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WLMS wrestling: 78 straight wins and counting… Fifth year in a row Chiefs go undefeated TERRANCE THOMAS, LTN Staff Writer Dec. 19, 2001 - VALE — They used to say a really good coach could take his team and beat your team then come back and take your team and beat his team. West Lincoln Middle School wrestling coach Wayne Navey topped that Tuesday. He coached his first team and beat Newton-Conover (who came into the match undefeated) 70-10. Meanwhile, in the same gym at the same time, his second team defeated Jacob’s Fork 57-33. On top of that, those wins were the school’s 78th straight win, that’s an ongoing state record for middle schools. The Chiefs wrapped up their fifth straight undefeated season with a 14-0 mark. Navey owes the success to the kids. “It’s a pleasure for me as a coach to coach a group that is intense and take much pride as these guys do in a program,” Navey said. “Our success is contributed from the kids wanted to wrestle, the parents and the community support. Tradition is a big factor. When we get them they expect to win.” The first team won with nine pins (Jack Wombough, Ryan Rhodes, Tyler Wilfong, Garrett Gilbert, Darrell Friday, Travis Neal, James Pearson, Matt Haus and James Goodman), three major decisions (Matt Avery, Dustin Ebert and Aron Wellman) and one forfeit (Kyle Bostic). Wombough, Avery, Ebert, Wellman, Wilfong, Neal, Pearson, and Reed all went undefeated on the first team. Gilbert ( who wrestled in the 130-pound weight class) had a big challenge. He looked like he was going to be pinned but he bounced back to win. “He was stronger than me,” Gilbert said. “He outweighed me. I think he was more out of shape than me. I used a barnyard move to pin him. I was surprised I was able to beat him. He was very good at defense.” Wellman couldn’t get the pin but held on to win. “That guy was pretty tough,” he said. “I got him and thought I had him pinned but he got up. I just rode him through the third period.” Rhodes is one of the only seventh graders on the Chiefs’ first team. He also had to wrestle at his best against his opponent. He got a pin. “He was strong,” Rhodes said. “It took heart. I just wrestled hard. I used a Half-Nelson. I was pretty nervous. He was an eighth-grader.” The second team Chiefs won strong too. “They wrestled well,” said assistant coach David Avery. “There’s a lot of good wrestlers on this team. Some of them will be future stars on the West Lincoln varsity.” Payden Houser, Chase Harbinson were the only second team Chiefs to go unbeaten. The second team which is full of seventh graders, got its wins by 10 pins (Houser, Harbinson, Travis Hullette, Johnny Walker, Daniel Smith, Luke Dellinger, Ben Powell, Justin Mayfield, Cameron Spaur and Chris Henderson) and Spencer Sutton won by decision. Powell (160) beat his opponent quickly. “I knew I can take him early,” Powell said. “I was confident. I knew I had him. I pinned him in 15 seconds. I used the bow-and-arrow cradle hold.” It wasn’t so easy for Mayfield (171). “It was tough,” he said. “It was the toughest I had. The second time I had him down. I got a better lock on him. I got him in a Half-Nelson. I just put him away.”
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© 2001 Lincoln Times-News |
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