Takedown Report

Wilmington All-Area Wrestling Team

From the Wilmington Star News Varsity by Alex Riley Alex.Riley@StarNewsOnline.com
http://www.starnewsvarsity.com/news/article/53720/all-area-wrestling/?tc=ar
HAMPSTEAD | It took Joseph Sculthorpe a long time to sort out the end of the 2013 high school wrestling season.  On one hand, he was upset. As a freshman at Topsail, he’d gone from unknown to competing in the 220-pound Class 2A state championship match, losing in overtime.  The sting of defeat was potent and sharp. So, when opposing coaches came up to talk with him after the match, their words were hard to reconcile with what he was feeling.  “They were coming up to me at the podium like, ‘How old are you?’ And at the time I was 14. They’re like, ‘You’re 14 and you’re wrestling 220 and you’re in the finals. And you’re crying right now? Are you kidding me? There are people that would kill to be in your position right now.’ I was like, well I guess it is a pretty cool accomplishment,” Sculthorpe said.  But Sculthorpe isn’t a wrestler looking for accomplishments. He’s in it to win.  “I didn’t want to feel like that again. Finishing second, I was so close to the best, to the top and just couldn’t reach it. I guess that was kind of my motivation to get me to the top,” he added.  On Feb. 22, 2014, Sculthorpe had a new feeling to deal with – confusion.

The sophomore capped his season by winning the 3A heavyweight state title. He finished 47-2 overall, capped by a 5-2 win against Carson-Jesse’s Alex Lyles in the final. It was a title he couldn’t believe he won.  “I was a little dumbfounded. I was in the car, just sitting there staring out the window like, ‘This is crazy,'” Sculthorpe joked.  His performance this season earned Sculthorpe StarNews All-Area wrestler of the year.  The last two years have been similar. As a freshman, he came in as an unknown in the 220-pound division. He didn’t get seeded until around regionals.  Despite his success, the process started all over again this winter with Sculthorpe moving up to the heavyweight division. Since he competed in a lower class last season, he had to win his way back into the rankings.  “Now the target’s on my back I guess,” Sculthorpe said.  Topsail coach Justin Armstrong knows what lies ahead. Sculthorpe has two more years left, meaning he’s got a chance to be a three-time state champion. That won’t come easy.  While Sculthorpe might have snuck up on opponents in the past, those days are long gone. Even this year, Armstrong would get coaches coming up and asking about him.  “Everybody and their brother was shooting for him,” Armstrong said.  “(The next step is) to be perfect, to go out there and completely dominate. To get to the point where nobody is getting near him in a match in regards to points. Just complete domination. It’s what I’m going to be trying to motivate him towards.” In order to be perfect, Armstrong hopes to see Sculthorpe add another 10-15 pounds of muscle. He also wants to see more aggression when he’s standing. Few people can match Sculthorpe on the ground, but on his feet he can be tentative.  After winning his championship, Sculthorpe took “a little break” to recover. The downtime didn’t last long.  Between wrestling and football seasons, he’d had no time off, but after sitting idle for a week he needed to get back to training. Right now, he’s lifting weights with the football team three days a week and taking part in private wrestling workouts.  The sting of losing helped Sculthorpe claim a state title as a sophomore. It’s a feeling he’d love to encounter again and again.  “Being the best at 3A heavyweight is pretty nice knowing you finished the season out the best way you could finish the season out,” Sculthorpe said. “And, that’s the way I wanted to finish the season.”

