Raiders Finish 2nd at Conference

    Wrestling in the final regular season event, the Orange Park Raider Wrestling team finished a stunning second to Matanzas.  "At the start of the season, I couldn't have imagined this, to be honest," Head Coach Chad Parker said.  "Coming in to the tournament we were considered anywhere from the third to fifth best team in the conference.  This finish is direct by-product of our daily practice habits."
 

    The Raiders scored 211.5 points to Matanzas' 217.5.  "It became a dual meet, so to speak, in the finals and consi finals," Parker said.  "Matanzas had 12 in that round and we had 13.  It came down to a head-to-head match up at the heavyweight match.  Although I didn't like the final outcome [Matanzas winning] it was an exciting way to end the tournament.  Our heavy does not shoulder the blame for the loss though.  There were other guys who had opportunities as well."

    The Raiders placed all thirteen wrestlers who competed in the top four.  "What an accomplishment," Parker said.  "We made a point of preparing each wrestler to be ready to compete in the wrestle-backs.  That's where tournaments are won."

    Advancing 7 wrestlers into the finals, the Raiders exited with 3 champions.  Champions were Luke Frame, Bryan Somera and Daniel Wolfe.  Frame, at a 119 pounds scored a crowd-rousing pin in the third period.  "Frame is just a sophomore, but, when he wants to, he wrestles like a senior," Parker said.  "He made a great adjustment in our cradle series and pinned a very good opponent."

    The junior Somera earned a hard-fought 5 - 3 victory at 130 pounds.  "That was a tough, physical match," Parker said.  "But our guy [Somera] was controlling the pace, setting the tone.  The match was wrestled in the Orange Park Way.  Controlling ties, winning the hand-fight battles and creating opportunities to score points."

    Sophomore Daniel Wolfe willed himself to victory, winning 8-7 in a match that came down to the last second.  "Wolfe is a guy that, in the past, hasn't wrestled 100% of the match," Parker said.  "This was the first tournament, and that finals match, was the first match, where he put it together for the entire match.  He's maturing into a really good wrestler."

    Finishing second for the Raiders were Nick Morf, Levi Duvall, Richard Brown and Austin Turner.  "Making it to the finals is such an important part of wrestling well at individual tournaments," Parker said.  "You get most of your points from winning in the semi-final match.  Duvall had to injury default, so that hurt a little bit, team-wise, but other guys in the finals had some opportunities that we just barely missed out on."

    Finishing third for the Raiders were Timothy Lattimore, Tommy Li, Austin Logue, and Kimani Leecan.  Jacob Allen and Jordan Muntain finished fourth.  "All of those guys got pins in the wrestle-backs," Parker said.  "With missing a competitor [the Raiders had no 171], those bonus points are huge."

    "Overall, what I take from this tournament is opportunity,"  Parker said.  "What we have to remember is that Fleming Island did not bring their entire varsity squad.  So it could have very well been us taking third, had that happened.  We have nothing to hang our heads about, but we have nothing to be cheerful about either.  Opportunity is next week at districts.  We are either going to take our opportunities, or someone else will."

    The Raiders will next compete at the District 1 - 3A tournament, being held at Gainesville Bucholz High School, on Saturday.  "It's a new season," Parker said.  "Nothing counts except how you finish.  It's time to be the best wrestler you can be, so to speak.  We have to finish holds, finish scoring opportunities, finish matches.  It's now or never."