Sanderson wrestling
Sanderson 119-pounder Adam Tassitino won his weight class at Saturday's Wolverine Challenge.
Wakefield, Sanderson wrestlers
hit mat at Wolverine Challenge
SHS' Tassitino takes first; WHS' McKinnon snags second
Last weekend's sixth annual Wolverine Challenge presented an array of noteworthy storylines — positive and, unfortunately, negative — for the Wakefield and Sanderson wrestling teams.
Some outcomes were predictable, others surprising and one early result was just downright heartbreaking.
On the predictable side, the Spartans' 119-pounder Adam Tassitino continued his early-season dominance, scoring four wins, including two pins, en route to winning his weight class.
Although Tassitino needed to fight off a tough challenge from Clayton's Luke Ludke in the finals to win 3-1.
Wakefield's 171-pounder Malik McKinnon might have recorded the most surprising — and impressive — tournament run, winning his first three matches with ease before falling in the finals to Knightdale's Nick McClelland.
Here is footage of Blane McElreath's match against Knightdale's Parker Baucom.
As for the heartbreaking, Sanderson's 140-pounder Jeremy Hawthorne endured more than a loss on the mat, suffering a serious knee injury in his first bout of the day. (A trainer's photo later showed the Spartan's knee cap lofting in his thigh.)
"This was his last day of wrestling —unexpectedly," shrugged Sanderson head coach Jeremy Barefoot. "It was during his first match of the day, and he was taking the kid down and just one of those things. And it was the third time he's had something wrong with his knees. It's a shame because he's a kid who's busted his tail for us."
Hawthorne's injury overshadowed an otherwise solid day from the Spartans.
After dropping his first match of the day, Spartan sophomore Blane McElreath rattled off three consecutive wins, including a victory over Knightdale's Parker Baucom in the 130-pound weight classes' third-place match. McElreath won the bout with a second-period pin.
"He wrestled very aggressively, and that is something we try to teach our kids," Barefoot said. "And considering this is only his seventh or eighth varsity match, he did very well."
Senior Marcus Felton (189) — who won three matches, and dropped a fourth — put together a solid afternoon and tied Wakefield's Caleb Killion for third place. (Because Killion wrestled five matches — the maximum he could compete in — the third-place match wasn't held and subsequently called a draw.)
Sanderson's 112-pounder Marshall Bass wrestled well, winning two of four matches, though he lost in the third-place match to Wake Forest-Rolesville's Donald Cotton.
Pleased with his Spartans' effort, Barefoot looks for improvement from everyone, including Tassitino — his lone first-place finisher.
"Adam's learning how to be offensive, when he needs to be offensive. But at the same time, he is learning how to be smart when he needs to be smart," the coach said. "Though, in my mind, he could have been a little more offensive in the finals match. But in the end, he is winning close matches, he's winning tough matches, that's what its going to take to win a state championship, and that's what we want out of Adam."
As for the Wolverines, Wakefield head coach Jason Booser liked what he saw, starting with McKinnon.
"He has come a long way, and he's worked hard in the practice room," the coach said. "Though he lost to a tough one in the finals, he seems to have his confidence level back, and he's looking good."
Killion looked good at times, but Booser wants his senior to take more command of his matches.
Wakefield's Zach Koehler (black) defeated Sanderson's Pete Maierhofer in their fifth-place bout.
"It's early in the season, and he is getting to where he needs to be, and I believe Caleb can wrestle with everybody in our regional as well as in the state at 189," the coach explained. "But he is going to have to control his matches, and make his opponents wrestle his match and not theirs."
Wakefield 103-pounder Zach Koehler got the better of Sanderson's Pete Maierhofer in their fifth-place bout Saturday evening. After falling in his first match, Koehler rebounded taking his next four, including a 13-2 decision over Maierhofer.
"Zach is my 'poster child.' He took a beating last year, but he's come right back this year and worked hard and hasn't had his head down," Booser said. "He is just one of those kids it's fun to be around."
The Wakefield coach lauded Matt Holt, Wakefield's 130-pounder, though the junior struggled to pull out wins.
"He works extremely hard, just not getting any breaks yet," Booser said. "He wrested a kid who beat him 10-0 last year, lost to him this year 14-13. Even though he lost, in my eyes, that's a lot of improvement.
"He is right there on the corner, and if he works hard, he is going to turn that corner."
In addition to Wakefield and Sanderson, other teams competing at last week's tournament included Apex, Bunn, Clayton, Douglas Byrd, EE Smith, Enloe, Franklinton, Fuquay-Varina, Knightdale, Nash Central, Southern Durham, Southern Vance, Wake Forest-Rolesville and Webb.
The Wolverines visit Millbrook Wednesday, Dec. 16, at 7 p.m. Following the conference match, Wakefield is scheduled to compete at the WRAL Invitational at Athens Drive Friday and Saturday. Sanderson and Millbrook will also be there.
