RAEFORD — Competing in its first Sandhills Athletic Conference tri-match on Tuesday, the Richmond Senior High School wrestling team fell in both of its matches.
The Raiders and head coach Andre’ Ellerbe wrestled at Hoke County against Union Pines High School and Southern Lee High School.
A combination of injuries and forfeits limited the Raiders on the mat in their first match, as the team was shut out 81-0 against the Vikings. Closing the gap against the Cavaliers, Richmond lost 42-24 to Southern Lee.
Six forfeits against Union Pines surrendered 36 points, and seven other Raiders were pinned by their respective opponents.
Junior Naaman Perakis (138-pounds) was the only Richmond wrestler to not get pinned, working against Joseph Vrabcak. The two went all three rounds and Perakis fell by an 8-2 minor decision.
Tied at 2-2 after the first round, Vrabcak took a six-point lead in the second. Perakis held on without allowing a point in the final two-minute period.
“Our mindset is to give up as few points as possible and try not to get pinned,” Ellerbe said. “It was rough not having some of our starters and giving up the forfeits, but I think our guys looked really good. They’re trying to wrestle more as a team.”
Junior Messiah Shaw (160-pounds, right) prepares to face Southern Lee’s Jaylen Johnson. (Kyle Pillar/The Richmond Observer)
Four Raiders managed to pick up wins against the Cavaliers, three via the pinfall. Freshman Adam Estridge (120-pounds) started with a pin over Nasire Jones with 14 seconds remaining in the first.
Perakis (138-pounds) responded with a pin against Kevin Brown, taking just 38 seconds into the opening round to pin him on the mat. The final Raider to pin his opponent was junior Messiah Shaw (160-pounds), who defeated Jaylen Johnson with just under a minute left in the first.
Freshman Jackson Hamilton recorded Richmond’s final 6 points via a forfeit win in the 170-pounds weight class.
“We’re getting better on moves from the top,” Ellerbe added. “They’re doing the crossface series and the chicken wing series on their own and I don’t have to tell them over and over.
“They’re understanding the moves and paying attention in their previous matches to know what to expect.”
Freshman Adam Estridge (yellow) works on pinning Southern Lee’s Nasire Jones. (Kyle Pillar/The Richmond Observer)
The Raiders (2-4, 0-4 SAC) will return to the mat on Friday.
