Announcements 2006
This page was last update 01/06/16 10:18 AM
BACK TO LATEST NEWS PAGE
Maps to Schools Motel Reservation Information Announcements of 2005

First Scrimmage Match this Friday at 9:00 AM

6-11-06

Graduating Seniors Leave Their Mark on Single Season and Career Wins

Four seniors leave their final mark in the win records by breaking into the top 100 all time wrestlers. Final posting of the win records are posted in the history section. Other stats will be updated over the summer after the Disney trip. All of the wreslers listed below were with the team all four of their high school years. All four were on and wrestled for 4 straight conference campionships, including the memorial night we defeated the 2A State Champions, Bandy's, for our first conference win of this year. They kept their responsibility to continue the winning tradition of SAINT Wrestling and to pass on that challenge to their underclassmen teammates.

Dylan Godfrey captured 55 wins this season and the 4th position ranking for all time single season records. His career record is ranked as 12th in history of the school. Dylan had an outsanding career with the Tribe finishing 3rd at the state tournament twice in his career. Had he not had injuries that took him out of the line up in his early years, Dylan's records would have been even greater. Coming back from surgery to be one of the dominating wrestlers in the state, Dylan followed his brother Ben (2003) and father Bruce (1979, 142nd wrestler in SSHS history) in the tradition of SAINT Wrestling. All the male family members contributed to conference championship teams for SSHS. And let's remember that the family winning tradition of the males in the Godfrey household had to passed though Leesa. Everyone had to go to the mat to make this happen. Dylan finished 9th in career pins with 74 out of 116 wins. Dylan had numerous great matches, but the ones that gave me great promise for this year's team was at the East Burke duals. On at least three occasions, we were in a spot that we had to "pin out" the rest of the match to win. Did Dylan pin and we win? Yes he did and yes we did. Enough Said. Like the current country song, "That a "career" you can be proud of". Sometimes you have to cherish the great things to get through the tough things.

Travis Krogman headlocked his way to a 55 win season and the 3rd position ranking for all time single season records due to the lower amount of loss matches. He now claims the 13th ranking of career wins. Travis finished 4th in the state at 191 his senior year. Travis was also slowed with injuries his sophomore year. Of the 3 years he was active in the line up, he won the conference championship for his weight class. "Krogzilla" mastered his headlock hip toss as a freshman. And, with a set of hips better than Jenifer Lopez, you could always count on him to work off bottom and roll his opponent to their back. He was a pinning machine with 83 career pins out of 108 career wins. He finished 5th in all time career pins.

Dylan and Travis joins Drew Forshey (2003) with 55 single season wins.

Kyle Stephens season record of 50 wins landed him the 11th ranking and pushed him to 14th for career wins. Kyle was a member of the North Carolina Cadet National Team and followed his brother Chad as a starting wrestler in the Saint line up. I would say that Kyle finished his Saint wresling career with "Dignity" and made us all proud by how he represented the team and the school. He joins Drew Forshey (2000), Josh Triplett (2001), and Lance Greer (2001) with 50 single season wins. Kyle had 64 pins out of 106 career wins and will stick into the 13th position of career pins. I still remember when he was so small that I could scoop him up with one arm as we watched others wrestle from the edge of mat. I miss those days. Kyle grew from a little skinny light weight to a lanky middle weight with nasty duck under and slide attack. And his hair was so pretty too. No wig needed on this "model man".

Trent Bumgarner moved into the 97th spot on single season wins and 63rd in the career wins rankings. He joins Billy Chad Dellinger (1992) and Derek Crump (2001) with 30 season wins. Trent also came from a SAINT wrestling family as his father Brent Bumgarner (1976, 78th listed wrestler at SSHS) wrestled four years during the formative years of the 1970's for the SAINT team. Trent constantly improved his technic and his strength over his high school years. His ability to face the toughest of the tough on the opponents team kept us in high profile and critical matches to win our 7th straight conference title and state runner up title. I remember the time I took a small and timid Trent to West Rowan for a freestyle match. I wondered why a small boy with little skills would go to the mat to just get pummeled and be emotional upset. Trent is the one that made me realize what a son will do to gain respect in his father's eyes. Brent, the father, bent down to embrace and comfort his son and encourage him. Trent, through shear physical effort, grew into a tremendous physical young man. Now it was the father's and mother's time to have their eyes fill with emotion as they saw a proud and physical son lay it all out for the Tribe. This is the memories and lessons I gained from Trent.

John Eller filled out our line up at heavy weight and you couldn't help but love him. John never claimed, and will never be accused of being, our most dominating heavy weight. However, this team would not have had it's full character without his constant great outlook and spirit. I have been with very good wrestlers that somehow don't lift the team's morale, John was a fun high school wrestler who you just pulled and screamed for in order to get a win. My most memoral match with John was his 1-0 win in the CVAC conference dual match with 2A Champions, Bandy's. His win contributed to our continued 7th straight conference title. My proudest moment for John was at the CVAC conference tournament. The match was a 3-2 overtime win against Fred T. Foard to claim the 3rd place individual medal. That win also kept us ahead of Bandys to finish second in the tournament. On that day in my little world, John Eller displayed the best heavy weight "heart" I had witnessed since Jimmy Carswell (1995). Jimmy was a way too light for the heavy weight division, but he was our biggest wrestler. He would not back away from a tank. John was the same. He gave all the physical skill he had for the team's winning tradition.

They will all be missed, both on the mat and as a friend. Thanks for four great years guys.

Oh, bye the way, "What's that smell".
Smells like another "--- --------" Conference Championship and State Finalist.

To you underclassmen and rising seniors
Get on the bus next weekend and let's make new memories.

This will close out the 2005-2006 Annoucements. Disney will be the beginning for the next season of 2005-2006.

2-25-06

SAINT CLOSES OUT A GREAT YEAR
FINISHES 5TH AT STATE TOURNAMENT
VAZQUEZ, DYLAN GODFEY, TRAVIS KROGMAN
PLACE IN THE TOP FOUR

SAINT finished 5th at the 2006 State Individual Tournament with 72 points. Three of our wrestlers were state placers.

Jesus Vazquez (Jr) finished his season with a 2nd place finish in the 105 weight class. Dylan Godfrey (Sr) finished 3rd in the 173 weight class, and Travis Krogman (Sr) finished 4th in the 191 weight class.

Finishing just out from the placement position was Kyle Stephens who finish tied for 7th place. Bradley Pendleton, Sam Monish, Travis Paap, and Cody Rink all won matches at the state championships and fought in tightly contested matches.

Final thoughts on this season will be posted later in the week.

2-18-06

SAINT WINS 3A WEST REGIONAL CROWN

Back to OLD SCHOOL!!!. This year's group of wrestlers have not only continued the winning tradition of SAINT Wrestling, they have returned it on the individual wrestling level back to the days of winning Regional Championships. The last such accomplishment was obtained by the 2002 Team.

The Tribe finished in first place with 162.5 points, Enka second at 157.5, and North Buncomb third at 131.5. Everyone was on weight, Everyone was there to defend our wrestling honor, and Everyone came to wrestle.

Jesus Vazquez (Jr) won the lone championship title at 103 and kicked in 26 points, but he was joined in the mix by Travis Paap (SO) at 121 in 4th (14 pts), Bradley Pendleton (Jr) at 127 in 2nd (19.5 pts), Sam Monish (So) at 130 in 2nd (18 pts), Kyle Stephens (Sr) at 135 in 4th (13 pts), Cody Rink (So) at 142 in 2nd (20 pts), Dylan Godfrey (Sr) at 173 in 2nd (20 pts), and Travis Krogman (Sr) at 191 in 2nd (22 pts).

Also scoring points, but not placing to go to the State, was Justin Baumgarner (So) scoring 4 points, and Trent Bumgarner (Sr) scoring 6 points. Without their hard fighting SAINT Spirit, we could have not taken the Championship.

As for Senior Trent Bumgarner and his injury during the wrestle backs, he is recovering from a slight concussion and strained neck and should muscles. At the time of the injury, Trent was tied in match that would have sent him to the State Tournament. An unfortunate landing position resulted in a tournament stopping injury and Trent's high school dream of winning a position in the State Tounament was ended. Trent was able to rejoin the TRIBE for the Championship Picture at the conclusion of the tournament. For this we are greatful and blessed that the injuries were not worse.

I want to say this about Trent Bumgarner. I began taking Trent on weekend wrestling matches back in his middle school days. Like many young boys just starting out, he was not the strongest kid around nor the toughest. I have genuine respect for this young man that stayed on the team, waited his turn, and kept working to better himself. Who would have thought that this shy young boy would one day help lead the TRIBE back to an outstanding year of wrestling, a conference championship, and a Regional Championship. Always showing improvement and always surprising us with his desire to be a stronger athlete, Trent will always be held in the highest esteem for his dedication and contribution to SAINT Wrestling. Thank you Trent, you are the model of dedication that represents SAINT Wrestling.

