to3 vs Raemell Shephard (GARFIELD HEIGHTS) 171

Darsheed Mustafa WPin vs Marlin Stradford (BEDFORD) 130

Darsheed Mustafa WDec 6to5 vs Nathaneil Sharp John Adams 130

FloCenter

Darsheed Mustafa WDec 12-11 vs. Jairod James (BEDFORD) 130

Reggie Phillips WPin 2:51 vs. Marlin Stradford (BEDFORD) 135

Zak Adkins WPin 1:26 vs. BEDFORD145

David Cozart WPin 2:50 vs. Thomas Grove (BEDFORD) 152

Rynell Roper: States Interview

Rynell Roper News Herald Player of the Week Interview 2/18/11

160lb. Rynell Roper 3rd Place Mentor District

stevowrestle5: beast!!!!!!!

Week Ten: Sectionals

Sectionals week is what the team has been building towards all season. It is a fresh start. Records do not matter. Lose and go home. Win and move on.
Our team took that challenge to heart and scored 105 points, good enough for a 7th place finish. One year after a poor finish, and only one District qualifier, we rebounded with 5 district qualifiers this year. That is the highest total since 2002 for the team and quite an accomplishment.
Those moving on are Sophomore Darsheed Mustafa, for the first time, Junior Rynell Roper, and Seniors Lamar Gunter, Dylan Norwood, and Zak Adkins. Darsheed finished in 4th in a very tough 130lb. division. Rynell finished in second, with his only loss to a 3-time state placer from Mayfield by a 8-3 decision. Zak was battling illness all week and did what he needed to do to advance with a top four finish. Dylan continued to wrestle well and put a tough semi-final loss behind him to finish in 3rd. Lamar also had a tough loss in the semis but rebounded for a 3rd. They both will go to districts for the first time.
We had another three wrestlers finish in 6th and they were all one match away from advancing. Those wrestlers, Jeremy Adkins, Linje Ross, and Ebrahim Elbagory, will be leaned upon in the coming years.
Overall, the team performed very well and we seem to be peaking at the right time. Good luck at Districts!

Week Nine: VASJ

On Friday, we had a short trip over to VASJ for what has become an annual match on the last week of the season, ala Ohio State vs. Michigan. It was supposed to be a quad. with Shaw, Cleveland Hts., and us, however, Shaw and Cleveland Hts. cancelled. VASJ brought in Dayton Horizon, coached by a former VASJ heavyweight. We took on a depleted Horizon in the second match and destroyed them to the score of 78-6. We won 13 of 14 weight classes, one match away from a shut out.
The headliner was taking on VASJ, a team that we have not defeated in three years. We started the match with two forfeits from VASJ to take a 12-0 lead. The next match, Freshman Mike Figer wrestled to a hard fought 6-0 decision in a loss. Score after 3 matches, Euclid 12, VASJ 3. Freshman Jared Clinton also dropped the next match by fall. Score Euclid 12, VASJ 9. Reggie Phillips took the forfeit at 130 that allowed us to extend our lead to 18-9. We took a gamble at 135 and bumped Darsheed Mustafa up a weight to face Russell Harrison of VASJ. Darsheed took a tough 12-3 major decision loss and VASJ was down only 18-13. Once again they had to forfeit a weight and we extended our lead 24-13, all on forfeits. Zak Adkins was the first wrestler to get us on the board with a 1:26 pin of his VASJ foe. However, he lost a team point by throwing his headgear to the bench. Score Euclid 29, VASJ 13. Next up was another senior, David Cozart, who took an early lead before running out of gas and losing by fall. Euclid 29, VASJ 19. Rynell Roper got us back on track with a third period pin over a game opponent. Euclid 35, VASJ 19. Next, Senior Dylan Norwood attacked his opponent for a quick first period pin. Euclid 41, VASJ 19. Mike Hobson, subbing for Lamar Gunter, took on VASJ state qualifier, Phil Wellington and took one for the team. He was dismantled and pinned in the second period. Euclid 41, VASJ 25. Next up was Noah Brown who was also taken out by his VASJ foe in a first period pin. Euclid 41, VASJ 31. The last match was another forfeit to make the final score Euclid 47, VASJ 31. Nice win Panthers!
With the two victories, the Panthers finish 14-8 in dual meets on the season.

Not a good way to lose a championship!

North Dakota team's title run ended by a raccoon on a bus

By Cameron Smith

The Carrington (N.D.) High wrestling team never got a shot to defend its run of three consecutive Region 2 dual tournament titles, yet the reason it missed out had nothing to do with any ineligible player or poor results. Rather, the team was foiled by an uninvited visitor on its bus to the event: A wild raccoon.

