Wrestlers caught in the Storm

Rongi Yost, Correspondent | Last updated Dec 13, 2016 12:0pm0

Jerry Baldock count

The Outlaws wrestled a tough Summit squad.

The Sisters wrestling squad was inundated by the Summit Storm at home on Tuesday, December 6. The Storm smothered the Outlaws with a final score of 64-18. The 18 points the Outlaws did earn all came due to forfeits.

Sisters' two standouts were brothers Cole and Austin Pade. Cole lost 8-7 to Quintin McCoy in a barn-burner match that went down to the last seconds in the final round. Austin (freshman) also was tough in his match against Aidan Johnson. Austin was on his back in every round and fought not to get pinned. In the final seconds of the last round, Johnson finally got the pin.

Coach John Downs said, "I haven't seen a wrestler fight that long to not get pinned in a long time."

The Outlaws will compete at the Adrian Irwin Invitational at Ridgeview on Friday and Saturday, December 16-17.

Wrestling team boasts largest turnout to date

The wrestling program has grown by leaps and bounds over the past five years, and this season 25 wrestlers are ready to grapple on the mats.

Over the past five years, Coach John Downs has taken a program that was basically on life-support to a thriving program with four state qualifiers and one state placer.

One senior, Tyler Surface, returns to the varsity squad this year, along with juniors Casey Warburton, Patrick Dingeman, David Perez-Sanchez, Dustin Smith, Austin Moore, Jake Stevens, Jared Richerson, Damien Wills and Cole Pade. Sophomores Parker Ford and Dalton Ford round out the returning varsity players.

Tyler Friend, junior, is new to the sport, as is sophomore Ryon MacIntosh. Sophomore Brody Enstrom is new to Sisters High School but does have wrestling experience from his previous school.

Eleven matmen are freshmen, 10 of whom wrestled at the middle school last year.

"We're a young team," said Downs. "The last four years the wrestlers that wrestled for me built the foundation for this program, and now I have placed the pressure on this new group. With five veteran wrestlers graduating last year, it opens the opportunities for new leaders to emerge and lead this team to becoming a mainstay at this school."

Downs told The Nugget that all of the wrestlers have the potential to do something great for the team and for themselves.

"This program is no longer on life-support as it was in the past," said Downs. "It's starting to grow. Wrestling is getting so big we are in need of more support for equipment, and a wrestling room, not just an auxiliary gym. We need a room with wall pads and more mats. I don't want my wrestlers to get hurt. I also don't want kids cut from the team only because my room is too

small."