The Stanford Chargers wrestling team has won 19 consecutive Orange-Person Athletic Conference Championships.
Despite losing individual champions Dillon Heffernan, Sam Crawford and Jared Hutchins to graduation, the streak doesn’t show any signs of ending.
The Chargers venture into the week before winter break with a 3-0 record. On December 6, Stanford started its season with a 75-15 win over Culbreth. Last Wednesday, the Chargers turned back a challenge from Southern 82-24. Stanford thumped Northern Middle School 85-18 in Hillsborough.
Through the first three matches, nine Stanford wrestlers are undefeated. Wyatt Hendrick, competing at 83 pounds, replaces Jared Hutchins, who won the OPAC Championship last year. Also undefeated is Aiden Cain (98 pounds), Jared Hutchins (106), Josh Cowan (113), Andre Hill (138), Sascha VanPraag (152), Josh Merrill (160) and Vincent Joubert-Stenzel (170).
Hutchins already has an OPAC Championship under his belt at 83 pounds. Cowan was a runner-up in the OPAC at 106 pounds last year. Hill finished in 4th place in the OPAC at 126 pounds in 2019.
The Chargers’ final match before the holidays will be on Wednesday against Gravelly Hill in Efland.
Stanback Wrestling:
As mentioned in a previous update, the Stanback wrestling team defeated Smith Middle School 72-33 in Hillsborough on December 4. At 98 pounds, Pierce Prescod won via pinfall in the second period. Prescod won the OPAC Championship as a 7th grader.
8th grader Zoey Moreno recorded a pin in 14 seconds.
At 145 pounds, 8th grader Kaden Tatro, who also won an OPAC championship in 2019, started off the season with a pin in the second period. Tatro has moved up a weight class from last year.
At heavyweight, Kellan McMullen earned a pin in his first match. McMullen also won the OPAC championship last season as Stanback finished 2nd in the conference tournament last February.
Last week, Stanback defeated Culbreth 84-24
Stanback will host Northern Roxboro on Wednesday afternoon at 5 in its final match before Christmas break.
Boys Basketball:
Gravelly Hill opened its season by beating Northern Roxboro Middle School 47-37 in Efland last Tuesday. The Grizzles followed up by traveling to Chapel Hill and beating Phillips 39-18. Gravelly travels to Stanford on Tuesday.
These are all the scores we have thus far from middle school basketball. We’re looking to change that. Just as important as the scores of the games are the names of the players, because those are the local stars of the community.
If anyone can email hamlin37@hotmail.com with results from all boys and girls basketball games featuring Stanford, Gravelly Hill or Stanback, that’s what we’re aiming for with Middle School Review.
Of course, we’ll take any results from wrestling and ultimate frisbee, as well. We’ve reached out to all of the winter sports coaches, but if any parent can help us with this process of getting all games reported each week, it would be very helpful.
Again, email all results to hamlin37@hotmail.com.