The boy’s wrestling team battled through a tumultuous tournament at the 46th annual Tom Dineen Invitational on December 31st. The New Year’s Eve showdown was set to be a difficult bout, missing a key contributor in Chase Myers resulting in multiple wrestlers having to make their varsity debuts. The team managed to finish 17th out of 19, but there were plenty of bright spots and silver linings riddled throughout the meet that made it a valuable learning experience moving forward into midseason competitions.
During the undermanned outing, two young wrestlers amongst the squadron still managed to place in their respective weight classes. The freshman phenom Mason Bruber electrified his teammates early, beginning the meet with two dominating pins and advancing all the way to the semi-final for the 106 weight class. Unfortunately, Bruber would end up falling short in his final few matches, yet he still accomplished a stellar 6th place finish on the day whilst bringing home a solid chunk of points for the Warriors. This would cap off an incredible month of competitions for the brewing star as it adds to his list of achievements across December, including a 3rd place finish at the York Invitational. As for the current tournament, Head Coach Michael Jernigan was very pleased with how the day began, as success from a young athlete and the growth in experience aligns perfectly with his overarching hopes for the team.
“Our job this year is to get better, gain knowledge, gain experience, as we’re such a young team,” Jernigan explained. “We want our guys learning and putting themselves in positions to really excel throughout their entire career here.”
Although the team was faced with heavy adversity throughout the event, another pillar of success that blossomed amidst the difficulty was the performance of esteemed Sophomore Charlie Hall, who wrestled with the utmost confidence and poise. Hall’s first round bye resulted in optimal preparation for his tournament debut, and despite a similar first round advantage being granted to his adversary, the sophomore made quick work of his opponent as he pinned him within two minutes. Hall’s momentum sent him barreling into the third round, where he would face off against a more formidable wrestler from Gretna East. The match was hard fought from both sides, but Hall managed to take control and coast to an imposing 11-7 decision victory.
The young star would hit a wall however in the semi finals, bowing out after an exhausting run and taking his claim in the consolation bracket where he would pick up steam yet again and breeze through his first competitor, landing himself a spot in the third place match. The battle for third overall is where Hall would solidify his exceptional performance by overcoming a rematch with his former foe from Gretna East. In the end, this run from the sophomore would be some of the last major points to be scored by the diminished collective, yet it will stand as one of the most impressive by any athlete on the team thus far throughout the season.
Coach Jernigan remains proud of his young roster, continuing to work and develop them into mighty competitors with the passing of every day. He isn’t concerned by early season tournaments as his intrinsic goals of improvement and discipline remain actively within reach.
“Development and progress, that’s what we’re shooting for this season,” Jernigan stated.
The team aims to build momentum and grow together as they face off against Millard West on the road Friday, Jan, 10.
