StC News
4 Champs Pace Saints to STC Invite Crown
Led by the efforts of four individual champions and seven runners-up, the St. Christopher's wrestling team won the team title at its own St. Christopher's Invitational over AAA powerhouse Franklin County and AA Seminole District stalwarts Brookville on Saturday, December 12th. The eight team invitational was completed in almost record time, wrapping up the tournament ten minutes after the projected start time for the championship finals of 6:30 PM. The Saints scored 254.5 points to Franklin County's 212.5. Brookville came in third with 185, and Hanover finished fourth with 159 points.
Freshman Brandon Jeske moved his season record to 7-1 by winning the title at 119 lbs. He defeated Hopewell's Jonathan Gay 5-2 in the finals. David Wesley also improved to 7-1 on the season after winning the 160 lb. championship in impressive fashion, dominating Franklin County's AAA #4 ranked James Bissnett 17-6. Ted Gottwald brought home another title for the Saints when he defeated AAA #8 Jonathan Jones of Franklin County by fall. Chris Gill was the final champion for St. Christopher's, pinning another Franklin County wrestler, Taylor Horner in the 285 lb. final.
Sophomore Andy Pitts returned to the line up at 112 and placed second, as did freshman Robert Janis (125), sophomore Tyler Cornett (135), junior Trey Tarr (140), seniors Loren Phillips (145), Edward Custer (189), and Mark Burlee (215). Phillips dropped a 3-1 decision to three-time AA state place winner and top ranked Zeb Stewart of Brookville. Phillips was the aggressor for most of the match, but could not get any help from the officials for stalling when Stewart spent the third period backing away from the St. Christopher's wrestler. Custer dropped a heartbreaking match in the finals to AAA #2 ranked Kyle Locke of Hanover, after nailing the Hawk with a picture perfect headlock that was extremely close to a fall- too close in the minds of the Saints fans. Senior Rennie Merhige finished 3rd at 152 to round out the place winners for the Saints A Team.Junior Ben Thompson took 3rd in the first tournament of his career at 285, while freshman William Cabell finished in 4th at 145 lbs. for the Saints B team. The St. Christopher's Invitational also featured a first ever "web cast" of the championship finals on Freedo-Cast. You can view the saved portions of the final by clicking on the link.
The team will split up next week, as the majority will compete at the annual Richmond Invitational at Hermitage HS, while Jeske, Tarr, Phillips, Wesley, and Gill travel to the University of Delaware to compete in one of the toughest high school tournaments in the nation: the Beast of the East.
Coach Rob Prebish- www.stchriswrestling.com
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