Park Duals 2012

Wheeling Park Duals 2012, wall to wall mats

The 2012 edition of the Wheeling Park Duals was held December 28th & 29 at the Wesbanco Arena in Wheeling, WV.  The event was tougher than ever and had 36 teams from PA, OH, WV, MD and GA.  The number of state champions and state place winner competing were too numerous to count.  We knew in advance we would be challenged and we were not disappointed.

Austin Shaffer vs. Cuyahoga Falls.  He remains unbeaten on the season

We started with Cuyahoga Falls, OH, a team that placed 5th at the Park Duals last year.  This tough, experienced team was as talented as advertised and won the dual meet 54-21.  The top match was at 113 where our defending state champion, Austin Shaffer was up against a kid who had a 24-1 record last season.  Austin wrestled hard and came away with a 6-5 victory.  Other winners for the Rams were Devan Hamrick by forfeit and Tanner Massey and Stephen Collins by pin.

Devan Hamrick pins vs. Maple Heights and moves to 17-1 on the season.

It didn't get any easier for Southern in Round 2.  We faced Maple Height, OH who placed in the top five at this tournament each of the last three years.  Maple Heights also showed their strength, defeating the Rams 54-22.  The dual started with a wild match at 106.  Undefeated Devan Hamrick was put to his back early and found himself in a hole, trailing 7-1 early in the match.  No worries though, Devan kept wrestling and ended up earning a pin in the second period.  In another crazy, wild match, Cooper McCauley was leading 19-10 in the third period when he got a big pin as well.  Shaffer kept winning with a major decision and Dalton Cooper pick up a pin for the Rams.

Dalton Cooper pinning his Maple Heights opponent.

Round three was even tougher.  Harrison, OH was the opponent and the outcome was the same.  Harrison made it all the way to the tournament finals, finishing the weekend in 2nd place overall.  Harrison won our dual meet 66-9.  There were not many highlights in this match except for a 3-1 win for Devan Hamrick against a pretty tough kid.  Shaffer got a pin for our only other points.

All smiles after a big win vs. John Marshall

Our final match of day 1 was against John Marshall, WV.  The result was the same, a 54-20 loss.  The top match of the dual was a 6-4 victory for Cooper McCauley against one of JM's better wrestlers.  It was a tight match throughout but Cooper scored a takedown at the end to secure his win.  Hamrick earned a pin, Shaffer picked up a tech fall and John Zimmerman received a forfeit for the Rams.

Johnny Lascaris pick up a win in this match vs. Glenoak

We knew day two would be a little easier and we were thankful for that.  Our first match was against Glenoak, OH and we wrestled well but we took another loss, 42-30.  Austin Shaffer had another tough opponent and came away with a 6-2 decision to keep his undefeated season alive.  Hamrick did the same with a pin and senior Johnny Lascaris earned a 9-2 decision while Tanner Massey won by pin.  Keith Chapman and Brian Rinker also picked up forfeit wins.

Tanner Massey is a pinning machine

At noon, we faced our first PA school of the tournament, Trinity.  Again, we wrestled well, but fell short, losing by the final score of 39-29.  The match started with Devan Hamrick putting his undefeated season on the line against the tough PA kid.  Devan was taken down but quickly got the reversal and had his opponent on his back in a cradle, but could not get the ref to call the pin.  Devan was up 5-2 but the rest of the match went the PA kids favor.  Devan took his first loss of the season but fought very hard to the end.  Next up was Austin Shaffer also wrestling a very tough kid.  Shaffer was able to dominate, winning a 7-0 decision.  Stephen Collins and Seth Kisner both won decisions and Rinker and Chapman won by forfeit.

Stephen Collins vs. Cuyahoga Falls, he would pick up a win by pin.

In our 7th match of the weekend, we got our first win, a 49-24 victory over Indian Creek, OH.  Devan Hamrick and Austin Shaffer started out with tech falls and Cooper McCauley won a 1-0 decision to give our team a lead we would not give up.  Tanner Massey, Stephen Collins and Dalton Cooper picked up wins by pin and Seth Kisner and Marcus Tichinel were winners by forfeit to close out our win.

Ethan Bittinger vs. Maple Heights

For our final match of the weekend, we faced Buckeye Local, OH.  In this match, six of our wrestlers won by pin.  Austin Shaffer, Cooper McCauley, Stephen Collins, Seth Kisner, Brian Rinker and Keith Chapman stuck their Buckeye Local opponents.  Tanner Massey added a tech fall and Devan Hamrick and Marcus Tichinel were winners by forfeit.