According to the Grand Forks Herald and the Associated Press, among other outlets, Carrington was getting ready to compete at the duals championship when administrators discovered the team had been exposed to the animal on the ride from Carrington to Grafton, N.D., where the event was being held. With no time to assess whether any athletes had been in direct contact with the raccoon -- or whether the animal had rabies -- school officials immediately pulled the team out of the event to ensure that it wouldn't put any other wrestlers at risk. No players were bitten or scratched by the animal, but it was unknown if the raccoon was rabid, meaning that officials couldn't ensure opposing wrestlers would be safe from risk if the event continued as scheduled.

"We (school administrators) found out as the tournament was going on that while our students were on the way to the event, they were exposed to a raccoon," Carrington school superintendent Brian Duchscherer told the Herald. "Once we found that out, we didn't know if there was the potential of spreading anything, if the raccoon had rabies or not, so we decided to bring our kids home."

While the incident certainly provides a new watershed moment for "strangest self-disqualification from a postseason tournament," it actually gets even stranger when details surrounding the encounter are explored. According to the Herald, the team's coaches learned that there was a raccoon on the bus when their athletes picked up the animal, believing it was dead.

The decision to pick up a dead wild animal is questionable enough, but what the team's coaches decided to do next is arguably more bizarre: Instead of immediately removing the animal from the bus, they decided to move it to rear storage area instead.

That's right, the Carrington wrestling team knowingly rolled along to the Region 2 duals championship in the full knowledge that they had a wild animal in the back of the bus, dead or alive. In fact, it was only when the team arrived in Grafton that they discovered the animal was quite alive, as it trotted off the bus calmly after the storage area was opened, eluding capture to prevent any rabies testing that would have possibly cleared the way for the team to compete.

Final score: Raccoon 1, Carrington Wrestling 0.

Instead, the entire team got back on the bus and headed back to Carrington, sans raccoon and sans region championship trophy. As a result, the Cardinals will enter 2011-12 looking to regain the Region 2 duals title rather than defend it, with North Boder-Cavalier now the standing champions after victory by forfeit on Saturday.

The new champions may have been the big winners from the weekend's bizarre bus incident, but the raccoon itself was clearly a close second. Given it's performance at playing possum, perhaps it should be nominated for some kind of an animal kingdom Oscar.

Week Nine: L.E.L. Home match

In the last home match of the year and on Senior Parents night we had a night of ups and downs. To begin the night, the Panthers were handily defeated by newly crowned L.E.L. champs, Lorain Titans. It is their first year as a newly merged high school of the old Southview powerhouse and Admiral King. They went 8-0 in the L.E.L. and have won three tournaments this winter. Picking up victories, in the 59-18 loss, were Rynell Roper, Dylan Norwood, and Linje Ross, all by pins.
Next Seniors were honored along with their families for Senior Parent Night. Lamar Gunter had his father, Steve escort him to the center of the mat. David Cozart was escorted by mother Christine Kelly and grandfather Gary Pringle, who was a member of Euclid's 1958 OHSAA State Championship wrestling team. Dylan Norwood was escorted by parents by Eva and Desmond Davis. Zak Adkins and parents Kelly and Mischa Adkins, and also grandmother Agnus Adkins, were last to cross the mat for senior night.
Inspired by the seniors, and wanting to send them home with a victory in their last home match, Bedford jumped out to a quick 9-0 lead. We tied it up with a late decision by Darsheed Mustafa and pin by Freshman Reggie Phillips. Bedford took the lead again with a pin at 140, before the Panthers roared back and put the match out of reach with victories by pins from Zak Adkins and David Cozart, and decisions from Rynell Roper and Lamar Gunter. Bedford won at 215 and 285, but the match was already Euclid's. It ended with forfeit victories at 103 and 112 going to the Panthers, making the final score 46-24.
The Panthers are now 12-8 overall and 5-3 in the L.E.L., good for 4th place in the league. The team finishes the regular season tonight at VASJ against Shaw, Cleveland Heights, and the host Vikings.

Interesting Move: Inside Stand-up to Opponents Back

Week Nine: Preview

As we enter the last week of the season, we will finish with two intense days of varsity wrestling. Currently, the team has a 4-2 record in the L.E.L. and 11-7 overall. This week determines if we finish above .500 a year after a 3-20 finish.
On Thursday, we have the last home match of the year. Lorain and Bedford visit in the last match of the L.E.L. season. Dylan Norwood is still undefeated in the 171 pound weight class. Zak Adkins and Rynell Roper each have one loss. They all will be wrestling for all-L.E.L. honors. We will take on Lorain at 5:30 pm in the East Gym. Lorain and Bedford will then wrestle. Then after Senior Night recognition, the Panthers will take on the Bearcats in a rematch of the 3rd place match at the Geneva T.K. Duals.
On Friday, we will take the short bus ride to VASJ for a quad with Shaw, Cleveland Heights, and the host Vikings. We narrowly defeated Shaw, by two points, in January, and Cleveland Heights 66-16 in our first home match. We have not defeated VASJ for three years. They won the last two years. The matches start at 6:00 pm in the Purple Palace.
On Saturday, the J.V. wrestlers will be in action at the L.E.L. J.V. tournament at Shaker Heights beginning at 9:00 am.