We also want to thank the numerous parents and younger teammates that made this regional tournament a great success. The table workers were just great. They stayed on top of the matches and controlled the clocks and the bout sheet flow. Just a great job.

To those parents that worked so continueously, our thanks to you for your efforts. The coaches from the other schools constantly praised the performance of attention to detail and the care you gave to making their stay at SSHS a great experience. That is why the coaches voted to return the regional tournament back to SSHS next year. SO REST UP. WE GET TO DO IT AGAIN.

We hope everyone will join us in Winston-Salem to support our wrestlers in the
State Individual Tounament.

2-11-06

Tribe Takes Second as State 3A Dual Runner Up

While there was definite disappointment in the outcome, there was no disappointment in the effort our wrestlers displayed against Morehead. Morehead took the early lead and never looked back. They have a great program that is stongly support by their school, I counted about 10 coaches, and community.

Before writing about the match, just a few words of thanks to the hundreds of St. Stephens, community, alumni, students, and staff members that came to watch the Tribe fight for their 3rd attempt in 5 years to capture a state title.

What you witnessed was the sheer emotional drama that unfolds before your eyes as our young men fight for the honor of our school and our community namesake. What you saw from the fans of Morehead was the intensity, support, and excitment that makes wrestling the most intense personal sport in high school athletics. Thank you all for being there for the young men of St. Stephens. That is the night that they have sacrificed for all season long.

Morehead, as typical, was loaded with upper classmen and excellent competitors. Congratulations to your program, coaches, and wrestlers.

The winning wrestlers for Saint were:
Jesus Vazquez (Jr) @ 105 defeated DJ Troxler with a 0:29 pin.
Kyle Stephens (Sr) @ 137 defeated Greg Harrison with a 3:52 pin
Dylan Godfrey (Sr) @ 173 defeated David Hopkins with a major decision 13-4.
Travis Krogman (Sr) @ 217 defeated Micah Stanfield with a 0:40 pin.

The final score was Saint 22 - Morehead 41.

There is nothing but pride in our program and the young men in our community that stand up for the winning tradition of Saint Wrestling year after year. There were only two 3A Teams competing on Saturday and for the 3rd time in 5 years Saint was one of the two left standing.

The Tribe came into the season without being listed in top 15 wrestling teams in the 3A state.
We go out as the #2 Team
JUST AN OUTSTANDING EFFORT BY OUR YOUNG MEN

We now have 4 wrestlers recognized on the Super 32 on NCmat.com.
Jesus Vazquez ranked #2 @ 103, Kyle Stephens ranked #9 @ 130, Dylan Godfrey ranked #2 at 171, and Travis Krogman ranked #2 @ 189.

Now Move On to the Individual Championships
3A West Regional at St. Stephens This Friday and Saturday

2-09-06

Tribe Nears End of the Dual Season
Heads to State Championship Match

The Tribe finished the conference season and four rounds of the State Duals with a spectacular run of conference and regional wins. Now standing as one of the final two 3A teams in the state holding a 37-7 season record.

Once again for the seventh straight season the Tribe defeated all conference opponents with a balance team of experience and spirit. The most outstanding win in the conference season was the win over Bandys, which finished their season as the 2A State Champions.

Coach Baker was named the Conference Coach of the Year, his sixth such award since joining St. Stephens.

No one would have given Saint a prayer in the State Duals. Even after another successful conference season of defeating quality opponents such as Bandys and Newton Conover, Saint was not on the radar as a potential State Final Team. It was not until January 14th that the Tribe rose in the Mat News rankings to the 8th.

In the first two rounds of the State Duals, Saint's win over Erwin 58-16 started the night off with some Tribe energy. Given the score of the match, Coach Baker was able to introduce our future wrestlers into the electricity of the State Duals. Kris Klutz, Kevin Wellman, and Spence Grigg got a small taste of state level competition.

The second round pitted the Tribe against the 10th ranked North Gaston. The Tribe pulled away midway in the match and out to a 46-30 victory. This moved the Tribe to the 3rd round of the duals against the 9th ranked Enka.

A milestone the North Gaston match was that Senior Travis Krogman won his 100th match of his Saint career. Travis bumped up to 215 and pinned NG's Jessie Rayfield in 1:10.

Saint controlled Enka early and, by the time our regular line up got through Dylan Godfry, the match was sealed with a 38-19 lead. Again our younger wrestlers were put into the fire as Steven Rink, Seth Eckard, and Micheal Ellis took the mat to finish out the match with a 38-31 win. It was some monster mathmatical calculations taking place in the coaches corner as equations were feveriously processed before our young wrestlers took to the mat. Assistance Coaches had to be sure there was enough point spread in the match to cover for any Penalty Point Baker's outbreaks. (Donations are still being accepted to purchase a replacement chair at BH).

This advance the Tribe into the Final Four in the State Duals. The opponent, RAGESDALE.

Ragsdale, #3 in the state rankings, had just upset the #1 Ranked 3A team Parkland in the 2nd round of the State Duals. Las Vegas and the NC Forum had Ragsdale slotted for a show down with Morehead in the State Finals. Ragsdale had also knocked out Saint in the final four just two years ago.

The Ragsdale match up could not go any closer than it did in the first 10 weigh classes. Ragsdale lead the entire time and out as much as eleven points. After ten matches, Saint had won 5 out of the 10 weigh classes. Travis Paap majored for a 4 point win, Kyle Stephens pinned, Cody Rink decisioned, Trent Bumgarner tech falled, and Dylan Godfry pinned to tie the score at 24-24.

During the 10 match run, a milestone was reached during the Ragsdal match. Senior Kyle Stephens won his 100th match of his Saint career. Kyle bumped up from his regular season 130 slot to 135 to pin Blair Fewell at 0:58. His pin pulled Saint back to striking distance with Ragsdale still in the lead 10-14.

At 191, the crowded gym saw once again a future starter step up for Tribe. Jr. Josh Young stepped to the mat and mastered a first period pin that brought the home team its first lead of the night.

Now with a 30-24 lead and with three matches to go, KROGZILLA, bumped up to 215 to take on Zack Martin. At 0:27 Martin was pinned with secret move that was taught to KROGZILLA by a monk in the Headalocke Mountains.

The Tribe now lead 36-24. A 12 point lead with only two matches to go. Ragsdale would have to pin twice and no penalty points from the bench. Robert Wessels would have to bump up from 215 to 277 and face 5th ranked Justin Ingram and then, at 105, our Jesus ranked #2 would have to square off with Ragsdale's #1 ranked Jacob Creed. The Assistant Coaches had duct tape in hand if the need arose from the bench. The Zantac was starting to be over powered.

Junior Robert Wessels with stood every sort of legal punishment a person could take on a mat and would not be turned by the 5th ranked Ingram. After three punishing periods, Roberts efforts held off Ragsdale with only a 4 point major decision and left Ragsdale in a 8 point deficit.

With no point to the match up of Jesus and Creed, the 105 match was forfeited to Ragesdale. Tribe wins 36-34. Assistant Coaches cut the duct tape off. MATCH OVER. The Tribe was once again in the State Final.

2-4-06

Saint Takes 2nd
in First Catawba Valley Athletic Conference Individual Tournament

The Tribe had 11 wrestlers place in the CVAC individual tournament and finished in second place, just 5 points short of Newton-Conover.

Our first place champions were Jesus Vazquez 105, Bradley Pendleton 121, Kyle Stephens 132, and Travis Krogman 191.

Our second place finishers were Travis Paap 121, Cody Rink 142, and Dylan Godfrey 173.

Our third place finishers were Justin Baumgarner 154, Trent Bumgarner 162, Robert Wessels 217, and John Eller 277.

1-27-06

Historic 7th Straight Undefeated in Conference Championship
Seniors Go Out Strong, Under Classmen Play Role in the Tradition

When the CVAC conference was formed it pitted some of the strongest wrestling teams in the area and state to grapple for the conference championship. A seventh straight conference championship for the Tribe was highly questionable. Considering the opponents of defending 2A state champions Bandys, ranked #1 in 2A, and the annual battling force of Newton Conover, ranked #8 in 2A. Both had state champions within their ranks with solid wrestlers on the roster.

The match with Bunker Hill, ranked #16 in 2A, on Friday night was not one of winning the CVAC title. That milestone was reached with the defeat of West Caldwell which gave the Tribe a 6-0 conference record with one to go and a win in the head to head match up with Bandys. What was at stake tonight was the undefeated conference streak that goes back for six years across three conference realignments, the Western Piedmont Conference, the Southwestern Foothills conference, and now the Catawba Valley Athletic Conference. Every Tribe wrestler knows the importance of this streak and the inspiration it provides to perform their best to protect the streak.

The night started off with a non conference match with Crest for both Bunker and SSHS. Bunker showed there power by dominating Crest in a 60-18 victory. The Bears then sat at mat side to observe the outcome of the Crest match with the Tribe. What transpired in the match was a demonstration of what was in the future for the Tribe. Coach Baker called on the future of the Tribe by sending out six second line wrestlers in waiting to take on Crest.

