With younger grapplers stepping up, the Rockbridge County High School wrestling team went 3-0 in duals in its first competition of the season, a quad meet on Saturday at Wilson Memorial High School in Fishersville.
The Wildcats took on three nondistrict opponents, defeating Wilson Memorial 55-22 before overcoming Northside 40-34 and beating Western Albemarle 55-20.
RC head coach Mike Wood said he told his assistant coaches and wrestlers before the quad that, of the three duals, he knew the one against Northside was going to be close.
In that dual, all three of the Wildcats’ returning state qualifiers – seniors Kellan Dorey and Aidan Williams and junior Hudson Ryan – lost, so it was pivotal that the Wildcats’ freshmen stepped up. Wood said the three state qualifiers were going against three of Northside’s best wrestlers, and Dorey moved up a weight class to 215-pounds. “He did what he had to do,” said Wood.
“For the first event of the year, nobody wrestles their best,” added Wood.
Freshmen earning victories against Northside to help the Wildcats pull out the win were Cole Fine (106-pounds), Harvey Presnell (144) and Asher Wells (175).
Wood said he had a simple message for his younger wrestlers before the duals. “I told the guys, ‘When we’re wrestling, it’s not about you. It’s about the team.’ It was nice to see,” he said.
Another big win against Northside for the Wildcats was from senior Gabe Wade, who moved up from 215 to the 285--pound/heavyweight division and pinned his opponent.
One Wildcat, junior Graham Niebur (138), went undefeated on Saturday, winning all three of his bouts.
The Wildcats will compete in the Harrisonburg Invitational this weekend, with wrestling starting at 5:30 p.m. on Friday and at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday.