Euclid Observer article

The following story will be featured on the Euclid Observer's website. Writer John Sheridan came to practice to take pictures for a story on the team in early January. The Euclid Observer is a free newspaper that is distributed throughout the city. Their printed paper is on hiatus until March.



Panther Wrestlers Spark a Turnaround

By John Sheridan

Last winter, the Euclid Panther wrestling squad posted a rather dismal 3-20 dual meet record. But, oh, how things have changed over the course of a year.

Following a 48-27 victory over Shaker Heights on Jan. 20, Coach Mike Turk’s matmen were sporting a very respectable 8-4 mark, 4-0 in the Lake Erie League. Their winning momentum continued in a five-team dual meet tourney at Geneva, where they chalked up triumphs over Conneaut, Bedford, and Benedictine to boost their overall record to 11-5.

The newfound success may have triggered speculation that Euclid could have an outside chance of snaring its first league title since the 1986 team ruled the old Greater Cleveland Conference. However, two major hurdles stood in the way – Maple Heights and Mentor, both traditionally very tough opponents. The Panthers were scheduled to tangle with both of those teams on Friday Jan. 28 in a league tri-meet at Mentor, starting at 6 p.m.

What’s behind the Panthers’ resurgence on the mats this season?

Well, for one thing, the team now has a solid senior leadership corps. “This is the first year that I’ve had more than one senior on the team,” explains Coach Turk, a 1994 Euclid grad who wrestled for the Panthers under Coach Tim D’Anna. “It’s nice to have experienced seniors to show the underclassmen what they have to do to win.”

As of January 22, three of this year’s seniors had won at least 23 matches. And 152-pound David Cozart, who had been sidelined by injuries, was back in the lineup and had out-dueled six of the eight opponents he’d faced.

Another reason for the surprising turnaround is that the Panthers now have a full team and seldom have to forfeit matches in any of the 14 weight classes. “This is the first time in about eight years that we’ve had a full team,” Coach Turk notes.

Heading into the last week of January, eight Panther grapplers boasted winning records:

♦ Zak Adkins (145-pound senior) – 24-3.
♦ Rynell Roper (160, junior) – 24-3.
♦ Dylan Norwood (171, senior) – 24-4.
♦ Lamar Gunter (189, senior) – 23-9.
♦ Jim Adkins (112, freshman) – 14-10.
♦ Darsheed Mustafa (130, sophomore) – 13-7.
♦ Noah Brown (215, sophomore) – 11-9.
♦ David Cozart (152, senior) – 6-2.

Perhaps the biggest reason for the team’s success this winter is the hard work that the key wrestlers have committed to. “In the off-season,” notes Coach Turk, “we had eight or nine guys participating in freestyle wrestling clubs and open tournaments. That extra work during the summer has definitely been reflected in their performance this year.”

Looking ahead to the post-season, the coach believes that Rynell Roper, Dylan Norwood, and Zak Adkins may have the best shots at qualifying for the state meet. Euclid hasn’t had a state qualifier since Myron McConnell in 2003. And the last Panther to bring home a state title was Jack DeBoe in 1986.

Norwood, the senior 171-pounder, certainly has some insight into what it takes to turn things around. He won championships in two early season invitational events – the Riverside Rumble and the Perry “Pin City” tournament. “Those were the first two tournaments he’d ever won,” explains Coach Turk. (In the Pin City event, Euclid scored 195 points to finish sixth out of 17 teams—a dramatic improvement over the previous year when the Panthers finished dead last.)

Adkins, the senior 145-pounder, pinned all five opponents that he faced in the Geneva tourney to boost his record to 29-3, including 19 pins. He was recently named a Plain Dealer “Wrestler of the Week.” His freshman brother Jim (112) suffered a broken rib during one of his matches at Geneva, yet managed to post a victory. (It wasn’t until after the match that the seriousness of the injury became apparent.)

The Adkins brothers represent the second generation of a family that helped to establish a wrestling dynasty at Richmond Heights High during the era of Coach Mike Papouras.

Roper, the junior 160-pounder, set a freshman record for most wins in a season two years ago when he compiled a 27-16 mark. Last year, he improved to 38-8, setting another team record – for most wins at any class level.

