By Stephen Henderson
The Patrick County High School wrestling team traveled to Martinsville Saturday for the Piedmont District Wrestling Tournament and came home with a second-place victory.
Franklin County won the championship with 162 points. The Cougars scored 135, and Tunstall finished third with 118.
The Cougars had three district champions: Alfredo Gutierrez at 106 lbs., Brian Lange at 113 lbs. and Owen Smith at 120 lbs.
Darious Williams (132) finished second. Ethan Rorrer (126) and Derek Howard (HWT) placed third while Josh Baker (160) and Hunter Kenyon (195) were fourth.
Gutierrez (106) started the tournament with a bye and then pinned his Franklin County opponent in 2:49 in the semifinal round. He won his championship round with a 33-second pin against George Washington of Danville.
Brian Lange (113) also had a bye in the first round. He pinned his Bassett opponent in the semifinal round in 11 seconds and beat Franklin County in 55 seconds in the championship round.
Owen Smith (120) had a bye, too, in the opening round and pinned his Franklin County opponent in 38 seconds in the semifinal round. It took him 39 seconds to win the championship round against Franklin County.
Darious Williams (132) had a first-round bye and pinned his Magna Vista opponent in the semifinal round in 3:15. He lost to Martinsville in the finals by pin in 3:15 for second.
Ethan Rorrer (126) had a first round bye and lost to GW of Danville in the semifinal round by pin in 5:35. In his battle for third place, he pinned his Halifax opponent in 3:31.
Derek Howard (HWT) had a first round bye and lost in the semifinal round. He pinned his Bassett opponent in the consolation round and finished in third place when he defeated GW in the consolation finals with a pin in 1:40.
Josh Baker (160) had a bye in the first round. He lost to GW in the semifinal round and lost to Tunstall in a 10-5 decision for fourth.
Hunter Kenyon had a first round bye; he beat Tunstall 9-7 in the semifinal round and lost to Bassett on a tech fall for fourth.
Jeremy Gunter, AJ Robertson, Jake Howe, Shemar Hill and Brandon Tarpley also competed for the Cougars at the tournament.
“We did well as a team in the district tournament Saturday,” said Coach Robert Cunningham. “We started to pick up as the season progressed—that was our plan. Our lineup got fuller and the team started to buy into our training—which you could see at the district tournament,” he added.
“We were in the lead until the 170-lb. weight class when Franklin County got several pins and edged ahead and the tide turned. I am still proud of our second-place finish,” Cunningham said.
“I am proud of the whole team, especially our lighter weights who put the most points on the scoreboard for us. They got the pins and bonus points when we need them,” Cunningham said.
This weekend the Cougar wrestlers travel to Christiansburg for the two-day Region 3D Wrestling Championship. “The whole team goes to regionals because of the different divisions in the Piedmont District. A district championship is basically just for bragging rights, now,” he explained.
At Christiansburg, strictly 3-A schools will be present. Wrestling starts at 1 p.m. Friday and will end by 6 p.m. due to a regional basketball game to be played there. Saturday, wrestling starts at 10 a.m.
