MAPLEWOOD – The Columbia High School wrestling team competed in two dual meets and in the Rahway Holiday Tournament during the winter break.
The Cougars lost in two hard-fought meets to J.P. Stevens, 30-45, and Orange, 36-42.
Against J.P. Stevens, the Cougars forfeited three weight classes and won four weights classes. Freshman 113-pound Cahill Love won by injury default; sophomore 152-pound Blake McGowan, junior 182-pound Hunter Dallison and senior 285-pound Ralph Ravix each won by fall; and senior 220-pound Jason McDougall won by forfeit. Against Super Essex Conference-Liberty Division rival Orange, the Cougars again gave up three weight classes. Freshman 106-pound Aylen Learned won by forfeit; Love won by major decision, 9-0; sophomore 132-pound Devin Rocha won by fall; senior 138-pound captain Sam Wren-Harden won by fall; freshman 170-pound Bernie Mercier won by major decision, 10-2; Dallison won by fall at 182; and Ravix, a captain, won by fall at 220.
On Dec. 28, the Cougars traveled to the Rahway Holiday Tournament. CHS had a fine showing as it placed six wrestlers in the top four of their weights. The Cougars finished fourth out of the nine teams, less than 10 points out of third place, despite missing Ravix, who was sidelined with an injury.
McGowan (152) took first place with two falls and a technical fall; Rocha (126) was second with two falls; Dallison (182) was second with a fall and a major decision; Wren-Harden (138) was third with two falls; junior Galileo Hetherington (285) was third with a fall and an overtime win; and Learned was fourth with two falls. Also wrestling for the team were freshman Jack Lindstrom (113); freshman Rasheed Dowling (145), freshman Ben Morris (160); Mercier (170); sophomore Joaquin Tianga (120); and McDougall (220). The young Cougars will host Livingston on Wednesday, Jan. 4; and host Millburn on Friday, Jan. 6, before traveling to Kinnelon on Saturday, Jan. 7, for a quad with Kinnelon, Vernon and Morris Knolls.
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