By Bob Sutton
Special to The Alamance News
Southern Alamance’s wrestling team is back on the mats and that makes the Patriots happy.
The team entered two recent tournaments under its new coaching staff.
“I thought our season was going to be over,” junior heavyweight Luke White said during a break at Saturday’s Crosby Invitational at Greensboro Dudley. “I’m glad they found new coaches. We finally get to wrestle.”
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Vincent Ramirez, a former wrestler for the University of North Carolina, is the new coach. He’s assisted by former Orange standout Braden Homsey, who later competed collegiately for Ferrum. Ramirez, 38, is a Durham Riverside graduate.
Southern’s season appeared in jeopardy with the departure of coach Jim Giannotti. He resigned December 9, with the Alamance-Burlington School System conducting an investigation related to an alleged incident with a wrestler.
Now, the season is back on.
“We got really blessed with the new coaches we got,” said Mike Rich, father of the team’s most accomplished wrestler. “To find them in the middle of the season was a real break.”
During the season’s interruption, Southern missed out on holding the Alamance County Duals, which had been a staple on the Patriots’ home slate, and the team wasn’t entered in the Eagle Invitational in Mebane. The Patriots also had dual meets wiped from the schedule.
Jace Rich and White were 2023 champions in the Eagle Invitational.
“I was really looking forward to wrestling that tournament,” White said of the missed opportunity this season.
Mike Rich said he likes the vision displayed by Ramirez.
“He’s looking to build a whole new tradition out there,” he said. “We’re hoping it will rebuild.”
White said there’s potential for rapid improvement.
“It’s a big difference,” he said. “He’s teaching us a bunch of new stuff.”
Jace Rich was the 157-pound runner-up in the Crosby Invitational. He defeated Wheatmore’s Brodie Bates with a first-period technical fall, stopped Central Davidson’s Ethan Forrest 3-0 and then defeated Providence Grove’s Mitchell Freeman with a second-period technical fall. Rich lost to Eden Morehead’s Nate Howard by 12-5 in the final.
White and teammates Bennet Teague (113 pounds) and Kamdyn Wagner (144) all had 1-2 records in the tournament.
Western Alamance’s Omar Rushing was the 126 runner-up, falling by 9-8 to Southeast Guilford’s Kenneth Thomas in the final. Rushing defeated Greensboro Dudley’s Michael Milton and Eden Morehead’s Cameron Benton by decisions to reach the title match.
Western’s Gavin Smith placed third at 132 by defeating Orange’s Adrian Sierra and Central Davidson’s Luke Owens before claiming the third-place match via technical fall against Greensboro Grimsley’s Awab Wahab. Smith lost to eventual champion Elijah Dorsey of Greensboro Dudley.
Western’s Esaiah Slade took third place at 215, defeating Wheatmore’s Johnathan Kelly 8-5 in overtime in the third-place bout. Slade earlier defeated Kernersville Glenn’s Jeremiah Thompson 12-6, but he was a third-period pin victim to eventual champion Andrew Hassard of Greensboro Grimsley. A pin of Myers Park’s Cordaryl Willis in 2:02 in a consolation round advanced him to the third-place tilt.
- In the 30-team Tiger Holiday Classic on December 27 and 28 at Chapel Hill, Rich was second at 165 pounds. He had a technical fall, two pins and a major decision before he was pinned in the third period of the final by Hough senior Kyser Kostoff. White placed sixth at heavyweight.
Wrestling tournaments on tap
The Andy Hawks Duals are back on the docket after a one-year hiatus.
The tournament will be conducted Friday, beginning at 3:45 p.m. at Cummings. It’s held in memory of Hawks, a longtime wrestling coach.
Participating teams include Cummings, Eastern Alamance, Graham, Central Carolina Academy, and possibly Oxford Webb.
- Southeast Alamance is holding the Stallion Stampede Invitational on Saturday with divisions for boys and girls.
Participating teams are Southeast Alamance, Asheboro (girls only), Bartlett Yancey, Durham Hillside, Jordan-Matthews (girls only), Leesville Road, North Carolina School of Science and Math, Roanoke Rapids, Southwest Guilford, Union Pines, Vance County, Wakefield (girls only), and Indian Land out of South Carolina. An unattached entrant(s) from The Burlington School also is expected to be entered on the boys’ brackets.