Team Summary

Cuyahoga Falls, OH 54 - Southern Garrett 21
Maple Heights, OH 54 - Southern Garrett 22
Harrison, OH 66 - Southern Garrett 9
John Marshall, WV 54 - Southern Garrett 20
Glenoak, OH 42 - Southern Garrett 30
Trinity, PA 39 - Southern Garrett 29
Southern Garrett 49 - Indian Creek, OH 24
Southern Garrett 53 - Buckeye Local, OH 27

Individual Summary

8-0  Austin Shaffer (113,120)
7-1  Devan Hamrick (106)
4-3  Tanner Massey (145)
3-2  Seth Kisner (170)
1-0  John Zimmerman (220)
4-4  Cooper McCauley (126, 132)
4-4  Stephen Collins (152, 160)
4-4  Brian Rinker (195)
3-4  Keith Chapman (220)
2-5  Dalton Cooper (182)
1-3  Johnny Lascaris (152, 160)
2-6  Marcus Tichinel (285)
1-7  Ethan Bittinger (113, 120)
0-1  Jacob Zimmerman (182)
0-2  Justyce Fulmer (145, 152)
0-3  Will Foulke (160, 170)
0-3  Logan Tichinel (152, 160)
0-5  Corey Horner (138)
0-8  Zach Tichnell (132, 138)

The Long Ride to Brunswick

After a 3 hour bus ride from Oakland to Brunswick, the Rams took the mat looking to move to 4-1 on the season in a dual meet with the Railroaders.  The match remained close throughout, but in the end, the Rams prevailed with a 39-31 victory.

The match began in the 220 pound weight class and the battle was on.  Brian Rinker fought hard against his bigger opponent, but in the end, dropped a 6-2 decision.  Keith Chapman went out in the heavyweight class and was also the much smaller wrestler and the Rams were down 9-0 as we headed for the lighter classes. 

Devan Hamrick, 10-0

Brunswick had no entries at 106 or 113 so Devan Hamrick and Ethan Bittinger picked up the forfeit wins.  At 120, the Railroaders had an entry, but they decided to forfeit to Austin Shaffer and send their kid out against Cooper McCauley at 126.  Cooper was pretty fired up and it only took 20 seconds for him pin the kid and give the Rams a 24-9 lead.

Senior, Co-Captain Cooper McCauley with a :20 pin!

We forfeited 132 and at 138, Zach Tichnell had to wrestle one of Brunswick's best wrestlers.  Zach fought hard but dropped a decision and the match was 24-18.  The next two matches were very important and a key to our victory.  At 145, Tanner Massey got a big pin for the Rams and at 152, Justyce earned a tough, come-from-behind 4-2 decision to extend our lead to 33-18 with four matches remaining. 

Justyce Fulmer picked up a big win vs. Brunswick

Stephen Collins was next,  He got in some trouble in the first period and gave up some early points.  For the rest of the match, he was the better wrestler but was unable to overcome the deficit and lost the decision.  Will Foulke did the same thing and after we forfeited at 182, we found ourselves with a 33-31 lead going into the final bout. 

Scott Cooper doing what he does best!

Fortunately for us, Scott Cooper was our final wrestler and he continued his undefeated season by easily pinning his opponent in the first period to give the Rams the 39-31 win.

Devan Hamrick, Austin Shaffer and Scott Cooper each moved to 10-0 on the season and the Rams are now 4-1.  Next up is the tough, Wheeling Park Duals in Wheeling, WV on December 28th and 29th. 

Southern 39 - Brunswick 31

• 106 - Devan Hamrick (SG) via forfeit
• 113 - Ethan Bittinger (SG) via forfeit
• 120 - Austin Shaffer (SG) via forfeit
• 126 - Cooper McCauley (SG) pins Kyree Ward-Joppy :20
• 132 - Harold Shipee (B) via forfeit
• 138 - Jensen Foster (B) dec Zach Tichnell (SG) 8-2
• 145 - Tanner Massey (SG) pins Brandon Jackson (B) 2:44
• 152 - Justyce Fulmer (SG) dec David Moore (B) 4-2
• 160 - Todd Cockerham (B) dec Stephen Collins (SG) 7-1
• 170 - Jacob Heaton (B) dec Will Foulke (SG) 12-3
• 182 - Adam Fitzwater (B) via forfeit
• 195 - Scott Cooper (SG) pins Nick Savin (B) 1:31
• 220 - Matt Jones (B) dec Brian Rinker (SG) 6-2
• 285 - Nolan Johnson (B) pins Keith Chapman (SG) 2:17 

Recap - Mussleman Duals

Perfect 5-0 records on the day and 9-0 on the season.

Saturday was filled with a lot of tough wrestling and quite a few very exciting matches.  At the end of the day, the Southern Rams finished in 3rd place at the Musselman Duals after winning the opening pool and competing in for the championship against the other pool winners.  Individually, Devan Hamrick, Austin Shaffer and Scott Cooper all went 5-0 on the day and each extended their season records to 9-0.  Shaffer and Cooper were both selected to the all tournament team in voting by the coaches.

Southern 60 - Martinsburg (WV) 18

The day started with a dominating win over Martinsburg (WV) by the score of 60-18.  The match was highlighted when Scott Cooper put his undefeated record on the line vs. Martinsburg's best wrestler.  The match was tied at the end of regulation but Cooper was able to get a takedown in sudden death overtime to secure the win.  Another great match found Justyce Fulmer trailing most of the match but he was able to score 5 points near the end to pull out a wild 13-11 win.

