Home Local Sports Joey Nicholson: The Official Richmond County Male Athlete of the Week Video

Joey Nicholson: The Official Richmond County Male Athlete of the Week Video

Senior wrestler Joey Nicholson has been named the Official Richmond County Male Athlete of the Week.
Kyle Pillar — Sports Editor.

ROCKINGHAM — Senior wrestler Joey Nicholson has been named the ROSports Official Richmond County Male Athlete of the Week presented by Moss Brothers Tires & Service.

The 2019-2020 season has been a rollercoaster for Nicholson, who has set program records while also missing time on the mat due to an assortment of injuries. But as the final third of his senior season winds down, Nicholson is heating up, including a strong performance over the weekend in the Bulldog Brawl.

This is Nicholson’s second career recognition, also earning it as a sophomore wrestler.

Athletic Profile

Age: 17

Birthday: Sept. 2, 2002

Year: Senior

Winter Sport: Wrestling

Weight Class: 120-pounds

Years on Varsity: 4 Years

Height & Weight: 5-8, 120 pounds

Experience: 14 Years

“ON THE MAT” WITH JOEY NICHOLSON

Back in November, Nicholson broke the Raiders’ all-time wins record with win No. 119 in the Raider Rumble. From there, he’s continued to add more wins to his already impressive total, including three more on Saturday at the Bulldog Brawl held at St. Pauls High School.

The 17-team event saw Richmond take sixth overall with 91.5 points, and collecting 21 of those points was Nicholson. He finished the day a perfect 3-0 in the championship bracket, thus earning the individual title in the 120-pound weight class.

His run through the lightweight division proved to be Nicholson’s first weight class championship this season, although he’s finished in the top three several times. In the Bulldog Brawl, Nicholson used a pin, a major decision and a minor decision to bring home the hardware.

After receiving an opening-round bye, Nicholson met conference foe David Coptsias of Hoke County High School in the championship quarterfinals. After a non-decisive first round, Nicholson maneuvered his way into position to pin the Bucks wrestler just 42 seconds into the second round.

Nicholson’s semifinals bout was against Damien Ortiz of the host Bulldogs. He made quick work against Ortiz, stacking up the points early, en route to a 9-0 major decision. That win put him in the finals against Carolina Forest High School’s Brandon Jacoby (Myrtle Beach, S.C.).

For the first time all day, Nicholson would go the three full rounds with his opponent, but he outlasted Jacoby in the six minutes, rolling to a 7-1 minor decision victory. The lone point he gave up to Jacoby was the only one he gave up all day.

Following the three wins in the Bulldog Brawl, Nicholson has a 28-4 record this season. The Raiders will be back in action for senior night on Wednesday inside Richmond’s gymnasium. Nicholson and the other seniors will be recognized ahead of facing Lumberton and Seventy-First High Schools.

Raider Video Chats: Joey Nicholson, Official Richmond County Male Athlete of the Week

In his video, Nicholson recalls his 3-0 performance in the Bulldog Brawl, discusses what it means to him to be the program’s all-time wins leader, talks about wrestling for his dad, head coach Earl Nicholson, and answers more questions about himself in our Raider Rapid Response segment.

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Click photo for video interview.



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Kyle Pillar is a 22-time North Carolina Press Association award-winning sports editor with The Richmond Observer. Follow the sports department on X @ROSports_ for the best in-depth coverage of Richmond County sports.