For the second year in a row, the Gloucester High School wrestling team claimed the Peninsula District title, winning Saturday’s tournament, which was held at Heritage High School in Newport News.
Collectively, the team had 14 wins by fall and two wins by technical fall with eight other victories coming by way of decision, giving the team an impressive 24-5 record.
Short-handed at 106, 150, 157, and 215 weights, the Dukes needed 10 wrestlers to show up big in order to have a shot at bringing home another title this year.
Aiden Sheesley (113), Christian Hartz (126), Corey Skay (138), Karl Dean (144), Kenneth Hamilton (165), and J.R. Jones (HWT) all came home with individual championships. Third-place finishes came from David Lewis (120), Grayson Orlando (132) and William Murrell (175), who stepped into the varsity lineup in place of Makai Scatliffe who was dealing with an illness. Hayden Fox finished fifth overall as every team point mattered in the ultra-tight team scores.
As the finals were underway, Kenneth Hamilton pushed Gloucester back into the lead over the Bethel Bruins, 199-198, with each school having one remaining wrestler to determine the final standings. Bruins taking the mat at 215 for the championship put all the pressure on the Dukes with a fall over Phoebus to retake the lead, 204-199, with Jones left to go. Jones, needing the fall to capture the title for the Dukes, came up clutch for the Dukes at 3:20 in the second period getting the fall, the team points, and title for the young scrappers. This lifted the Dukes to a 205-204 win over the Bruins.
Last Wednesday, the Dukes competed in their final dual meet of the season. GHS started off the night by winning over the visiting Crabbers, 57-0.
Winning max team points for the team were Sheesley, Lewi, Orlando, Brandon McDonald (144), Skay, Hamilton, Scatliffe, Hayden Fox (190), and Colby Morris (HWT), with Dean (157) going the distance winning by decision.
Sheesley, Lewis and McDonald all received forfeits while Orlando, Skay, Hamilton, Scatliffe, Fox, and Morris earned falls for the Dukes.
In the final dual of the night against the Bruton Panthers, the Dukes won six of the eight head-to-head matches and picked up three additional wins by forfeit. This gave them a 54-15 win.
Starting the scoring was the Panthers with a decision at 120; however, the Dukes won the next five by max points with Sheesley and Orlando who picked up wins by way of fall. Skay and McDonald received forfeits while Dean picked up another six points also by fall to boost the Dukes to a 30-3 lead. The Panthers picked up six more points by forfeit at 157. Hamilton and Scatliffe then recorded falls along with William Murrell receiving the win by forfeit to increase the lead for the Dukes, 48-9. The Panthers were able to get six more points at 215 with a win by fall before Colby Morris finished off the dual by a fall.
Next up for the Dukes is the 4A Regional Championships on Saturday at Phoebus High School, where the Dukes are looking to place well as a team and qualify at each individual weight for the VHSL State Tournament set for Feb. 16-17.