Jefferson 42 - Southern 36

The second match of the day was against Jefferson (WV).  This was our worst match of the day as Jefferson was able to pull out a 42-36 victory.  Austin Shaffer, Cooper McCauley and Zach Tichnell were able to each pick up their second pins of the day, Devan Hamrick picked up his first pin and Scott Cooper and Brian Rinker were winners by forfeit.  Johnny Lascaris and Seth Kisner wrestled their first ever varsity matches vs. Jefferson.

Southern 40 - Kettle Run 31

In the third and final match in our pool, we faced Kettle Run (VA).  This was possibly our best match of the day where we pulled off a 40-31 win.  This match was highlighted by Austin Shaffer earning a 14-4 decision against a very tough Kettle Run kid.  This is the first match of the season for Shaffer that went the distance.  Also earning a big win in a close match was Brian Rinker.  Stephen Collins and Will Foulke each picked up big pins for Southern in the match against Kettle Run and Scott Cooper and Devan Hamrick kept their undefeated seasons alive with pins of their own.

Despite losing a close match to Jefferson, we were able to win our pool on tie-breaking criteria.  We beat Kettle Run, Kettle Run beat Jefferson and Jefferson beat us.  Southern and Kettle Run each scored more total points on the day than Jefferson and since we defeated Kettle Run, we were awarded 1st place in our pool.  With that comes the opportunity to face the other pool winners in the championship round.  The day instantly got tougher and the boys were ready for the challenge.

Winfield 50 - Southern 25

Winfield was a tough, well coached team from WV.  Their team consisted of 6 returning state qualifiers from AAA last season.  Devan Hamrick continued his pinning ways with a first period fall and Scott Cooper kept his streak alive with an 18-5 major decision.  A highlight of this match was Johnny Lascaris picking up his first varsity win with an exciting 11-9 decision.

 

Cabell Midland 46 - Southern 27

Midland is also a AAA school from WV and they also have 6 returning state qualifiers on their squad.  Our boys battled tough and wrestled hard in this final match of the day.  The top match of this dual found Devan Hamrick putting his undefeated season on the line against a strong kid from Midland.  In the end, Devan was dominate with an 8-2 win and is now a perfect 9-0 on the season.  Scott Cooper also moved to 9-0 with a first period pin and Austin Shaffer went to 9-0 with a win by forfeit.  Dalton Cooper added his third win of the day by picking up a pin in less than a minute.

Musselman Duals Individual Summary

5-0 Devan Hamrick (106)
5-0 Austin Shaffer (120)
5-0 Scott Cooper (195)
3-2 Stephen Collins (160)
3-2 Dalton Cooper (182)
3-2 Brian Rinker (220)
2-1 Justyce Fulmer (152)
2-3 Ethan Bittinger (113)
2-3 Cooper McCauley (126)
2-3 Zach Tichnell (138)
1-1 Johnny Lascaris (152)
1-3 Will Foulke (170)
1-4 Tanner Massey (145)
0-1 Seth Kisner (170)
0-4 John Zimmerman (285)

South Hagerstown Preview

South Hagerstown visits Oakland this evening for the first ever dual meet between the two schools.  South is a large, 3A school from Washington County and always puts tough, physical wrestlers on the mat.  The match begins at 6pm.

• 106 - Freshman Devan Hamrick is unbeaten so far this season and looks to continue his winning ways tonight.
• 113 - Ethan Bittinger make his debut for Southern Wrestling tonight.
• 120 - Defending state champion Austin Shaffer is also undefeated this season and continues his quest to repeat in March
• 126 - Senior co-captain Cooper McCauley is the man for the job at this weight.
• 132 - We will forfeit this class for one more week until everybody gets to their final weight class.
• 138 - Senior Zach Tichnell has been wrestling very tough at 138 so far this season.
• 145 - Tanner Massey is another unbeaten wrestler and plans to continue tonight with yet another pin.
• 152 - Justyce Fulmer and Johnny Lascaris will share the duties at 152 this weekend.
• 160 - Senior co-captain Stephen Collins is the man here.
• 170 - Junior Will Foulke sits at 3-1 on the season and has been wrestling very well.
• 182 - Sophomore Dalton Cooper fills this spot and has really wrestled like a man this season.
• 195 - Scott Cooper and Brian Rinker share this spot and the next spot (220).  Cooper is our 4th undefeated wrestler and will make his run at states later in the season.  Rinker is strong and fast and has had a lot of succes so far this season.
• 220 - See 195
• 285 - John Zimmerman and Keith Chapman will share this spot this weekend.

After tonight's match, the team will head to Inwood, WV for a tournament tomorrow at Musselman High School.  Wrestling starts at 9am.

2012 Home Opener

The thrill of victory, Justyce Fulmer with 2 wins on Saturday.

It was an exciting afternoon of wrestling on Saturday, as the Harford Tech Cobras and the Winters Mill Falcons visited Southern Garrett for an early season tri-match.  The Cobras have always had a very tough, well coached team and the Falcons are 2X defending state champions and are poised to repeat again.

Junior Will Foulke is a winner vs. Harford tech and moves to 3-1 on the season.

Our afternoon started with Southern vs. Harford Tech, in a battle of teams from the opposite side of our state.  Under new head coach, Mike Mazza, the Cobras are a young team.  They wrestled hard, but in the end, their lack of experience was the difference as the Rams went on to a 52-21 victory.



Steve-O with a first period pin vs. Harford Tech

The match began at 160 with senior, co-captain Stephen Collins picking up a first period pin to get the ball rolling.  Will Foulke and Dalton Cooper added pins of their own to give us an 18-0.  Scott Cooper then earned a wild, high-scoring 24-11 major decision and Brian Rinker earned a fall to add to our lead.  Keith Chapman, who is new to our team this year, took on the challenge of wrestling 285.  He was giving up nearly 100 pounds and despite his effort, lost the match and the Cobras were on the board.

Zach Tichnell with the cradle and the 11-4 win vs. the Cobras.

Next, we received 1st period pins from Devan Hamrick and Austin Shaffer to extend our lead to 40-12.  Again this weekend, we were giving up forfeits at 113 and 132 and after a loss by Cooper McCauley, the score was  40-21 with three matches remaining.  Zach Tichnell was dominating in an 11-4 win, Tanner Massey continued his winning and pinning ways with a first period fall and Justyce Fulmer won a tight 2-0 decision to close out the match with the final score 52-21.

Senior Scott Cooper in control and remains unbeaten.

Next up for Southern were the 2X defending state champions for Westminster.  The Falcons are much more experienced than the Cobras and we knew the second match would be much different.  This dual started at 182 with sophomore Dalton Cooper fighting through a painful injury against a tough opponent before giving up a fall.  Scott Cooper got the Rams on the board with a dominate effort and a quick pin.  Brian Rinker also wrestled well vs. his more experienced opponent and kept it close until the end.  After a forfeit at 285, the Falcons took an 18-6 lead into the lower weights.

Freshman Devan Hamrick wins his 4th straight match to start the season.

Devan Hamrick won his fourth straight match with a quick pin and we forfeited 113, moving the team score to 24-12 heading into the marquis match up of the afternoon.  Junior state champion Austin Shaffer faced senior Taylor Logue (4th place at states) in an exciting, high-scoring battle which could very well be a preview of the state finals in March.  Shaffer took a quick lead with a takedown but Logue escaped and scored a takedown of his own.  Shaffer reversed and Logue escaped to end the 1st tied at 4.  To start the second, Shaffer escaped but Logue scored another sweet takedown with a foot sweep.  Shaffer got a reversal and was able to slow the pace and ride him out to end the 2nd leading 7-6.  Logue was on the bottom in the 3rd and Shaffer was able to hold him down and ride out the match to earn the 7-6 victory.

Shaffer vs. Logue in a classic battle

Winters Mill received a forfeit at 126, a pin at 132 vs. Cooper McCauley and a decision at 138 vs. Zach Tichnell to build a 39-15 lead over Southern.  The Rams came roaring back with pins by Tanner Massey and Justyce Fulmer to close the gap to 39-27 with two matches remaining.  Unfortunately, the next match pitted Stephen Collins against another defending state champion from Winters Mill.  Despite Stephen's effort, Cook got the pin and sealed the victory for his team.  In the final match, Will Foulke was in control of the match but got in bad position and gave up a defensive pin, making the final team score Winters Mill 51 - Southern Garrett 27.

Tanner Massey remains perfect on the season, 4 wins - 4 pins

The Rams are now 3-1 on the season and return to the mat on Friday evening at home against South Hagerstown.  Wrestling starts at 6pm.  Photos courtesy of Alex Flanigan.



Senior co-captain Cooper McCauley vs. the Cobras

Southern Garrett 52 - Harford Tech 21

106 - Devan Hamrick (SG) pins Andy Schwartz (HT) 1:36
113 - Brendan Hayes (HT) via Forfeit
120 - Austin Shaffer (SG) pins Stephen Sewell (HT) :26
126 - Nathan Haskell (HT) dec Cooper McCauley (SG) 7-0
132 - Andrey Kalwa (HT) via Forfeit
138 - Zach Tichnell (SG) dec Josh Huzke (HT) 11-4
145 - Tanner Massey (SG) pins Sam Cook (HT) 1:14
152 - Justyce Fulmer (SG) dec Steven Freeland (HT) 2-0
160 - Stephen Collins (SG) pins Skyler Leech (HT) 1:51
170 - Will Foulke (SG) pins Thomas Getachew (HT) 4:46
182 - Dalton Cooper (SG) pins Amari Jones (HT) 2:56
195 - Scott Cooper (SG) m dec Nathan Cook (HT) 24-11
220 - Brian Rinker (SG) pins Aziz Burkhandle (HT) 2:29
285 - Scott Orman (HT) pins Keith Chapman (SG) 1:19

Winters Mill 51 - Southern Garrett 27

106 - Devan Hamrick (SG) pins Cherokee Johnson (WM) :51
113 - Flavio Valdez (WM) via Forfeit
120 - Austin Shaffer (SG) dec Taylor Louge (WM) 7-6
126 - Chris Rose (WM) via Forfeit
132 - Neal Rinker (WM) pins Cooper McCauley (SG) 2:20
138 - Jimmy Guercio (WM) dec Zach Tichnell (SG) 8-5
145 - Tanner Massey (SG) pins Dustin Svehla (WM) 5:31
152 - Justyce Fulmer (SG) pins Zane Pusateri (WM) 3:20
160 - Wes Cook (WM) pins Stephen Collins (SG) 1:38
170 - Cole Myers (WM) pins Will Foulke (SG) 1:32
182 - Ryan Barron (WM) pins Dalton Cooper (SG) 2:25
195 - Scott Cooper (SG) pins Malik Randall (WM) 1:46
220 - Ryan Hightower (WM) pins Brian Rinker (SG) 5:40
285 - Jake Utz (WM) via Forfeit
 

Images From Opening Night

A big thanks to Kelli Fulmer for the following pictures from Wednesday night's tri-match against Frankfort and Boonsboro.

