The month of December is a proving ground for area wrestlers, including the Indian River High School varsity team. And Indian River will compete in its third tournament in as many weeks when they host their third annual Battle at the Beach tournament this weekend, starting Friday afternoon.
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IR’s Michael Magaha, top, wrestles Virginia’s reigning 125-pound state champion, Mike Holcomb, in the finals. Magaha lost 11-10.
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Above, 152-pound Bo Wilkinson versus Adam Watson. Wilkinson won by fall at 4:15.
The Indians have wrestled well in their previous two tournaments of the year, with 11 of their 12 starting wrestlers placing in the top six. That earned them a fifth-place team ranking during the Haverford Invitational on Dec. 1. They placed 14th out of 25 teams this past weekend during the Battle on the Beach tournament hosted by Stephen Decatur High School.
Last year, the Indians had more wrestlers finish in the top eight, with seven team members ranking, and they also had placed higher (ninth) in the Battle on the Beach tournament. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that the program is on the decline. On the contrary, head coach Jeff Windish said he is confident that his team has the talent and the work ethic to maintain its status in the Southern Henlopen Conference.
The difference, as far as the Battle on the Beach goes, is that this year’s tournament had a higher quality of competition.
“This was a very competitive tournament,” Windish said. “So to finish 14th out of 25 teams isn’t too bad, considering the field of teams. We could’ve done better, but on the other hand we didn’t do that bad.”
Mike Magaha, a 119-pounder last season, ran into a wall on his way to a first-place finish when matched up with Virginia state champion Mike Holcomb in the 125-pound weight class championship match.
Magaha (3-1 tournament record) recorded a pin over Dover’s Zach Provenzuno and a tech-fall and major decision over his next two opponents, to put him into the championship round, where he eventually lost in 11-10.
Bo Wilkinson placed fourth in the 152-pound weight class, and freshman Timmy Bokinsky placed sixth in the 135-pound weight class. Both wrestlers finished the tournament with records of 4-2.
The Indians have three tournaments remaining on their December schedule, including their own Battle at the Beach tournament. Thereafter, the Indians will wrestle Caravel, Laurel and Sanford in a home quad-meet on Dec. 22 and round out the month with the Damascus Invitational, Dec. 28-29.
Windish was optimistic that their tournament schedule will give his wrestlers ample time to work out the kinks in time for when they start their dual-meets in January.
“The nature of December is building both skills and conditioning, and getting ready to compete in our dual meets for conferences,” Windish said. “But I’ve been pleased with how we’ve wrestled and I only see us improving. That’s our goal, is to improve and build on every event.”