In the LEL, Coach Turk points to Maple Heights and Lorain as the teams in the driver’s seat. The Panthers lost to Maple earlier this season in a six-team dual meet event that didn’t count toward the league standings. And Lorain upended Mentor in a recent dual meet.

However the league race plays out, the coach says he’s very pleased with the progress that his matmen have been making. “But the kids know they have a lot more work to do to get to where they want to be.”

♦♦♦

Besides the Jan. 28 tri-meet at Mentor, the Panthers’ upcoming schedule includes a home meet against Bedford on Thursday Feb. 10 at 5:30 p.m., a dual meet at VASJ at 6 p.m. on Friday Feb. 11, and the start of the tournament trail in the Division I sectional at Maple Heights on Feb. 18-19.

Week Eight: No Matches

We had week eight off and tried to go practice at other schools. However, most area schools had two snow days and we could not meet up.

Week Seven: Results

Week seven was not very kind to the Panther wrestling team. We traveled out to Mentor to take on the Maple Heights Mustangs and the host Cardinals. The team first took on Maple Heights in an exact repeat of their dual a few weeks earlier. This time we lost 54-18. Last time we lost 57-21. We won the same matches again, 103, 145, 160, and 171. Deja vois.
While Mentor was taking on Maple, there was another mat of JV wrestlers. 140 Kevin Leonard recorded his first pin of the year against the host team. For that he was awarded the upset match of the week award. Great job Kevin! Keep practicing hard.
The last match of the night pitted the Panthers versus the Cardinals in their last year in the same conference. It did not start well for the Panthers, as they dropped the first 10 matches. Rynell Roper lost a tough 3-2 decision to Zack Forro who is ranked higher than him in the Brakeman Report. Zak Adkins lost a 3-0 decision to a wrestler also ranked higher than him too. Dylan Norwood got us on the board with a 10-4 decision over his opponent. The coaches have begun calling him the King of Lake County, because he still has not lost there and runs his record to 14-0 in Lake County. He is 31-4 overall. After dropping the next two matches, we ended the night with a forfeit win at Heavyweight. Final score, Mentor 63, Euclid 9. Not how we wanted to send our long-time rivals away from the L.E.L.

Zak Adkins - Euclid High - Perry Pin City - Riverside - 1/7/2011

Plain Dealer Player-of-the-Week: Zak Adkins

Congrats to Senior Zak Adkins who was chosen as the Cleveland Plain Dealer Player-of-the-Week for this week.
Last week, Zak went 5-0 with 5 pins to lead the team to a 4-1 record.
Zak had 4 first period pins and one in the second period in beating Shaker Heights, Benedictine, Geneva, Conneaut, and Bedford.
On the season, Zak is now 29-3 with 19 pins. Great job Zak!

News-Herald Article in Thursday's Paper!

High school wrestling notes: Euclid's avenue going right way

Thursday, January 27, 2011

By John Kampf
JKampf@News-Herald.com

If you see Euclid coach Mike Turk these days, you will likely see him with a smile on his face.

It's not just because the Panthers, at 11-5 (4-0 in the Lake Erie League), are having their best season in recent memory.

For the first time in a long while, Turk has a full deck with which to play.

"We have our first full team in years," Turk said, "with underclassmen from 103-140 and a good upperclassmen core from 145-189 whom have taken a leadership role to teach our young guys what they must do to succeed."

A full lineup has made a big difference for Euclid. Instead of giving away free points via forfeits, the Panthers are competing from top to bottom.

Last week, Euclid went to Shaker Heights and came home with a convincing 48-27 win. A few days later, they played third in the TK Duals in Geneva, defeating Benedictine (57-24) and Conneaut (46-36) before losing to host Geneva (47-28).

"We only won one match against Geneva last year and were shut out against them the year before," Turk said, pointing out his program's marked improvement.

In the third-place match, Euclid defeated league foe Bedford, 40-32. Freshman Jeremy Adkins helped clinch the victory with a pin.

"We found out (Tuesday) after a doctor visit that Jeremy had a broken rib as he picked up those victories," Turk said.

Besides Jeremy Adkins, other standouts at the TK Duals were senior 145-pounder Zak Adkins (5-0 with five pins), senior 171-pounder Dylan Norwood (5-0) and junior 160-pounder Rynell Roper (5-0). All three have 29 wins already this season with plenty of time left to eclipse 40 wins.

As excited as he is about the season to date, in particular the previous week, Turk said his team is aware of the rigors that await them. For instance, the Panthers will join Mentor and Maple Heights in a triangular on Friday.

"They are all gaining confidence and coming together as a family," Turk said. "It has, thus far, been a very rewarding season, but it gets tougher in the coming weeks. (Friday's triangular) should tell us where we are and what we need to improve on."

