Takedown Report

Campbell Wrestling welcomes 2023 signing class

BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Campbell welcomes yet another highly talented signing class in the fall of 2023, featuring eight wrestlers, announced by head coach Scotti Sentes.
The incoming freshman class has a combined eight state championships, 32 podium finishes and more than 1,400 career wins, coming to Campbell from six different states.

Wynton Denkins
Wynton Denkins, a Perrysburg, Ohio native, will join the Camels after fashioning a 155-22 career record. He placed second and third at the Ohio state tournament and is a National Duals All-American. He is projected to compete in either the 141, 149 or 157 pound weight class. Denkins is intends to major in homeland security or sports management.

Chris Earnest
Christopher Earnest, a product of Wadsworth High School, will join the Camels after placing in the top four three times at the Ohio state tournament, including one state title and another finalist finish. Earnest also finished seventh at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman Tournament, and seventh at the PA Powerade Tournament. The Wadsworth, Ohio product will pursue a degree in engineering while competing for the Camels at the 157 or 165 pound weight class.

Bentley Ellison
Bentley Ellison out of Cleveland, Tenn. is a three-time state finalist, as well as a state champion, also placing third at Preseason Nationals, and a NHSCA Senior All-American. He will represent the Camels at 125 pounds and looks forward to studying business at Campbell. … rest of story at Gocamels.com/news/2023/5/23/wrestling-welcomes-2023-signing-class

May 30, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Paul Crouse inducted in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame State Chapter of North Carolina

The 2023 class of new Inductees for the North Carolina Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame
on May 21st in Chapel Hill.

Paul Crouse – Born in Salisbury, Maryland, Crouse grew up in Sparta, North Carolina where his family has deep roots. He attended Alleghany High School, joined the wrestling team, and excelled on the mats under Coach Jim Smith. While in high school, Crouse decided to pursue a career in education and coaching. Graduating from Alleghany in 1985, Crouse attended Appalachian State University, majoring in Industrial Arts Education. Due to an upcoming retirement at Alleghany and a potential job opportunity, Crouse worked to complete his degree in just three years. During his final semester of college, Crouse walked onto the Appalachian wrestling team and started in a few varsity matches for the Mountaineers.
In the spring of 1988, he completed his student teaching at Mitchell High School and graduated from Appalachian. While at Mitchell, Crouse assisted Coach Steve Atwood, whose team won the 1988 1A/2A State Tournament. That fall, Crouse was hired at Alleghany and was an assistant coach for the Trojans, who won the 1989 1A/2A State Tournament. During the 1989-90 season, Crouse ascended to head coach at Alleghany. Under his leadership, Alleghany, a 1A school, was one of North Carolina’s most dominating wrestling programs despite an enrollment of around four hundred students. The Trojans won three
1A/2A dual team state titles (1997, 1999, 2002), and two state tournament titles (1997, 1998). Crouse’s teams won six regional titles and ten conference championships earning him conference Coach-of-the-Year nine times. Eleven of his wrestlers won a combined fourteen individual state titles. Crouse’s dual meet record at Alleghany was 180-39-2 including a conference dual record of 66-4-1. Crouse was the North Carolina Mat News Coach-of-the-Year in 1997 and 1999. In 1997, Alleghany became the first 1A/2A school to capture both a dual team and state tournament title in the same season and earned a ranking of 49h nationally from Rob Sherrill’s Prep Wrestling Coast-to-Coast Magazine. Crouse would go on to pursue a degree in administration and would step down as Alleghany’s coach in 2003. To remain connected with wrestling, he then started officiating. Crouse has been an official in the NCHSAA’s
Piedmont Association (2003-present), the Virginia High School League (2014-present) and has worked as an NCAA official since 2013. Crouse has officiated in multiple North Carolina and Virginia State tournaments and NHSCA National tournaments. He recently officiated in the NAIA National (2021, 2022) and the NCAA Division II Regional tournaments (2021, 2022, 2023). Crouse retired from the Alleghany County School system in 2017 and currently owns the Twin Oaks General Store and Café in Sparta. Crouse and his wife Teresa live in Sparta and have a daughter Lynsey (22).

The TakeDown Report offers our congratulations to Paul and the other indutees.

May 30, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment