Wrestling at MUS has been a growing program for many years now, and this season was no different.
Over the President’s Day weekend, the varsity wrestlers traveled to Chattanooga to compete in the State Individual Championships. This tournament gave the Owls an opportunity to focus on their individual efforts and to produce some notable finishes from West Tennessee.
MUS had four wrestlers place in their weight divisions.
Senior Andrew Gordon (275 lbs) earned a sixth-place finish after having triumphed in three matches in the heavyweight division. Freshman Barret Folk (103) had an emphatic 12-1 victory over an Ensworth opponent to give him a fifth-place finish. Junior Zach Gordon (171) won three matches before losing to an MBA opponent, 9-3, in his final match that gave him fourth place. Finally, senior Mason George (189) beat an opponent from Brentwood Academy and one from Briarcrest, advancing him to the semifinals. George then lost to a formidable McCallie opponent before winning his third-place match, 13-6.
Coach Shaun Gehres said of George, his team’s highest placing wrestler, “he worked for his third-place finish as hard as most guys work that get first place.”
Aside from the four Owls who placed, Andrew Maroda (119), Cameron Ridgway (135), William McGehee (145), and Sam Goldstein (152) all earned wins during the tournament.
This season began in December for the Owls with the annual Blackhorse Invitational at Houston High School. The Owls had three wrestlers who placed in the top eight as they gained valuable experience. The Owls then picked up their first wins of the regular season over Munford and White Station. After these wins, MUS sent the JV team to Nashville where four wrestlers placed fourth or better in the McGavock Invitational.
The Owls started out 2006 with an eighth-place finish in the Ravenwood Tournament, with a first and second-place individual performance by George and Andrew Gordon, respectively. The next tournament was in mid-January when MUS took on a competitive field in the CBHS Duals and came out with a fifth-place finish. Then, in local competition, MUS had earned three more team victories before the Regional tournament began.
At the Regional Championships, MUS beat Harding, 43-33, to secure a sixth straight runner-up finish in their region. After having qualified for State, the Owls traveled to Clarksville to compete in the State Duals. MUS faced two tough opponents and claimed seventh place overall.
This season has once again been satisfactory for the coaches and wrestlers. Coach Gehres, Coach Hendrix, and Coach Knaff believe that the wrestlers have once again improved and made the best of their abilities.
“I really think that the good season we had was made possible by the great senior leadership we have,” said Coach Gehres, reflecting on the season.
Coach Gehres is very happy with the experience that young wrestlers have gotten this season, and the Owls look forward to another great season next year.