While grappling as a team is over, 10 individuals from Oxford’s varsity wrestling team will continue onto Individual Regionals this Saturday
Head Coach Brandon Rank said it’s exciting.
‘In that group we have a couple guys who are legitimate shots at being state champions, we have guys who are seeking their first all state performance (and) we got seniors still trying to make it to the state tournament for the first time,? he said. ‘We kind of got a wide array of experience and expectations.?
The 10 wrestlers going to regionals are district champions: Alex Hrisopoulis,?103 pounds;’Edwin Schlickenmeyer, 130; ‘Rocco’Borg,145;’Wesley Maskill,?152 and’Ben Line, 215; and regional qualifiers at second place Dan Curtis?119 pounds;’Mike Willits, 140;’Zach’Wood,?285. Third place’Marty Giannola’at 171 and fourth place qualifier Tom Spicuzza’at 160.
‘Come Saturday we’ll find out who punches their ticket to the palace and who doesn’t,? Rank added. ? Hopefully they can all get there.?
After slaying the Dragons of Lake Orion 42-9, Oxford grapplers were one team win away from district champions. Rochester kept the Wildcats tamed with a 34-28 win.
‘Pretty much it came down to they scored the bonus points they needed to. We didn’t save the bonus points that we needed to save and we didn’t get the bonus points we needed to get,? said Rank. ‘They out wrestled us in spots. Moving forward we’re just going to have to use that as a learning experience.?
Winners of the day were: Liam Logan, 160; Grant Krause, 189; Ben Line, 215; Zach Wood, 285; Alex Hrisopoulos, 103; Collin Campbell, 112; Daniel Curtis, Collin Campbell, 119; 125; Edwin Schlickenmeyer, 130; Mike Willits, 140; ‘Rocco Borg, 145 and Wesley Maskill, 152?
While Oxford has been on the celebrating end of those close duel meets the past couple years and knowing that Rochester got the best of them, Rank said he expects Oxford to get themselves back on top as a team next year.
‘Anytime you lose an important match like that it hurts, but with individuals part of the season left to go, it’s not like we’ve had the luxury of dwelling on it at this point,? he said. ‘We just have to control what we can control and that’s our individual performances.?