More on Friday

Mentor will hold an alumni night on Friday as part of its triangular against visiting Euclid and Maple Heights. The match starts at 6 p.m.. All Mentor alumni are asked to arrive between 6:30 and 6:45 p.m. Alumni members will be announced prior to Mentor's match with Maple Heights, a tradition-rich bout that dates back to the old Greater Cleveland Conference.

Maple and Euclid will wrestle at 6, followed by Mentor and Maple, with the Cardinals and Panthers wrestling in the finale.

Darsheed Mustafa - Euclid High - Perry Pin City - Rhodes - 1/7/2011

Reggie Phillips - Euclid High - Perry Pin City - Harvey - 1/7/2011

Dylan Norwood - Euclid High - Perry Pin City - Newbury - 1/7/2011

Zak Adkins - Euclid High - Perry Pin City - Harvey - 1/7/2011

Robert Reeves - Euclid High - CSU JV Tournament - Green - 12/22/2010

Romano's kid singing!

Week Six: Geneva T.K.Duals

The wrestling team traveled to Geneva for the T.K. Duals this past weekend.
They were competing in a team pool dual meet competition. In their pool were the host Geneva Eagles, Benedictine, and Conneaut. The other pool was Jefferson, Bedford, John Marshall, and Manchester. The top two teams from each pool would meet for a first place match, and so on.
Our first match was against Benedictine and we came out strong with a 57-24 victory.
Next up was Geneva, who shut us out three years ago and who only one wrestler won last year against. We started slow with the lower weights, but then started wrestling well in the middle. The final score was a respectable 47-28 defeat, but a big improvement over the last two years.
Next up was Conneaut. A victory would send us to the third place match against the 2-1 team from the other gym. The match again did not start well with the grapplers losing the first two matches before Darsheed Mustafa picked up a win. The next two matches were losses that put the team down by the score of 24 to 6. The upperclassmen then got us back on track, led by Zak Adkins, David Cozart, Rynell Roper, and Dylan Norwood all getting pins and six team points. This pushed us into the lead 30-24. Lamar Gunter posted a 12-4 major decision to increase our lead to 34-24. Noah Brown was pinned in 30 seconds and Conneaut was now behind 34-30 going into the heavyweight match. Sophomore Linje Ross attacked his opponent off the opening whistle and secured the pin in 11 seconds. Next up was the 103 class with the Panthers holding a 40-30 lead. Freshman Ebrahim Elbagory was facing Alesha Zappitella, a nationally ranked female wrestler, with only two matches left. He was overwhelmed and pinned in 14 seconds by Alesha, thus setting up the climatic ending. The Panthers held a 40-36 lead with Freshman Jeremy Adkins wrestling for the win. Jeremy scored first with a takedown but was penalized with a locking hands call for a 2-1 lead after the first period. Starting from the down position, Jeremy scored a reversal and 2 near fall points, but then was reversed. The score was now 6-3 when Jeremy got another reversal and the pin in 3:46. He helped secure the 46-36 victory as the team went wild. What a big win by the freshman.
The wrestlers then went to the other gym to see who they would face in the third place match. Bedford and Jefferson were battling it out. The final score was a tie, 33-33. It came down to tie-breakers and Bedford came out on top. We would face the Bearcats, a L.E.L. foe, for the third place match.
Bedford struck first with a 14 second pin in the 125lb. match. We then countered with a pin at 130lb. Bedford then won two more by pin to take a 18-6 lead. Zak Adkins got us back on track with a 52 second pin before David Cozart lost by pin to Devonte Smith of Bedford. After six matches, the score was 24-12 Bedford. Rynell Roper ignited a streak with a major decision. Dylan Norwood pinned in 3:27 and Lamar Gunter had a 6-0 decision to push the team ahead 25-24. Noah Brown lost by a major decision 12-2 and Bedford took the lead 28-25. Linje Ross stepped up big time with a pin in the second period to put the team up 31-28. Ebrahim Elbagory won by forfeit to make the score 37-28 with two matches to go. If Jeremy Adkins could win at 112, it didn't matter what the outcome of the last match would be. After a scoreless first period, Bedford escaped to start the second and nobody could secure a takedown. Going into the third period, the score was 1-0. Jeremy had his own escape and tied the score up. There were some failed attempts at takedowns the rest of the period and regulation time ended with the score 1-1. In the one minute overtime period, Jeremy set up his shot and secured the takedown to win 3-1. This win was big because it brought home the dual victory and the third place finish for our team. Mike Figer lost a hard fought battle in the last match to make the final score 40-32.
What a great finish, especially a year after a last place showing at the same dual tournament. The team is really coming together and we are quietly putting up a great season. The wins on Saturday push our overall record to 11-5 and 4-0 in the L.E.L. I could not be any happier right now for the wrestlers. Keep it up!

