The Southern Middle School wrestling team endured a 2019-2020 season full of highs and lows.
“This year was definitely a buildup year,” said SMS head coach Jarrett Weaver. “With that being said, we kind of took it as a challenge. We ran through the season, and didn’t keep our expectations too high.”
The Panthers returned five wrestlers – Christian Lemaire, Jed Rose, Aidan Walker, and the Hargrove siblings, Aiden and Amaya – as part of a 24-athlete roster. Duke Bradsher, an 8th-grade heavyweight, came transferred from Northern Middle School.
“Everybody else, it was their first experience with wrestling,” said Weaver. “We had one kid who was our manager, Calil Brown, who previously wrestled for Northern Middle School – he couldn’t wrestle because of an ACL injury.”
Grant Evans, Emanuel Garcia-Gonzales, Arturo Rios, Jack Rose, Grayson Weaver, Nicky Powell, Davis, Nate Biever, Gavin Jones, and Josaiah Torain made up a large sixth-grade class. Eddie Curran, Lemaire, Zachary Bolick, Walker, Davis Garrett, and Trevquan Gary were the six 7th graders, while Will Holeman, Aiden and Amaya Hargrove, Rose, Chris Ceballos, Jacob Llamas, Bradsher, and Brown brought leadership as eighth graders.
With a young team, Weaver pushed the mindset of working together, learning basic skills along the way in getting to the next level.
“We stepped into our own as the season progressed,” said Weaver. “Not as many wins as they wanted, but their skill set improved drastically.”
Gary and Lemaire are the top two returners for the 2020-2021 season. Jed Rose and the Hargrove brothers move on to high school. Only Rose plans to wrestle at the high school level.
“Every time we get a good kid, it seems like they leave for high school next year,” said Weaver. “I’m looking for somebody to step up and be a leader of the team.”
There are few opportunities for SMS wrestlers during the offseason.
“Before everything took off, we had 10 guys who wanted to do an offseason tournament in March,” said Weaver. “Lemaire, Jed Rose, Jack Rose, Gary, Garcia-Gonzalez, Torain, Holeman, Garrett, and Nate Biever were planning on wrestling in the Middle School All-Star Championships, which are put on by Pin TO Win wrestling club in Durham. If you’re going to do anything offseason, this is a great opportunity – it’s the closest thing we have.”
Weaver also planned once-a-week practices before everything shut down, so now he’s looking to the summer.
“Every year during the summer, I take a week off from work to put on Weaver’s wrestling camp,” said Weaver. The camp, which costs $20, is currently scheduled July 13-16 from 12-4 p.m. in the SMS gym. It is open for athletes from current third graders to high schoolers.
Weaver encourages his wrestlers to play other sports, which helps them stay in shape for the wrestling season.
“In practice, I say if you’re looking for good conditioning, football and track line up with one another,” said Weaver.
Weaver also wants his wrestlers to enjoy the sport.
“At the end of the season, I say “OK, your body needs a break, so take one,” said Weaver. “I try to tell them to relax – From October 15 to season end, we go hard from day one.”
The Panthers started off the season in dominating fashion, winning 72-22 over McDougle Middle School. Rios, Aiden Hargrove, Walker, Gary and Holeman all won by pin. Southern lost consecutive matches to Stanford Middle School, breaking the two-match skid with another win over McDougle. The Panthers lost back-to-back matches against Stanback Middle School and Northern Middle School, before earning a win against Culbreth Middle School. After four straight losses, including a second loss to cross-county rival Northern, Southern ended the regular season with a win vs. Gravelly Hill..
In the Orange Person Athletic Conference wrestling tournament, held at Southern, Gary finished first in the 220-lb. weight class, Lemaire finished second at 98, while Evans, Davis, Jed Rose, Ceballos, Biever, Amaya Hargrove, Jones and Llamas took home fourth-place finishes.
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April 08, 2020 at 01:00PM
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Southern Middle School wrestling looks to offseason - The Courier=Times
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