Five Panthers hit podium at Buffalo Gap, three go undefeated at Madison
~ PVN staff report
MADISON, Jan. 3 — The Page County wrestling team performed well in two recent matches with tough competition from all across the state. Most recently, the Panthers went 2-3 as a team at the Madison County dual wrestling meet held on Saturday.
“I was pleased with the Panthers’ performance on Saturday,” said PCHS head coach Greg Martin. “The kids fought hard. Tough competition always makes you better down the stretch.”
The Madison tournament featured 16 teams and a high level of competition. While Page’s 2-3 mark may not seem that impressive, it becomes more remarkable when considering that the Panthers only field 10 weight classes, which in effect gives the opponent 24 points to start the match, according to Coach Martin. With that handicap in mind, here’s the team breakdowns from Saturday’s dual matches:
- Fluvanna 41, Page 36
- Page 48, Spotswood 39
- Courtland 54, Page 27
- Page 44, Bandits 30
- William Monroe 32, Page 30
Page County saw three grapplers go undefeated on the day. Bri Bracken at the 120-pound weight class went 5-0, pushing her season record to 11-1. Senior Cameron Deneal, wrestling at 132 pounds, also went 5-0 at Madison. Senior Michael Shifflett, wrestling at 144 pounds, went 5-0 as well, and is now 7-1 on the season. Shifflett now only needs 22 more wins this season to reach the 100-win milestone for his high school career.
Other PCHS competitors at the Madison meet include:
- 157lb – Logan Richards, 4-1
- 138lb – Kayla Pence, 2-3
- 150lb – Jordan Roberts, 2-3
- 165lb – Branson Campbell, 2-3
- 175lb – Jamie Nunez, 2-3
- 190lb – Wyatt Roudabush, 2-3
- 126lb – Christian Bowman, 1-4
“I was impressed with Logan Richards, this kid is the real deal,” Coach Martin said. “His only loss came to a wrestler from [Class 4] Courtland High School.”
“Bri Bracken and Kayla Pence, you can’t say enough about these female wrestlers,” Coach Martin continued. “They’re stuck wrestling the boys, and [they] manage to put points on the board for the Panthers.”
On Dec. 20, the Panthers traveled to Augusta County to participate in the Buffalo Gap Invitational, featuring 15 teams from across the commonwealth. Page County took 11 wrestlers and five would end up on the podium.
“I was pleased with the Panthers performance on Saturday,” said Coach Martin. “Being the first tournament of the year for most of the wrestlers, they did a good job.”
Coach Martin was particularly impressed with Bri Bracken, who won third place in the 120-pound weight class.
“The performance of Bri Bracken was amazing,” he said. “She’s a transfer from the powerhouse, three-time state champion Strasburg Rams, so she knows how to battle. I thought her opponents looked at her thinking this was going to be easy, and they found out fast, that they were in trouble. She pinned all three of her opponents to capture a third place medal.”
Senior Michael Shifflett took second place in the 144-pound class, with a 2-1 mark on the day.
“I thought Michael Shifflett did outstanding,” Coach Martin stated. “The [Class 2] all-state wrestler would finish runner-up, dropping a heartbreaker to a [Class 3 wrestler] wrestler from Liberty High School in Lynchburg.”
Sophomore Logan Richards finished in second place in the 157-pound weight class, after going 2-1 at Gap.
“Logan Richards, a sophomore, upset his way to the finals. This kid is dangerous,”Coach Martin commented. “Richards would beat Woodson from Bath County in the semi-finals, a match that many people thought he would lose. Woodson from Bath County was all-state last year, but Logan Richards came out, and dominated from start to finish, 7-3. He would go on to lose to a [Class 5] Franklin County wrestler in the finals, 10-3.”
Juniors Christian Bowman and Jamie Nunez both finished in fifth place at Buffalo Gap. Both Panthers went 2-2 on the mat, Bowman at 126 pounds and Nunez at 175.
Other performances at Buffalo Gap on Dec. 20 included:
- 132lb – Jace Roberts, 1-2
- 150lb – Jordan Roberts, 1-2
- 215lb – George Thomas, 1-2
The Panthers will wrestle next on Wednesday, Jan. 7 at Central High School, to open up district play.
For schedules, rosters and results, check the Bull Run District website.
•••
RELATED ARTICLES
Be the first to comment