Coach Taylor congratulating Cooper McCauley after getting a big pin for the Rams.

The little man, Devan Hamrick on his way to a pin and an undefeated evening to start the season.

The ref is ready to "slap the mat" as Scott Cooper gets one of his two pins on the evening.

Junior Justyce Fulmer is in control against Boonsboro's best wrestler.

Defending state champion, Austin Shaffer gets two pins on the evening as he begins his defense of the title.

Junior Tanner Massey is headed for a great season after picking up a pair of pins for the Rams on Wednesday.

Will Foulke took care of business early, getting a huge win for us in our match against Boonsboro.

You would be surprised how many people were thoroughly impressed with the boys walking on their hands.

Opening Night Excitement

The 2012/2013 Southern Rams took the to the mats last night and opened their season at Frankfort High School with a tri-match against Boonsboro and the host team.  Each match was very exciting, very intense and came down to the wire.  In the end, the Rams walked away with a pair of hard fought victories to start the season 2-0.

First up were the Boonsboro Warriors.  The match started at 160 with senior co-captain Stephen Collins dropping a close decision 9-6.  The Rams roared back with 4 straight victories to take a 21-3 lead with pins by Will Foluke, Dalton Cooper and Scott Cooper and a decision by Brian Rinker.  The holes in our line-up came into play next.  We forfeited 3 of the remaining matches, giving away 18 points to make the match too close for comfort.  Freshman Devan Hamrick picked up a win by forfeit and Austin Shaffer got a pin for the Rams, but after losses by Cooper McCauley and Zach Tichnell, we had a slim lead at 33-27 with only 2 matches remaining.  Junior Tanner Massey took to the mat, needing a major decision or a pin to clinch the win for his team, and he delivered.  Massey built up a big lead before pinning his opponent late in the second period to secure the Ram's victory.  Justyce lost a tough battle to end the match with Southern winning 39-34.

Next up for the Rams were the Frankfort Falcolns.  This young team is much improved from past years and gave our boys all they could handle.  The match started with junior Will Foulke picking up a forfeit then sophomore Dalton Cooper took a quick lead, but was was unable to hold on and lost by fall.  Co-Captain Scott Copper picked up a quick pin but Brian Rinker was caught in a tight headlock and gave up the pin.  After forfeiting 285 again, we turned the corner trailing 18-12.  We got pins from Devan Hamrick, Austin Shaffer and Cooper McCauley but had to forfeit two more matches, tying the team score 30-30 with 4 matches remaining.  Frankfort regained the lead with a major decision over Zach Tichnell, but the Rams quickly got it back when Tanner Massey picked up his second pin of the evening.  The see-saw battle continued when Justyce Fulmer lost by pin.  The Rams trailed 40-36 going into the final bout where Stephen Collins needed a major decision to tie or a pin to win.  Our co-captain wasted little time, going straight to work and earning the fall in under a minute, giving the Rams an exciting 42-40 victory.

Double winners on Wednesday evening were Devan Hamrick, Austin Shaffer, Tanner Massey, Will Foulke and Scott Cooper.

Next up for Southern is another tri match on Saturday as Winters Mill and Harford Tech travel to Oakland to take on the Rams at home.  Wrestling begins at 1pm.

Southern 39 - Boonsboro 34

• 160 - Brad Hull (B) dec Stephen Collins (SG) 9-6
• 170 - Will Foulke (SG) pins Michael Wilbar (B) 1:58
• 182 - Dalton Cooper (SG) pins Louis Minoglio (B) 1:20
• 195 - Brian Rinker (SG) dec Dakota Pfeiffer (B) 2-0
• 220 - Scott Cooper (SG) pins James Leonard (B) 1:14
• 285 - Alex Thompson (B) via Forfeit
• 106 - Devan Hamrick (SG) via Forfeit
• 113 - Jake Stauffer (B) via Forfeit
• 120 - Austin Shaffer (SG) pins Gage Nicodemus (B) 1:16
• 126 - Dalton Funk (B) pins Cooper McCauley (SG) 5:10
• 132 - Nick Carlo (B) via Forfeit
• 138 - Dalton Hawkins (B) dec Zach Tichnell (SG) 6-3
• 145 - Tanner Massey (SG) pins Jack Riley (B) 3:29
• 152 - Davon Clark (B) m dec Justyce Fulmer (SG) 18-5

