GIBSONVILLE — The Richmond Senior High School wrestling team opened its season on Tuesday at Eastern Guilford High School.
Competing in a non-conference tri-match, the Raiders and head coach Andre’ Ellerbe suffered a pair of losses.
Facing Morehead High School, Richmond lost 57-24. Against the host Wildcats, the Raiders fell 63-6.
Ellerbe explained the Raiders had to shift their lineup around, causing several wrestlers to have to compete in heavier weight classes.
“Despite having to wrestle up because of an unforeseen setback, we wrestled tough and had a lot of good matches,” Ellerbe said. “Joseph Patterson, Adam Estridge, Lane Cipriani and Jason Gainey all won a match.
“K’Mauri Morgan wrestled two tough opponents to end the night 1-1,” he added. “We will get back to the mat and work on our stamina and finishing matches when we are up.”
Against the Morehead Panthers, four Raiders earned pinfall victories to combine for the team’s 24 points. The wins came from a pair of middleweights and two heavyweights.
Cipriani picked up six points with a pin over Ethan Shelton in the 144-pound match, followed by Estridge (150-pounds) defeating Kenai Hall.
Gainey picked up his first win of the winter by holding Kaie Hagwood to the mat in the 190-pound bout, and Morgan won against Colin Baumann in the 215-pound meeting.
Richmond was pinned four times, had four forfeits and one disqualification against Morehead. Jesus Castro (165-pounds) battled all three rounds but lost a 9-4 decision.
Ellerbe called Patterson the “wrestler of the night,” as the junior wrestler earned Richmond’s lone points against Eastern Guilford.
In the 150-pound weight class match, Patterson pinned opponent Jayden Reza for six points.
The Raiders lost seven matches to pinfalls to Eastern Guilford and had to forfeit three other matches.
Morgan was the only Richmond wrestler aside from Patterson not to be pinned, losing a 12-5 decision to Xavier Wilson in the 215-pound match.
The Raiders (0-1) will return to the mat on Nov. 29 for a non-conference meet at Montgomery Central High School.