Zak Adkins - Euclid High - Perry Pin City - Trinity - 1/7/2011

Dylan Norwood - Euclid High School - Perry Pin City - Madison - 1/7/2011

Zak Adkins - Euclid High - Perry Pin City - Trinity - 1/7/2011

Jeremy Adkins - Euclid High - Perry Pin City - Brookfield - 1/7/2011

Lamar Gunter - Euclid High - Perry Pin City - Grand Valley - 1/7/2011

Week Seven: L.E.L. Tri. @ Mentor

*I just got an e-mail from Mentor reminding us that next Friday's match against Mentor and Maple Heights starts at 6:00 PM. I think it was originally set for 5:30 PM on our schedule.

Week Six: Shaker Heights

Last night, the Euclid wrestling team traveled to Shaker Heights to face them in a dual for the first time in around 8 years. The match started with the Red Raiders forfeiting the 103 weight class. Shaker then won the next three matches in a row to take a 15-6 lead. Darsheed Mustafa scored a needed pin to pull the score within a victory, 15-12. We then lost the next two matches by a decision and pin and Shaker increased their lead to 24-12. Shaker then ran into the wrecking crew of upper-classmen and Zak Adkins, David Cozart, Rynell Roper, Dylan Norwood all pinned and Lamar Gunter and Noah Brown picked up forfeits that allowed us to take a commanding 48-24 lead going into the last match. Linje Ross dropped a close 4-3 decision for the final dual score of 48-27. The Panthers leave Shaker still undefeated in the Lake Erie League at 4-0. Great job wrestlers!

Jeremy Adkins - Euclid High School - 1/6/2011 - Chagrin Falls

Dylan Norwood - Euclid High School - 1/6/2011 - Chagrin Falls

Mike Figer - Euclid High School - 1/6/2011 - Chagrin Falls

Noah Brown - Euclid High School - 1/6/2011 Chagrin Falls

Zak Adkins - Euclid High School - 1/6/2011 - Chagrin Falls

Rynell Roper - Euclid High School - 1/6/2011 - Chagrin Falls

Lamar Gunter - Euclid High School - 1/6/2011 - Chagrin Falls

Jared Clinton - Euclid High School - 1/6/2011 - Chagrin Falls

The Allergic Reaction

Hard Work

It's not the will to win that matters- everyone has that. It's the will to prepare to win that matters.- Paul "Bear" Bryant

Week Six: Updated Stats

(You can access these on MatStats.com by typing in beast as the code word.) We are past the halfway point of the season and we have some battles going on for team leaders in many categories.
For most wins there is a three-way tie at 24 between Dylan Norwood, Zak Adkins, and Rynell Roper.
Pins are all separated by just a couple, with Dylan in the lead with 15, followed by Zak @ 14, Rynell @ 13 and Lamar @ 11.
Team points are close too. Zak leads with 128. Dylan is right behind with 125, and Rynell has 119.
Takedowns belong to Rynell with 61 and Dylan with 60.
Escapes have another three-way tie between Zak, Anthony Martin, and Reggie Phillips.
Freshman Jeremy Adkins and Senior Dylan Norwood are tied atop the reversal list with 7 each, followed by Jared Clinton with 6.
Lastly, nearfalls are dominated by Zak Adkins with 31. Next up is 16 each by Dylan and Rynell.
Nice work fellas!

Week Six: Preview

This week takes us to two events. On Thursday, we will travel to Shaker Heights for a dual and to try to stay undefeated in the L.E.L. The match will begin at 5:30PM at the home of the Red Raiders. On Saturday, we will make the long haul out to Geneva to participate in the T.K. Duals. We are in pool 1 and are scheduled to face the host Eagles, Conneaut, and league rival Bedford. In pool 2, the teams are Jefferson, Manchester, Benedictine, and Wickliffe. We meet the team with the same record as us after pool rounds are completed. Wrestling starts at 10:00AM.

Week Five: Maple Hts. Maroon and White Duals

On Saturday the team traveled to Maple Heights for the first Maroon and White Dual Tournament. Maple Hts. coach, Jamie Milkovich wants this to be a tournament of inner-ring schools to gain five matches in a day and some exposure to colleges. We began the day against the host Mustangs Maroon team and took one on the chin by a 57-21 score. We bounced back in the next round with a 54-30 victory over Wickliffe. We continued the day by beating a Maple Hts. White team 60-22. Three-in-a-row was the goal when we took on John Adams and came away with a 47-27 victory. Going into the last match of the day, against Glenville, the team was looking to close with yet another win. That would be denied, with the Panthers dropping a close 39-35 dual to the Tarblooders. The match could have been different if we did not have to forfeit the 152 lb. weight class. After weigh-ins, our starter had an allergic reaction and his face started expanding, (Pictures to come) and he had to leave to get treatment. Otherwise, it was a successful day and we walked away with a 3-2 dual meet record. Overall, we are now 7-4 and 3-0 in the L.E.L. Keep up the good work Panthers!

