Sunday, Jan. 11, 2009

Chesterfield answers another wrestling challenge

Rams wins second title in a row; Chapin finishes third

The message on the backs of the Chesterfield High wrestling T-shirts says it all. It has a bulls-eye with a simple message across it, ‘We know it’s there, give it your best shot.”

After winning the Class A state championship last year, the Rams know they are on the radar for every opponent they face. That includes dual matches or individual tournaments such as the 2009 Hardee’s Blue Devil Invitational this weekend at Dreher.

Chesterfield took on all comers and came out of the 24-team tournament with 198.5 points, which was good for first place for the second consecutive year and fourth time in the past five years of the Blue Devil Invitational. Class 3A Bluffton came in second with 190 points and Chapin was third with 173.5.

The Rams trailed the Bobcats by four points going into the championship and consolation finals.

“We did about as good as expected,” Chesterfield coach Will Gainey said. “We had some kids make it a little farther than we thought they would but overall it was a good performance by our kids. This gives us a good measuring stick going into the rest of the season.”

One of the highlight matches came when Ian Harper of Chesterfield met Chapin’s Nate Polly in the finals of the 125-pound weight class. Harper is a two-time defending Class 2A/A state champion but had his work cut out for him.

The Eagles sophomore defeated three-time defending state champion Eric Rholetter of West Oak in the semifinals. Polly turned Rholetter on his back to take an 11-9 lead in the third period, but in the process Rholetter dislocated his shoulder and couldn’t continue.

“It was a good move by Nate and its unfortunate the match couldn’t continue,” Harmon said. “He has wrestled up to his competition or down to it for a lot of the season. That was one of his better matches.”

Polly transferred to Chapin from Lexington, where he finished fourth in Class 4A last year as a freshman, but Harper wrestled a complete match, according to Gainey, to earn a 7-0 decision.

“It didn’t matter if Ian wrestled Polly or Rholetter in the finals, it was going to be a good test for him,” Gainey said. “He really hasn’t had that much competition this year and this was a solid performance. This should set him up well for the rest of the season.”

Chapin was the top finisher among teams from the Midlands. The Eagles had one individual winner (Stuart Hope) and two runner-up finishes. Sumter finished fourth, Camden sixth, host Dreher ninth and Airport tenth.

Team Scores

1, Chesterfield, 198.5; 2, Bluffton, 190; 3, Chapin, 173.5; 4, Sumter, 161; 5, Crescent, 126.50; 6, Camden, 120.5; 7, Lake City, 112; 8, Myrtle Beach, 106; 9, Dreher, 97.5; 10, Airport, 97; 11, Richland Northeast, 92.5; 12, Swansea and West Oak (tie), 92; 14, Blythewood, 89.5; 15, Pickens, 57; 16, Chester, 55; 17, Ridge View, 51.5; 18, Hammond, 46; 19, Darlington, 43.5; 20, Heathwood Hall, 40; 21, Brookland-Cayce, 39; 22, Keenan, 30; 23, Marion, 23; 24, A.C. Flora 22.

Individual Winners

103: Stewart Hope, Chapin. 112: Mathew Moore, Chesterfield. 119: Cody McCall, Crescent. 125: Isn Harper, Chesterfield. 130: Horus Madrid, Camden. 135: Elijah Burr, Chesterfield. 140: Will Long, Camden. 145: Keith Harding, Blythewood. 152: Carlos Robinson, Chesterfield. 160: Tyler Roselieb, Bluffton. 189: Caleb Desjardins, Myrtle Beach. 215: Chris Phillips, Airport. 275: Mike Miller, Sumter.

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