The West Geauga Wolverines wrestling team is on pace to set a school record for most wins in a season.
Match photos click here.
The West Geauga Wolverines wrestling team is on pace to set a school record for most wins in a season.
West G moved closer to breaking that record as it defeated Orange and Copley in their tri-match Jan. 12.
In their first match, the Wolverines defeated Copley, 57-23.
The Wolverines then followed that up with another victory, defeating Orange, 61-14.
“I think they (the matches) went very well,” Wolverines Coach Carmen Russo said. “Copley, even though they didn’t have a full lineup, the wrestlers they brought were very tough.
“They definitely gave us some good challenges, put us in some tough positions. But we came out on top.
Russo said his team wrestled at a higher level of competition and intensity against Orange.
“Just pleased with the win, 61-14 against Orange, a CVC rival,” he said. “Any time you can do that in the CVC, you have to be pleased as a coach.”
In the first match against Copley, the Wolverines got victories from Caden Kaleal (pin), Christopher Paradise (6-3) and Brian Denamen (pin).
“I think I did really well in the match,” Kaleal said. “Went out there and saw him kind of going fast, but I tried to slow him down and make him wrestle my match, and that’s what I did, and pinned him down.”
Paradise also talked about his victory over his Copley opponent and his main strategy for the match.
“It was a pretty good match,” he said. “I lasted the whole time. I ended up winning.”
Paradise said his main strategy was to stay focused and to breathe well.
In their 61-14 defeat of Orange, 10 West G wrestlers won individual matches: Kaleal (pin), Matthew Obranovich (pin), Daniel Donofrio (3-2), Brian Denamen (pin), Quentin Artino (pin), Nicholas Donofrio (pin), Ethan Bartlett (pin), Nasir Levy (pin), Zack Metz (pin) and Zander Joltin (11-0).
“(My match) started off with a takedown, got a reversal, (then) the period ended,” Bartlett said. “Second period, got up right away, took him down, (then) he got another reversal on me.
“Went to the third period. He let me up and (I) took him down, and we went into this weird scramble, and (I) got him stuck on his back and pinned him.”
Metz also described his match.
“I felt like when he pushed into me, I could just get that slide-by really easily, so I felt like that was the correct decision,” Metz said. “When I realized I could just get him in the slide-by, I could just throw him, and honestly it was over from there.
“I knew he didn’t have a way out after I got him in a headlock.”
After the tri-match victories, Coach Russo discussed the various things his team is striving for this season.
“We are doing very well,” he said. “We are 12-4 now after tonight. We have nine more dual meet matches, and we have our sights set on 20 wins, which would be the record for the most wins in a single season for Wolverines wrestling.”
The Wolverines return to the mat Jan. 18 as they host a tri-match against Edgewood and Hudson.