Week Five: L.E.L. Shaw, Warrensville Hts.

What an exciting week! Thursday's match at East Cleveland Shaw was an adventure. First the team was dropped off at the wrong school. When wrestling Shaw you think you should go to Shaw High School. Well that was not the case. After myself and a few wrestlers had started going through the metal detectors they told us that we needed to go to Heritage Middle School. The team turns around to get back on the bus only to see it leaving the parking lot. If you haven't been to East Cleveland in some time, let me tell you, it is a wonderful place to be stranded. Plus we needed to get to weigh-ins. A call to the bus garage and within 10 minutes we had our bus back. Once we got to the right school and got settled in, we dismantled an overwhelmed Warrensville Heights team 67-9. This made us 2-0 in the L.E.L. The headline match was against Shaw, which had defeated us twice last year. With revenge on our minds we got out to a hot start by winning the first four matches. We lost the next three, with two by pins and Shaw was waging a comeback. We picked up two forfeits to stop the Cardinals momentum, then Shaw pinned the next four opponents to pull ahead by the score of 40-36 going into the last match. Senior captain Zak Adkins versus the Shaw captain. Zak did what he needed to do for the team and was able to secure the pin in the second period and the team victory. Great job by the Panthers to pull out a win and remain undefeated in the L.E.L. at 3-0.

Hard Work

"Most men stop when they begin to tire. Good men go until they think they are going to collapse. But the very best know their mind tires before the body, and push themselves further and further, beyond all limits. Only when their limits are shattered can the attainable be reached."
Mark Mysnyk
Iowa Wrestling

Week Five: Preview

This week has our Panthers traveling to East Cleveland, on Thursday, to take on Shaw and Warrensville Heights in a key L.E.L. match-up. We are currently 1-0 in the L.E.L. and need both of these matches if we want to contend for the league title. Weigh-ins are at 4:30PM with wrestling to start at 5:30PM.
On Saturday, we will travel to Maple Heights for the Maroon and White Quad. Weigh-ins are at 9:00AM. Wrestling starts at 11:00AM.
The schedule is as follows:
9:00AM Weigh-in
11:00AM Maple Hts. Maroon - Mat 1
12:30PM Wickliffe - Mat 3
2:00PM Maple Hts. White - Mat 3
3:30PM John Adams - Mat 2
5:00PM Glenville - Mat 2
(all round times are approximate)

Week Four: Perry Pin City Tournament

The wrestling team traveled out to Perry, Ohio for the fifth consecutive year for the Pin City Tournament, held at the big fieldhouse. Last year, with a snow day postponing the tournament and making it into a one-day tournament, our team finished in dead last. We improved this year, by a remarkable 11 spots, to finish in 6th place.
In addition to our team improvement, we also had three finalists, and one champion, with Dylan Norwood @ 171 taking home the title. Zak Adkins and Rynell Roper fell just short of their goal with a runner-up finish. Lamar Gunter, who continues to wrestle well, came in fourth for the Panthers. Rounding out the placers in the championship bracket were Jeremy Adkins, 7th @ 112 and Michael Hobson, 8th @ 189.
The consolation bracket success of some of our wrestlers greatly helped us climb the leader board. Anthony Martin and Noah Brown took home consolation championships. Darsheed Mustafa finished second and Robert Reeves, Mike Figer, Jared Clinton, and Reggie Phillips all finished in 4th.
The coaches are very proud of how the team is progressing as we enter the dual meet portion of our season. Keep up the great work wrestlers!

Mike Figer vs. Riverside

Darsheed Mustafa - Euclid High School - 1/6/2011

Lamar Gunter - Euclid High School - 1/6/2011

Noah Brown - Euclid High School - 1/6/2011

Dylan Norwood - Euclid High School - 1/6/2011

Jarod Clinton - Euclid High School - 1/6/2011

Rynell Roper - Euclid High School - 1/6/2011

Week Four: Home Match 1/6/11

The Panthers hosted the first of only two home matches of the year on Thursday night in the Doc Daugherty Gym at Euclid High School. In this super tri. they took on league foe Cleveland Heights and Chagrin Falls. Collinwood was also there to wrestle the other teams, but not Euclid. The Panthers opened with a 66-16 victory over the game Tigers of Cleveland Heights. Recording wins for the team were Jeremy Adkins, Mike Figer, Reggie Phillips, Zak Adkins, and Kenneth Reese through forfeits. Pins were provided by Jared Clinton, Darsheed Mustafa, Rynell Roper, Dylan Norwood, Lamar Gunter, and Noah Brown.

