Fishburne Wrestlers Thunder to #2 in VIC
Report from Coach C:
Saturday the Caissons traveled the VIC Championship Tournament down at Roanoke Catholic. The team arrived after a good night sleep at a hotel in Roanoke and was ready to go. The weigh-in went well as every one made weight and then it was time for the coaches to sit down and seed the tournament. Every member of the FMS Caissons Wrestling team was seeded in the top 4 of their weight class. That alone says a lot about the hard work these young men have done and how it is being seen by the other teams and coaches in the VIC.
Then it was time to wrestle.
Round 1 went as well as it could have with every Caisson that stepped on the mat winning and sending all 14 wrestlers to the Semi Finals. This again was a great feat. I explained to them all that the key to a good team finish was to get a good start, not just with wins but with Pins to earn Bonus points for the team. I guess they understood that as just about every Caisson wrestler made short work of their opponents with several pins and Tech Falls building up a LOT of early Bonus points.
Then it was time for the Semi Finals. This round went about as planned with no major upsets. WELL, all but one…and that one was in our favor. Brian Farrell who, just 2 days ago, was pinned by the #4 kid in the State from Roanoke Catholic UNDID that loss with a GREAT PERFORMANCE, knocking off the #2 Seed and advancing to the Finals. Farrell would be joined in the finals by Norris, Hale, Campbell, and Davis. 5 in all in the finals, out-doing last year’s showing by 2. Everyone else was sent on to have to wrestle back for 3rd place. Again, it was explained that this is where the team would either meet its goals or not.
Then they read the team scores for the first time…. IN 4th Place Hargrave Military Academy……. IN 3rd Place Roanoke Catholic………….. IN 2nd Place FISHBURNE MILITARY SCHOOL.. and in 1st place Liberty Christian Academy (#1 Team in the state). This was good but we only led by about 13 points, not enough to lock us into this spot. We needed a good showing in the Consolation Rounds that were coming up. In the first of these rounds the only one we lost was the smallest guy with the biggest heart at the tournament; Thomas Fosdick, whose size was his only downfall, gave up almost 30 pounds and was eliminated from the tournament. EVERYONE else advanced to the 3rd place match…again a HUGE bonus round for the team.
Again the team scores were read and the order was still the same, but the FMS lead over Roanoke Catholic had gotten larger. The 3rd place matches would now be the key and did the Caissons ever step it up! With 8 wrestlers attempting to take 3rd place, 6 of them succeeded (and most did with pins). Again FMS earned more bonus points as we watched Roanoke Catholic’s Wrestlers get beat one after another.
They did not announce the team scores again, but the feeling at that time was that we just MAY have moved enough ahead to be locked into that 2nd place spot.
Then it was time for the Final round…the CHAMPIONSHIPS. Every one of the Caissons was facing a high-ranked wrestler in the state…and all had to settle for 2nd place. Once again, Allen Davis, in the final match of the tournament, had to make it exciting…as he was stepping in so was the other wrestler who ducked and they went head to head. Allen stumbled backwards and the match was stopped. As he was checked and rechecked by the trainer, he was able to answer all questions and stated he was ok. He got to his feet and said he was fine. The Trainer did a few last tests then went to the officials and said he was good to go on. He was unable to over come the points in the match and no late pin but wrestled a good match.
Then it was time. HAD WE MET OUR GOAL………………………..
IN 8th Place the announcer said……. Miller School
IN 7th Place……………….. Blue Ridge School
IN 6th Place………….. VES
IN 5th Place………….The Covenant School
IN 4th Place……………… Hargrave Military School
IN 3rd Place… and a pause……. a collective deep breath as he announced with 133 points. (We knew we had more then that going into the 3rd place round)…. Roanoke Catholic
IN 2nd Place ….. with over 150 points….. FISHBURNE MILITARY SCHOOL
and in 1st Place Liberty Christian Academy………………………….
They had done it! As the team went up and collected the hardware they had worked so hard to get their hands on there was nothing but smiles…………..
After that, I think the team got its biggest pat on the back when the Head Coach from LCA came to see me and just said, “Coach, just awesome. A a few years ago this team was not even on the map and look at them now. Great job by your young men.” I thanked him, smiled, and told him, “NEXT year we are coming after you for the top spot”. “I am sure you will be,” he replied.
It was a great day.
Here is how everyone finished:
106. Fosdick did not place
113: Baan 3rd Place
120 Farrell 2nd Place
126: Lenardson 3rd Place
132: Morrison-Rogers 3rd Place
138 Allen, B 4th Place.
145: Norris 2nd place
152: Park, J. 3rd Place missed the finals by 1 Point.
160: Hale 2nd Place
170: McCoo 4th Place
182: Hansen (Filling in for Blackburn) 3rd Place
195: Porter 3rd Place
220: Campbell 2nd Place
285: Davis 2nd Place
Again, I’m a very very proud coach. BUT it’s not over yet… Next week, the Caissons leave at noon on Friday for Richmond and the State Championship tournament where the wrestling gets even tougher.
GO CAISSONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