Southern 42 - Frankfort 40

• 170 - Will Foulke (SG) via Forfeit
• 182 - Braxton Lewis (F) pins Dalton Cooper (SG) 3:02
• 195 - Scott Cooper (SG) pins Trenton Lloyd (F) :27
• 220 - Shawn Evans (F) pins Brian Rinker (SG) 2:28
• 285 - Zach Miller (F) via Forfeit
• 106 - Devan Hamrick (SG) pins Jeremiah Gearhard (F) 2:33
• 113 - Chase Messick (F) via Forfeit
• 120 - Austin Shaffer (SG) pins Steven Robinson (F) 1:00
• 126 - Cooper McCauley (SG) pins Chris Brinkman (F) :44
• 132 - Danny Morelen (F) via Forfeit
• 138 - Stefan Buser (F) m dec Zach Tichnell (SG) 17-4
• 145 - Tanner Massey (SG) pins Noah Bible (F) 1:18
• 152 - Nathan Lewis (F) pins Justyce Fulmer (SG) 1:18
• 160 - Stephen Collins (SG) pins Xavier Kalp (F) :49

Season Preview

It is time to introduce the 2012/2013 Southern Ram Wrestling Team.

A few of the guys modeling our new uniforms

The 2012/2013 Southern Garrett Wrestling Rams will be led this season by senior co-captains Scott Cooper, Cooper McCauley and Stephen Collins.  In addition, defending state champion Austin Shaffer will be seaking his second straight state title in March.  Lost to graduation were a number of starting wrestlers and this year's team looks to fill those shoes nicely.  Last year's senior starters included Garrett Beachy, Dakota Pritt, Gavin Murphy, Mikey Skipper, Coty Rasel and Kevin Miller.  We also lost a varsity wrestler from last season to injury this fall.  Sophomore, Josh King is recovering from a leg injury and hopes to be back before the season ends.

Co-Captain Cooper McCauley is ready!!

Joining Collins, McCauley, Cooper and Shaffer in the starting line-up will be Devan Hamrick, Zach Tichnell, Tanner Massey, Justyce Fulmer, Will Foulke, Austin Sines, Dalton Cooper, Brian Rinker and a couple other spots that will be determined soon.  Fighting for the last spots are Corey Horner, Johnny Lascaris, Logan Tichinel, Jacob Zimmerman, John Zimmerman, Keith Chapman, Seth Kisner and Marcus Tichinel.

Tanner Massey looks to have a great Junior season

The young Rams have been working hard everyday in practice and will take the mat for opening night against Boonsboro and Frankfort on Wednesday evening.  We feel we have a very competitive team and look forward to some outstanding matches to start the season.  Frankfort and Boonsboro are solid tests for the Rams right out of the gate and then we face the two-time defending state champions, Winters Mill and the always tough Harford Tech at home this Saturday.  This is a brutal first week of the season, but the boys are ready to go.

Junior Justyce Fulmer in a match last season with Coach Clark officiating

Besides Winters Mill and Harford Tech, we look for our toughest competition to come from Mountain Ridge, Northern Garrett and Williamsport which we will face in January.  Our tournaments this season include the Wheeling Park Duals and the Fort Hill Super Duals which are very tough tests that we have attended for the past few years.  On Saturday, December 15th, we will compete in the Musselman Duals for the first time.  December will set the tone for the season without a doubt.



Coach Rush in his 9th year as assistant coach

Head Coach Dave Taylor is in his 12th year leading the Rams into action.  He is assisted by Tim Rush for the 9th straight year and Dan Clark who is returning to coaching after a few years of officiating.

2012/2013 Roster

Seniors
Scott Cooper
Stephen Collins
Cooper McCauley
Zach Tichnell
Johnny Lascaris

Juniors
Austin Shaffer
Tanner Massey
Logan Tichinel
Will Foulke
Brian Rinker
Justyce Fulmer
Keith Chapman
Seth Kisner
John Zimmerman

Sophomores
Austin Sines
Dalton Cooper
Josh King (inj)

Freshmen
Devan Hamrick
Corey Horner
Marcus Tichinel
Jacob Zimmerman

 

 

In His Words - Austin Shaffer

We have offered to our wrestlers, a chance to tell our fans about their wrestling experience and what it means to them.  Defending state champion is the first to offer his views.  Thanks Austin.

 

Austin wrestling in the Red/White Scrimmage last week at Southern High School

Wrestling, by Austin Shaffer

 

The first thing I realized about high school wrestling my freshman year was, that in comparison to youth wrestling, the camaraderie among teammates and the willingness to be a better wrestler and to work harder was exponentially increased.  There wasn't a single aspect about it that I didn't find enjoyable.  Every year I find myself wrestling a little harder, running a little faster, and striving to achieve more. When you are truly passionate about something and know that you've found something that you want to be involved in for the rest of your life, it changes you.   You stop being the young, brash, impetuous knucklehead, and you start becoming the mature, driven, responsible person that sets the example for others.  That's life.   And wrestling, more than anything else, has helped me to become that person a little more each year.   I owe so much to my coaches, my family, and my friends.  Time and time again, they have proven their loyalty and have never stopped believing in my abilities. I can never repay them for their undying support.

A little acknowledgement for a great accomplishment last March.

