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| Sophomore Sam Herron finished as as a state alternate and will look to make a name for himself in 2007-08. |
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Despite not having a state qualifier for the first time in sixteen years, the Covington wrestling program is stronger than ever. That may be a bold statement, but all you have to do to find proof is look at the youth on the varsity squad, the talent at the junior high level and the numbers in the youth program.
Buccaneer wrestling is on the rise and the 2006-07 season may be the start of great things to come.
The Buccs entered this season in what many considered to be a rebuilding year - after losing a very strong senior class to graduation last year. However, the wrestlers on this year's team didn't view it that way, as they put forth great effort throughout the season, coming away with some impressive victories.
Despite being a relatively young team facing an ambitious schedule, the Buccs wrestled to an overall dual meet record of 12-8, including victories over Dixie, Tipp City and Oakwood. The team also earned league bragging rights as they came away with a first place finish at the Covington Invitational.
In tournament action, the Buccs brought home some quality hardware, finishing as runnersup to Ayersville at the Lincolnview Invitational, and earning a third-place finish at the Ben Logan Invitational. The finish at Lincolnview is Covington's best in five years, while the finish at Ben Logan is the team's best ever.
The Buccs finished in sixth place (out of fifteen) at one of the toughest Sectionals in the state (boasting 23 state qualifiers, 15 state placers and four state champs). The team qualified six wrestlers - Sam Herron, Matt Breisch, Josh McMillion, Jake Jennings, Justin McMillion and Logan Hall - to the District tournament, which is the most since sending nine in the 1999-2000 season. Additionally, two others - Dylan Gustin and Quentin Layman - earned sixth place finishes.
At Districts, the Buccs finished in 20th place out of 48 teams, as the team amassed 32 points on eleven individual victories. Matt Breisch, Justin McMillion and Logan Hall each finished in the top-eight, while Sam Herron earned fifth-place overall and finished as a State Alternate. Despite a solid effort, the Buccs failed to qualify a wrestler to the State tournament this season - breaking a sixteen-year streak dating back to 1991.
Ryan White made it into the record books this year as he earned the 6th highest total for Career Near Falls with 118. Additionally, Justin McMillion matched the tenth best number of pins in a single season, earning 22 falls.
Congratulations to everyone on the team for your success and improvement throughout the year. With some hard work, those returning can accomplish quite a lot next season. A special thanks to our senior statistician, Hannah Clark, for all of your help over the past four years. We also want to thank our other statisticians, Cali Jo Deeter, Sammy Mattevi and Tara McNutt, as well as the Wrestling Parents and others who supported the team this year.
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