In the next match the Panthers took on the Tigers of Chagrin Falls, a team that defeated us last year by the score of 52-18. This year we turned the tables and beat them 53-17. What a remarkable turnaround from last year. Winning for the Panthers were Ebrahim Elbagory, Jeremy Adkins, Jared Clinton, Darsheed Mustafa, Reggie Phillips, Zak Adkins, Rynell Roper, Dylan Norwood, Lamar Gunter, and Noah Brown.

What a great night of wrestling. The team has really improved since the very first dual meets and they are gelling together with a good mixture of seniors and newcomers. I am excited to see how far we progress.

Videos will be posted soon.

My boys are ready for the home match

Week Four: Preview

Week four is a busy week for the team. Everyone is rested and ready for our first home match, on Thursday, and the Perry Pin City tournament, on Friday and Saturday.
On Thursday at 5:30 PM we will have a Super Tri. in the East Gym, with Cleveland Heights, Chagrin Falls, and Collinwood. Weigh-ins will begin at 4:30 PM. On Mat 1, Cleveland Heights will take on Euclid and on Mat 2 Chagrin Falls will challenge Collinwood. After that, Euclid will battle Chagrin Falls on Mat 1, while Collinwood will wrestle Cleveland Heights. The match with Cleveland Heights will be for league records in the L.E.L. The new system this year is that the wrestler and team with the best record, after wrestling all the L.E.L. teams is the L.E.L. Champion. There is no L.E.L. dual meet tournament this year to determine champions.
On Friday, we will leave school early to weigh-in at Perry by 2:30 PM and wrestling starts at 5:00 PM. On Saturday, we will weigh-in at 8:00 AM and start wrestling at 10:00 AM. The schools that will be there are Brookfield, Benedictine, Conneaut, Edgewood, Grand Valley, Harvey, Madison, Mentor, Orange, Perry, Riverside, St.Edward White, Trinity, and West Geauga. It is set up like Riverside was, with four pools on Friday and the two best records advance to the championship bracket on Saturday's double-elimination final day. The bottom two in the pool go in the consolation bracket.
Good luck Panthers!

Week Three: CSU Freshman/JV Tournament

Week three, during winter break, saw the varsity with the week off, while the freshmen and JV traveled to downtown Cleveland for the CSU Freshmen/JV Open. The historic Woodling Gym was packed with 8 mats and over 40 teams from around Greater Cleveland and even as far away as Columbus and Erie, PA. In the double elimination tournament, we got off to a great start winning the first 4 matches. We had 12 wrestlers on hand and all but 4 received wins at the tourney. Lu-Ray Baker, Jared Clinton, Jermaine Tolbert, Montay Jordan, and Robert Reeves all secured their first victories of the year. Robert Reeves impressed with two second period pins for his first ever career wins and Jermaine Tolbert set the bar high with 12 takedowns in a 28-13 win. Darsheed went the furthest and was one match away from placing. Overall, the team gained invaluable experience on the mat over the holiday season and will benefit in the future from it. Good job guys!

Week Two: Normandy Kalin Invitational

The team continued their improvement with a 6th place showing at the Kalin Invitational at Parma Normandy. We narrowly missed a top-five finish by 2 points. The squad was led by two finalists, who won their pools, in Senior Zak Adkins and Junior Rynell Roper. Both had unfortunate setbacks in the finals, however. Zak, @ 145lbs., lost in overtime from a game opponent from Orange. Rynell, @ 160lbs., finished as runner-up for the second consecutive year. He had a one point lead, with around 20 seconds left, when he gave up a rare takedown, thus losing by one. Both wrestlers were in both matches until the very end and we are pleased with their progress so far this season. Continuing his hot streak was Dylan Norwood, who finished in 3rd to raise his record to 11-2 on the year. Also placing on the podium for the Panthers were Darsheed Mustafa, David Cozart, and Lamar Gunter, while all finishing in fourth. Overall, we are happy with the results and there is room for improvement. We are not where we want to be, but the team is working hard to get there.

State Tickets

I have applications for tickets to the OHSAA State Wrestling Tournament held on March 3rd, 4th, and 5th.

These are upper bowl (terrace) seating and are $50.00 for each seat. There is a processing fee of $7.00 for 1-9 tickets, $16.00 for 10-29 tickets, and $20.00 for 30 or more.

This application must be postmarked no later than Jan. 11th. 2011. If you plan on purchasing tickets, please contact Coach Turk to make payment arrangements. All seats will be together by purchasing the tickets in this way.

The OHSAA State Tournament has been consistently rated as the best high school wrestling tournament in the country and something that every wrestler should see at least once.