This year, I have three personal goals; win states again, go undefeated, and achieve my place in Southern Garrett Wrestling history by entering the 100 Win Club.  For me, these goals represent an accumulation of my other years of high school wrestling.  With hard work and dedication, I'll hopefully have 150 wins by the end of my Senior year.   High School will not be the end though, I definitely plan to wrestle in college. This year is crucial to me and my future, and with the help of my coaches, teachers, and family members, I know that I will be able to achieve whatever I set my mind to.

Austin with senior co-captain Cooper McCauley at a tournament in the fall

For my fellow teammates, I have the highest of hopes for you every year as I know what each and every one of you are capable of and I know that you can shock everybody with your abilities. There is no doubt in my mind, that as long as we want it more than all the other teams, and never stop wrestling, we can make everyone acknowledge and recognize how much of a formidable force Southern Wrestling is to be reckoned with.

 By: Austin Shaffer

Red - White Results

Austin Shaffer and Devan Hamrick @ The Red/White Scrimmage

As is usually the case, good prevailed over evil last night as the White Knights beat the Red Devils in our annual Red/White Scrimmage in front of a large, spirited crowd.  There were some impressive displays from both experienced kids and new wrestlers and we were even treated to two excellent matches by future Ram wrestlers from the Southern Mat Club.  A special thanks to the SMC who allowed Nathan Tasker, Jake Sweitzer, Jace Guy and George Zimmerman to entertain the crowd last night.

 

Tanner Massey in control in the first match of the evening.

The evening began with the battle between two of last season's starters, Austin Sines and Tanner Massey.  This time, it was Massey's turn, as he was tough on top and earned a solid decision.  Next were a string of very close and very exciting matches including a couple overtime bouts.  The fans got their money's worth and more (free admission) as these matches kept everyone on the edge of their seats.  Justyce Fulmer, Will Foulke, Brian Rinker and Ausin Sines all won close matches that came down to the wire.  John earned the win over Jacob in the battle of the Zimmermans.  Captain Cooper McCauley wrestled a great match against defending state champion Austin Shaffer, but Shaffer  proved he was ready to go after another title this season as he controlled both of his opponents on the evening. 

 

Captain Steve-O and Logan Tichinel with the students watching in the background.

Seniors Scott Cooper and Stephen Collins led the way in the second half of the match with strong wins, proving they will lead this team both as captains and as solid competitors as the regular season begins next week.  Several newcomers were very impressive as well.  Junior Seth Kisner and Senior Johnny Lascaris both gave their more experienced opponents great matches last night.  These two, along with our incoming freshmen and our returning wrestlers have proven that wrestling is alive and well at Southern Garrett High School.

 

Red/White Results:

• Tanner Massey (W) dec. Austin Sines (R)
• Corey Horner (W) dec. Zach Tichnell (R)
• Justyce Fulmer (R) dec. Johnny Lascaris (W) ot
• Brian Rinker (R) dec. Dalton Cooper (W) ot
• Austin Shaffer (W) dec. Cooper McCauley (R)
• Stephen Collins (W) pin Logan Tichinel (R)
• Will Foulke (R) dec Seth Kisner (W)
• John Zimmerman (R) dec. Jacob Zimmerman (W)
• Austin Sines (R) pin Johnny Lascaris (W)
• Tanner Massey (W) dec. Justyce Fulmer (R)
• Scott Cooper (W) dec Brian Rinker (R)
• Dalton Cooper (W) dec Marcus Tichinel (R)
• Austin Shaffer (W) dec Devan Hamrick (R)

Good vs. Evil - Red/White Scrimmage 2012

          Our Annual Red/White Scrimmage is Thursday, November 29th at 7pm in the Southern High School gym.  This annual tradition pits one half of our team against the other half in an exciting dual meet format.  Some very entertaining and very competitive matches have occurred during this event in past years and there is no doubt that will be the case again this season.  Please join us as we introduce our 2012/2013 squad.

Here are the tentative match-ups and order of bouts for the Red/White Scrimmage 2012:

 

The Red Devils	The White Knights
aka: “The Bad Guys”	aka: “The Good Guys”
Austin Sines	Tanner Massey
Zach Tichnell	Corey Horner
Justyce Fulmer	Johnny Lascaris
Brian Rinker	Dalton Cooper
Devan Hamrick	Brandon Uphold
Cooper McCauley	Austin Shaffer
Bonus Matches	SMC Wrestlers
Logan Tichinel	Stephen Collins
Will Foulke	Seth Kisner
John Zimmerman	Jacob Zimmerman
Austin Sines	Johnny Lascaris
Justyce Fulmer	Tanner Massey
Brian Rinker	Scott Cooper
Marcus Tichinel	Dalton Cooper

 

 

 

Keyser Scrimmage

On Monday evening, we welcomed the Keyser Golden Tornado to our gym for a scrimmage.  The boys had a really good night on the mats and took full advantage of having "new blood" in the gym.  We started out with a little review session and then some pretty hard drilling.

Steve-O leading the star jumps

After a good drilling session, we went right into live wrestling.  Our kids took full advantage of this time with new opponents, and looked very strong.  We did not keep score in these matches but we were very happy with the outcome.

