Five Bob Jones Wrestlers Medal in state tournament
Bob Jones junior Ryan Stenger had waited a lifetime for this moment. Saturday afternoon, he paced nervously at the Alabama AHSAA Wrestling Championships. He was about to wrestle for the 6A state championship at 220 pounds. Six minutes is all that separated him from that defining achievement.
But defending state finalist Luke Wilson of Central Phenix City seized control of the match after Stenger went ahead 4-2 on points after a takedown. Already battling a bad ankle, Stenger couldn’t overcome a wrenched shoulder he suffered 3 minutes into the match which left him unable to use his left arm. Wilson rallied and won on points 5-4.
“I came close to finishing him in the first period,” Stenger said. “Today just wasn’t my best. It just didn’t go my way.”
Actually, Stenger had already had a great tournament. He defeated one of the favorites at 220 pounds, TJ Demos of Huntsville High to reach the finals.
Stenger was slowed by off season shoulder surgery and only got back in action in January.
The off season will give Stenger a chance to work on his technique and conditioning. “I wasn’t able to train all off season with the shoulder surgery. I need to drop a weight class to 195 and get quicker.”
Bob Jones wrestling Coach Jason Edwards was not sure what to expect at the tournament this year. He had a very young team full of freshmen and sophomores, even an eighth-grader. Edwards looked to several wrestlers with experience at this level to perhaps win a state title. Stenger came the closest finishing second at 220 pounds.
“Hopefully this will light a fire under him for next year and he will take the title,” Edwards said after the match. “You never give back a runner up. He’s an all state wrestler but you want to take advantage when you reach the finals because you may never be there again. It’s hard when you have had an entire summer of just rehab and the doctor didn’t release him until the start of our season.”
Among team competition in 6A, Thompson High won and Grissom came in second. Bob Jones came in 8th helped by several wrestlers who won matches in consolation rounds. Among those were Landon Edwards, Micah Hatley, Collin Olivier, and Griffin Ridgeway who came out of the consolation bracket to place 6th.
“For a rebuilding year to finish in the top ten was nice,” Edwards said. “But we don’t want to rest on that. I’ll take a day off and on Tuesday I begin youth wrestling so we can build future generations of champions.”
Edwards singled out Griffin Ridgeway and Blake Rogers who earned medals with 6th place finishes.
“Both those kids worked hard and it paid off. They both hit the medal stand and they weren’t supposed to. Blake did not even qualify for the tournament last year and that drove him to place this year. Our more talented kids like Melvin and Ryan were predicted to medal but those two came out of nowhere to do it.”
“Even the first year seniors; just to make it to the tournament was a big deal. We’re real proud of them,” Edwards said. Among those are Michael Delano and Sean McFetridge.
Austin Clark came in 5th at 113 and advanced to the semifinals. Melvin Gibbons also lost in the semifinal and finished with a 5th place medal at 285 pounds.
For Gibbons it was his second year at the tournament and his first medal.
Eighth-grader Griffin Ridgeway got to wrestle all three days of the tournament and got valuable experience. He finished with a 5th place medal and went 3-3 in matches at the tournament.
“I’m glad I got to place. I hope I can do a little better next year. Even losing helped me get better by wrestling some of the best guys in the state,” said Ridgeway who lost a tough quarterfinal match in double overtime.
