CCHS wrestling preview

November 24, 2008 05:19 pm

— When the Cumberland County High School Jet wrestling team opens its 2008-'09 season on Nov. 26 at Knox Karns, Coach Ron Cook will return nine from last year's squad which finished 11-10.
"We finished strong at 11-10 with a real hard schedule and want to pick up where we left off," said Cook. "We will be very balanced throughout the line up. As yet, we have no heavyweight. Our sophomores were all starters last year, and we will surprise a lot of people this season."
Cook will be assisted by Wesley McNeely, who is currently on injured reserve due to knee surgery. He should be back soon.
Seniors Jakob Kilby, Duane Wynn, Michael Rogers, Darel Davis and Kevin Hardy; two juniors, Jeremy Aytes and Anthony Barnes and sophomores Robbie Phillips and Jarrod Rogers lead the returnees.
The rookies or first-year wrestlers include Michael Hammon, Bill Greco, Travis Prichett, Rick Ridehn, Travis Stepp, Patrick Picard, Robert Morgenstern and Perry McDonald and Davis at 189.
Kilby returns at 112, with Wynn at either 125 or 130; Aytes at 140-145; Jarrod Rogers at 130-135; Phillips at 145 or 152, Barnes at 145 or 152; Davis at 189 and Hardy at 215 or 285.
Barnes grappled as a freshman, but moved away and has returned, while senior Michael Rogers returns after a year on the injured list.
Davis won the 189-lb. world championship during the 2008 Youth Friendship Games in Austria, sponsored by the People to People Sports Ambassadors program over the summer.
Hammon, a sophomore, will grapple at 103, with Greco at 119, Prichett at 125, Riden at 130 and Stepp, who is a cousin to former Jet grapplers George and Chris Stepp, Pichard and Morgenstern, all at 160, with McDonald at 171.
Josh Stephens, who was counted on at 189, is in a bigger battle, fighting cancer, and is in the thoughts of everyone.
Cook has started a sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade team for students at Brown, South, Pleasant Hill and Martin, all feeder schools for CCHS. The team practices twice a week from 6-7:30 p.m. in the wrestling complex. There are 10 weight classes, and Cook will take wrestlers until the team tournament in 2009.
If interested, contact Cook at CCHS or go by the wrestling complex.
Editor's note: This is part of the winter sports preview for Cumberland County High School.

Photos

Members of the 2008-’09 wrestling team are, from left, seated, Jakob Kilby, Duane Wynn and Michael Hammon; kneeling, Travis Prichett, Robby Phillips, Jeremy Aytes and Jarrod Rogers; and standing, Coach Ron Cook, Kasey Hardy, Darel Davis, Anthony Barnes and Tabby Fox, manager. Not present: Michael Rogers, Robert Morganstein, Bill Greco, Patrick Picard, Perry McDonald, Travis Stepp, Josh Stephens and Coach Wes McNeely.