Live wrestling (except for the 3 in the background)

After a quick break (thanks to Heather Cooper for bringing us drinks!) we had our usual mid-practice ritual....story time.  The guys were a little shy, but we did hear stories about wrecking vehicles and finding cash.  Then is was back to work with 30 more hard minutes of live wrestling.  When everyone was pretty much worn out, we went into conditioning, led by the seniors.  It was a great workout and with the season ready to begin, both teams are a little more prepared for opening night.

Senior leading conditioning at the end of our scrimmage

Overall, it was a great night on the mats for the Southern Rams and the Keyser Golden Tornado.

Many Thanks!

It is Thanksgiving morning and we all have so much and so many people to be thankful for, we thought it would be a great idea to list everyone here.  I am sure I will miss an important person or two, but I am getting old and everyone should be thankful that I can remember anything at all......

So here it goes (in no particular order), The Southern Garrett Wrestling Team is very thankkful for:

• Our Wrestlers.  From the teams in the early years to our team today, we are thankful for great kids who have come from great families who have dedicated themselves to this difficult sport.  It takes a special person to be a wrestler and we have been very lucky to have so many great kids.
• The Wrestling Parents.  It also takes a special person to be a great wrestling parent and we have been blessed here as well. 
• Our Fans.  We have wrestled in a lot of places and nowhere are the fans as loud and supportive as the Southern Garrett Wrestling fans.  We are very thankful to have such a great group of followers.
• My Boss.  He is obviously the greatest boss EVER to allow me to leave work every day and coach the sport I love.  Thanks boss!
• Southern High School Students and Staff.  In many schools, wrestling is ignored and not supported.  Southern High School is certainly not that way and we are very thankful to have such a strong following among the students and staff of our school. 
• Our Assistant Coaches.   We give thanks to Tim Rush and Dan Clark for giving their time to this team as assistant coaches this season and we are also thankful for those who have helped in the past like Justin Gregory, Jason Burgess, Chuck Fitzwater and even George Scheffel.
• Matt Redinger.  He is the man who keeps the athletic programs successful.  Anything we need, Matt is the go to guy.
• Jim Maddy and Tom Woods.  We have been blessed with high school principal's who have fully supported our team.  This is not the case everywhere and we could not have been as successful without their blessings.
• My Girls.  My daughters sacrificed a lot so their dad could coach this team.  I am very thankful that they turned out to be great young ladies even though my committment to Southern Wrestling kept me away at times.  Thanks Sam and Kelly!!
• The Southern Mat Club.  Our feeder program has sent numerous excellent wrestlers to the high school program.  The club is strong and everyone involved works tirelessly to promote our sport.
• Our State Champions.  It is no secret, I love coaching state champions and we have been blessed with the following wrestlers who have reached the top.  Johnny Hayhurst (2x), Scott Wildesen, Justin Ratliff, Brutus Scheffel (4x), Jordan Skipper, Bubba Scheffel (3x), Davey Stewart, Lex Ozias (3x), Coy Ozias and Austin Shaffer.  I am also very thankful for those who have made it to the state finals but fell just short of the title.  Daniel Carr, Sean Sisler and Ryan Bennett.
• Liz Shiflett.  Mama Liz is everything to our team.  She loves the sport and loves the kids does anything and everything to help us be more successful.
• The Bosleys.  They are a great coaching family and an excellent source of material for my stand-up comedy routine.
• The SGAA and Our Alumni.  These people have paved the way for our team's success.  We thank them for everything they have done for our team and for all Southern Athletics.
• Kurt Lear.  Mr. Lear is the man who invited me into the coaching position at Southern.  He is a wrestling coach and a wrestling fan and is as responsible for the team's success as anyone.
• Ed Wildesen.  Ed is the man who first contacted me about coaching wrestling in the first place.  About 20 years ago, he asked if I would coach his son and the Southern Mat Club and I have been involved ever since.
• Jane Wildesen and Jeff Gregory.  They have run the clock and scoreboard for Southern Wrestling for as long as I can remember.
• Heather Cooper.  Heather is currently in the position as the parent leader, heads the concession stand, takes care of hotel rooms and clothing orders.  She is the latest in a long line of great parents who have taken the lead.
• The Basketball Coaches.  We share the gym and scheduling gets tricky, but these other coaches have been great to work with over the years.  We work together for the kids and for each other's programs.
• Walter Lee.  Walt is our go to guy for everything around the gym and in case of injuries.  The man will do anything to keep our athletes healthy and safe.
• Kayla and Mrs. Gregory.  Simply put, if we need it, they make it happen.  We are blessed.
• Maria.  Last, but certainly not least, there is Maria.  There is no person that hears more about the Southern Garrett Wrerstling Team than Maria.  She is always there to listen (and offer her opinion) when I start rambling about every aspect of the season.  The schedule, the next match, the weight classes, the match-ups, the trouble makers (very few!), the exceptional kids (a lot more!), the parents, the staff, the fans...... the list goes on and on and Maria is always there the hear me out and help me out.  Thank you.

As I said in the beginning, we sure have a lot to be thankful for.  We hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving and we go back to work tomorrow as the season continues.