All-area wrestling   First Team
Wrestler of the Year: Joseph Sculthorpe, sophomore, Topsail (47-2). Class 3A state champion at heavyweight and two-time state placer. Was second in 2A last season.
106: David Bostian, sophomore, Laney (37-9): Mideastern Conference champ and second-place finisher at 4A East regional.
113: Adan Hardy, senior, Laney (41-11): Mideastern Conference champion and third-place finisher at 4A East Regional.
120: Porfirio Bautista, freshman, West Brunswick (32-9): Mideastern Conference champion
126: Austin Gabriele, junior, Ashley (28-6): Mideastern Conference champ.
132: Joe Mondragon, junior, Ashley (24-4): Finished second at regionals and fifth at Class 4A state meet.
138: Jonathan Miller, junior, Laney (26-13): Mideastern Conference champion finished third at the 4A East regional.
145: Cole Plott, senior, Laney (45-5): Mideastern Conference and regional champion. Finished second in 4A state meet.
152: Russell Harrison Jr., senior, Laney (42-10): Mideastern Conference champion.
160: Robert Sculthorpe, senior, Topsail (35-11): Mideastern Conference champ.
170: Tyrone Watson, freshman, North Brunswick (32-11): Finished second at 2A East regional.
182: Matt Schaefer, senior, Topsail (33-8): Mideastern Conference champion.
195: Brian Capps, senior, Laney (45-3): Mideastern Conference champ and second-place finisher at regional. Third at states for the second consecutive year.
220: Trent Allen, senior, South Brunswick (42-2): Mideastern Conference and 3A East regional champ. Lost by one point in the state semifinals to the eventual champion.
HWT: Jervon Faison, senior, Trask (18-3). Won 1A state title by fall. Had a major decision and two pins in the state tournament.

HONORABLE MENTION
106: Alec Russell, Topsail (23-11). 113: Terrell Mondragon, Ashley; C.J. Jasper, West Brunswick; Jovani Garcia Trask. 120: Sergio Guzman, East Duplin; Kevin Scravin, Laney. 126: Jyquan Green, West Brunswick; Jarrett Walls, South Brunswick. 132: Campbell Alspaugh, West Brunswick; Austin Harrison, Laney; Patrick Burton, North Brunswick. 138: Daniel Wilson, Hoggard; David Frazier, West Brunswick. 145: Michael Wilson, Ashley; Patrick Channell, Topsail. 152: Ethan Tello, Ashley; Anthony Walker, North Brunswick; Trey Borsuk, South Brunswick. 160: Bruce Kopka, Ashley; Kyle Menke, Laney; Christian Stiller, South Brunswick; Sterling Fullerton, West Brunswick. 170: Marcus King, Laney; Austin Sasser, South Brunswick. 182: Joey Weible, Laney; Evin Bellamy, North Brunswick. 195: Henry Vernon, Topsail; Dakota Smith, West Brunswick. 220: Grant Bowman, Laney; Josh Butrim, Trask; Nathan Gilbert, West Brunswick. HWT: Joe Gore, West Brunswick; Colby Hill, South Brunswick.
All-Conference – Mideastern Conference
Honors: Wrestler of the Year–Joseph Sculthorpe, Topsail. Coach of the Year–Jon Mauney, Laney. Sportmanship–South Brunswick
First Team: 106–David Bostan, Laney. 113–Adan Hardy, Laney. 120–Porfirio Bautista, West Brunswick. 126–Austin Gabriele, Ashley. 132–Campbell Alspaugh, West Brunswick. 138–Johnthan Miller, Laney. 145–Cole Plott, Laney. 152–Russell Harrison, Jr., Laney. 160–Robert Sculthorpe, Topsail. 170–Marcus King, Laney. 182–Matt Schaefer, Topsail. 195–Brian Capps, Laney. 220–Trent Allen, South Brunswick. 285–Joseph Sculthorpe, Topsail.
Second Team: 106–Alec Russell, Topsail. 113–Terrell Mondragon, Ashley. 120–Kevin Seravin, Laney. 126–Jarrett Wells, South Brunswick. 132–Joe Mondragon, Ashley. 138–Daniel Wilson, Hoggard. 145–Patrick Channell, Topsail. 152–Trey Borsuk, South Brunswick. 160–Bruce Kopka, Ashley. 170–Chris Golden, West Brunswick. 182–Nick Clay, Hoggard. 195–Henry Vernon, Topsail. 220–Grant Bowman, Laney. 285–Colby Hill, South Brunswick.

April 13, 2014 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized