Exiting this past weekend, Brentsville District's wrestling team appeared on pace for what should be a successful post-season starting next month.
The only catch is what is defined as successful.
"I want to win the district tournament,"
said senior Seth Henson as he discussed his team's goals. "I think we can do it."
For Brentsville, the problem with achieving that is Fauquier continues to excel at wrestling at a level above that of most other Virginia high schools. The Falcons rolled over their Evergreen district opponents Saturday at Kettle Run High School, holding each opponent to scores either in the teens or single digits. This comes one season after Fauquier finished third in the Group AA state meet.
Brentsville, meanwhile, stood out in second place with a 3-1 record. The Tigers' lone blemish came against Fauquier as the team managed to win only four matches as part of a 48-18 defeat. Yet, Brentsville was also the only team to hold the Falcons under 50 for the day while also outscoring Warren County, Liberty and Kettle Run by a combined 175-46.
"They don't give up silly points,"
said Brentsville coach Jess Moore about Fauquier.
What all that means for Brentsville is that the team is a significant underdog to Fauquier for the district title while being the favorite to take second place in the district. That would likely mean that several wrestlers should qualify for the regional and state tournament as the post-season progresses.
Those leading the pack include the four that won against Fauquier: Henson, Tim Nordan, Zach Roseberry and Brandon Thompson. Henson and Thompson are both familiar with playoff pressure as the two advanced to the state tournament last year. Henson earned trips to states in each of his first three seasons and finished fourth the last two years, essentially establishing him as the team's current elite.
In fact, his win against Fauquier came as he wrestled in the 140-pound class instead of his usual 135. According to Henson, simply making it back to the big dance won't cut it this year; he's got victory on his mind.
"I want to win states this year,"
said Henson of his personal goal.
He noted that Thompson this season is improving on his feet while "not giving up bad points."
The junior is wrestling in the same weight class as last season at 215, which led him to a 1-2 record at the state tournament after placing fourth in the region and first in the district.
Roseberry is continuing to surprise onlookers with another solid season after placing second in the district last year as a freshman, leading him to a fifth-place spot in the region tournament. The sophomore, described as "tough"
by Moore, won all four of his matches over the weekend as a 189-pounder.
Nordan is in a similar situation in the 112-pound class. While some of his teammates bumped up a weight class from last year or stayed the same, the sophomore actually moved down to 112 following a second-place finish in the district tournament last year.
Other potential standouts for the Tigers identified by Moore and Henson include Tyler Scheatzle at 145 and heavyweight Juan Funes. Perhaps the most impressive victory by Funes on Saturday came against Warren County, when he toppled an opponent nicknamed "Big Ben"
who clearly had a substantial height and weight advantage.
"He sticks to his game plan,"
said Moore. Henson added that Funes has "stepped up the most"
from those who wrestled junior varsity last season, something that he may be able to attribute in part to working with Thompson as the two are sparring partners in practice.
With just over two weeks to go before the district tournament, Henson said that one of the most valuable lessons he can teach his teammates is to approach each match with a fresh set of eyes instead of worrying about how an opponent is ranked. He said often times, one of the biggest pitfalls high school wrestlers fall into in the modern era is paying too much attention to Internet chatter instead of just focusing on winning.
"You can't worry about that,"
said Henson.
