CAMERON — Several Richmond Senior High School wrestlers impressed in their respective weight classes during the Sandhills Athletic Conference championship meet on Wednesday.
The Raiders and first-year head coach Andre’ Ellerbe took fourth overall in the standings, concluding a regular season that was marred by COVID protocols and scheduling conflicts.
Wrestling in 10 different weight classes, the Raiders totaled 91 points. Ahead of them were first-place Union Pines High School (224 points), Pinecrest (203.5 points) and Hoke County (156 points).
Richmond had three wrestlers finish as the conference runner-up in their weight class, one took third and four Raiders ended the season in fourth place.
“We wrestled really well and showed fundamentals and great wrestling ability,” Ellerbe said. “We worked the correct moves in the proper situations.
“I was extremely proud of everybody that wrestled. We look great going into the regional tournament.”
Three of Richmond’s middleweights earned second overall in the SAC with impressive runs — junior Jaxon Martin (145-pound), senior Favian Rivera (152-pound) and junior Messiah Shaw (160-pound).
Martin started his day with a 16-2 major decision win over Donovan Martinez of Southern Lee High School. In the semifinal round, Martin pinned Hoke County’s David Coptsias with 30 seconds left in the final round to advance to the championship.
In the first-place bout, Martin fell to Union Pines’ Gaige Lloyd by pinfall just 28 seconds into the opening round.
File Photo: Favian Rivera (right) earned second place in the 152-pound weight class. (Kyle Pillar/The Richmond Observer)
Rivera earned a bye in the quarterfinal round, setting him up with Pinecrest High School’s Cooper Ogden in the semis. Going all three rounds with the Patriot, Rivera emerged with a 13-10 minor decision win.
Facing Cedric Griffin Jr. (Hoke County) in the championship, Rivera made it to the second round, but was pinned halfway through to take second place.
Shaw also had a quarterfinals bye, and outlasted Union Pines’ Dustin Maness with a 5-2 minior decision win in the semis.
Competing against a tough Jayden Dobeck of Pinecrest, Shaw lost the championship match via pinfall with 10 seconds left in the opening period.
Senior Andres Sanchez was the lone Raider to finish in third place, defeating Scotland’s Marcel Martin in the 132-pound bracket.
After receiving a quarterfinals bye, Sanchez lost to Aden Oakes of Hoke County in the semifinals. They wrestled to a 7-6 minor decision victory for Oakes, which set up Sanchez with Martin.
File Photo: Messiah Shaw (left) was the third Raider to place second in his weight class at the SAC championship. (Kyle Pillar/The Richmond Observer)
The four Raiders who took fourth in their weight class were freshman Joseph Patterson (120-pound), junior Christian Sanchez (126-pound), junior Naaman Perakis (138-pound) and freshman K’Mauri Morgan (182-pound).
Now the Raiders will prepare for the NCHSAA 4A Mideast regional tournament, which will be held at Pinecrest on Feb. 11 and 12.
Ellerbe said representing Richmond will be Aiden Rountree (120), Christian Sanchez (126), Andres Sanchez (132), Perakis (138), Martin (145), Rivera (152), Shaw (160), Morgan (182) and Fred Garcia (195).
