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Led by senior Ryan Maxwell’s eighth-place finish, the Rockbridge County High School wrestling team placed 27th of 33 teams in the Southmoreland Holiday Classic last Wednesday and Thursday at Southmoreland High School in Alverton, Pa.
The Wildcats scored 30 points in the prestigious tournament, which RC head coach Mike Wood was familiar with from his coaching years in Pennsylvania. Corry won the tournament with 200.5 points, United placed second with 171.5 points, and Somerset (152) finished third. Rounding out the top five were Derry (136) and Plum (131).
At 133-pounds, Maxwell went 3-3, pinning his way to the quarterfinals before he was pinned by Forrest Hills’ Isaiah Shilcosky in 3:27. In the seventh-place bout, Mt. Pleasant’s Tristan Wtorkiewicz beat Maxwell in a 1-0 decision.
Also stepping up for the Wildcats was sophomore Price Lunsford, who went 2-2 in the 285-pound/heavyweight division. Lunsford defeated Derry’s Levi Haase in a 2-1 tiebreaker before he was pinned by Forrest Hills’ Lucas DeLoatch in 4:19. In the consolation bracket, Lunsford pinned Southmoreland’s Kohen Neiderhise in 33 seconds in the consolation bracket before he was pinned by Forrest Hills’ Bryce Roberts in 1:21.
Six Wildcats went 1-2. At 152, sophomore Markus Nelson was pinned by Corry’s Lamech Albers, but he pinned Ligonier Valley’s Xavior Rivers in 1:43 before he was pinned by Freedom’s Thomas Henry in 1:52.
At 160, junior Aidan Williams was pinned by Baldwin’s Mario Del Rosari in 3:41, but he beat Forrest Hills’ Nick Noon 8-2 before losing 6-5 to Berlin Brothers’ Devin McCauley.
Senior Tucker Towle (172) defeated Westmont Hilltop’s Joe Nibert in a 12-2 major decision before he was pinned by Albert Gallatin’s Landon Conry in 1:48. He then was pinned by Fox Chapel’s Jack Viti in 4:01.
At 189, junior Kellan Dorey pinned Somerset’s Garrett Marsh in 5:48, but he was pinned by North East’s Logan Laltimore in 3:12 and then lost to Berlin Brothers’ Seth Kimmel 8-6.
Two Wildcats went 1-2 at 215. Junior Gabriel Wade pinned Albert Gallatin’s Colin Rockwell in 3:30 before he was pinned by Somerset’s Rowan Holmes in 42 seconds. He then lost to Plum’s Kam Dietrick 8-4. RC senior John Lindberg was pinned by Derry’s Ethan Bendell in 1:35 before he pinned Fox Chapel’s Colin Neff in 3:41. He was then pinned by Bethlehem Center’s Malachi Peak in 4:54.
Today, Wednesday, the Wildcats will have a home quad meet with Parry McCluer, Bath County and Rustburg. Wrestling is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. The Wildcats will travel to Cave Spring High School in Roanoke on Saturday to compete in the Knights of the Roundtable Tournament, starting at 9 a.m.
