Take a Journey Through Christmas Wonderland in Alton Grandpa Gang...
Read More
McCluer North Wrestling Second to Jackson At Ritenour-Doney Tourney
By Jim Wieners
For the second year in a row McCluer North takes second place to Jackson, a Southeast Missouri suburb of Cape Girardeau, in the Ritenour High School Ray Doney Wrestling Invitational, held Dec. 7-8 at Ritenour High‘s Costilow Fieldhouse.
The Ray Doney Invitational was named in memory of Doney, who passed away on Nov. 27, 2011. Doney helped the Ritenour Wrestling program from 1960 to 1975 and was head coach from 1966 to 1975. Doney started the Ritenour Invitational as an assistant coach in 1965 and coached the last of 16 Ritenour state championship teams in 1974.
Jackson won the Doney Invitational by scoring 472 points while McCluer North managed to score just 413.5. “It’s our first tournament (this season), our second match of the season” said McCluer North head coach Jake Lapinski, a two-time Ritenour Invitational Wrestling winner (1993-1994) at Hazelwood East. “We were wrestling most guys a weight class up (and) the second day (Dec. 8) we were wrestling better than the first (Dec. 7), Lapinski said because the first day the Stars were rusty.
Jackson had wrestled in several matches including the Patriot Invitaional two weekends ago at Parkway South won by Jackson.
The Stars had two individual winners, Anthony Nichols at 138 pounds and Gary Washington at 170. Nichols, who impressed Lapinski the most at the Doney Invitational, won 3-2 over Jackson’s Tyler Rush after Rush allowed Nichols an escape point to break a 2-2 tie at the start of the third period and Nichols withstood two Rush takedown attempts to win. Washington won 14-8 in his championship match.
Second-place finishers were Gary Duvall (126-lost to Sean Mulligan of St. Louis University High) and Jason Wheeler (182-lost to Lamar Welch, a repeat winner from Ritenour). Teron Woodson (120), Terrion Green (160) Jordan Harold (220) and Trevon Butler (285) took third place while Matt Graham (113) and Paul Granberry (132) finished fourth.
Butler, who defeated Hazelwood East’s Lance Bush in the 285 third place match, was his best match of the tournament, Lapinski said.
HAZELWOOD EAST finished seventh in the 12-team Ritenour Doney Invitational and had one winner in Cody Bain at 145. Bain gave up two penalty points late in the third period, two cautions on a restart and clasping hands, that allowed Noah Reed, of Rockwood-Marquette to tie at 5-5 but Bain scored a takedown in overtime to win, 7-5. Jerry Steps who defeated Graham 12-8 to take third at 113 while Bush was fourth at 285.
RIVERVIEW GARDENS had only one medallist in Vincent Edwards at 220.
