Stories

I coach at Bandys High School. Four years ago there was a middle school kid that came out for our wrestling program.

He was one of the hardest workers on the squad. He was polite to both coaches and wrestlers and always demonstrated good sportsmanship. He placed 2nd as an eighth grader at the USA Jr. High State Tournament . The next year as a freshman he did not start because he had very good wrestlers in the weight classes he could make. Even though he went to the USA Jr High State Tournament and placed 2nd again. He lost to Joel Brown of Hoggard by 1 point. In the spring he would wrestle in a tournament every week. As a sophomore he was again behind two very good wrestlers Sean McIntosh (now at Appalachian-Wrestling) and Chris Douglas (now at Duke-Football). This kid wrestled up at 171lbs and won over 25 matches. He lost in the regional and was 1 match from making the state tournament. That spring he moved across the state to another school in the north east corner of the North Carolina. Our program at Bandys lost a very important team member when he left. Not only in the matches he could win for us but in the example he sets in the wrestling room through his hard work and as a team leader. That type of kid is hard to replace.

I have not spoken to this young man since he moved but I have been keeping up with his wrestling through the Takedown Report, Mat Talk Online and The NC Mat web sites. He wrestles a lot in Virginia now because his school is just across the state line. He has lost only 1 match this season and that was to the top ranked 189lb wrestler in Virginia. He must have bumped up for this match because he wrestles in the 171lb weight class. The best I can tell most of his wins this year have been by pins, that is how he did at Bandys too. He would wrestle anyone and it did not matter how good they were, he always wanted the extra challenge. He usually would win by pin.

At Bandys we really miss this young man. He was such an asset to our program. Our loss though is Curritucks gain, because Jonathon Hipps is not only a good wrestler but a fine young man!

Coach Ronnie Sigmon - Bandys Wrestling

Do you have a story you'd like to share? We would like to hear of your most memorable experiences with the sport of wrestling. We would like to hear from everyone - coaches, wrestlers, parents, fans, etc. Is there a particular wrestler that has stood apart in your mind from the others? What was the most exciting match (dual meet or individual) that you've seen or been a part of? Do you have a funny story you'd like to share? There is no length restriction - submissions can be 3 sentences, 3 paragraphs, however long you need to tell your story. Responses will be featured on NC Mat throughout the season. Email your story to info@ncmat.com

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