Freshman Brandon Lackey fought courageously in a 6-16 loss against Lorenzo Hopper at 137. Lackey was caught in two pinning combinations but showed pure heart to work out to avoid the pin.
Freshman Sean Reardon goes to the mat and gets a pin for the Tribe in 0:37 seconds @ 145
Sophomore Will Lominac worked hard against a very athletic opponent in Antwon Jones, but was not able to compensate for the raw power. Will was pinned in the second period, but made a great effort.
Freshman Steven Rink stepped in @ 191 and showed mat savy as he reversed his opponent into a pin in 3:58.
Sophomore Seth Eckard went in @ 217 and total controls the match to a 7-0 lead before pinning his opponent at 4:56.
Junior Spence Grigg throws in at 277 with a lift to place his opponent on his back for a pin at 0:34.

The Tribe finished off Crest with a 72-10 victory. The significance of the underclassmen's efforts was that they captured another dual win for the Tribe as our first line wrestlers rested for their date with destiny. They held their "old man's memory" in their hands as to their contribution to the "Undefeated in Conference Title" streak.

With our line up fresh and ready the Tribe rolled past the conference opponent Bunker Hill. Bunker Hill won only 3 weight classes to obtain 11 points against the Tribe. Again, up and coming underclassmen assisted in the win. Josh Young was ready and on weight to take a forfeit win that allowed the Tribe some wiggle room in the line up. Freshman Michael Ellis took the mat at 215 and had an outstanding match a with a 11-6 win.

Congratulations to 2006 Saint Stephens Seniors
on their part in a Undefeated Conference Streak.

1-24-06

Can You Say
MOOOOOOOO-DEEEEEEEE
Tribe Dominates Warriors 74-6

The Tribe rolled past West Caldwell 74-6 to capture their 6th straight conference match. This sets the final match with Bunker Hill on Friday night to capture the Tribes 7th straight undefeated conference title.

With little to say about most the matches tonight, because to the overhelming Tribe power, there were three matches that were ground breaking for some of our young wrestlers.

Josh Young stepped onto the varsity mat at 217 for the first time since 11-24-2004 and pinned Dustin Snyder at 3:41 in the second period. Josh's varsity record now stands at 4-9. His last appearance in 2004 was against Statesville in which he also pinned.

Spencer Grigg stepped in at 277 and pinner Larry Burgess at 0:34 to take his conference career record to 6-5.

This demonstrates that there is a bright future ahead for the Tribe as many of our second line wrestlers are prepared to take over and continue the winning tradition of SAINT wrestling.

The match of the night came down to the 114 class as our Chris Moody took on a highly ranked opponent in Matt Smith. Given the ranking of Smith and Chris's growing experience on the varsity level, this was a match where there was only a small expectation of winning. Well folks, small is where Chris started, but HUGE is where he ended up. Chis was down 2-5 in the first, even after scoring the first takedown. Smith put Chris in the down position in the second, thinking that he would finish Chris off. That was not going to be allow by our growing threat at 114. Chris reversed Smith and put him on his back to go ahead 7-5 at the end of the second period.

It looked like Smith had decided that it was time to turn up the heat in the third and scored a takedown and placed Chris on his back for what looked to be the match ending pin.

And the came MOOOOOOO-DEEEEEEE. Enough is Enough. Chris demonstrated that he was now a true varsity level wrestler for the Tribe. With a courageous effort, Chris worked off his back and into a reversal and pinning combination of his own with just 20 seconds remaining in the third. He finished in that position to win a heart stopping 12-10 victory for the Tribe. What the crowd witnessed was the turn point from a second line wrestler to a full hearted varsity wrestler. Chris's career record is now 19-24 and a second record of 7-9. This was a significant turning point in Chis's career and we were all privileged to watch this event in a young man's life.

Great Job Chris
MOOOOOOO-DEEEEEEE

1-22-06

TRIBE STILL REACHING FOR PERFECT CONFERENCE SEASON
DEFEATS HIBRITEN 45-24 AS SENIORS HIT CAREER MILESTONES

TRIBE BREAKS INTO STATE RANKING AT 8TH ON MAT NEWS

With the goal of a 7th straight undefeated conference season still just out of reach, the Tribe took one more step toward fullfilling their annual goal by controlling the Pathers of Hibriten in a physical show down.

George Hahn @ 145 started the night off by outlasting Deven Moore in a 9-8 rumble that rolled into the last seconds of the match. It was a good effort for our sophomore to push his conference record out to 3-2. It was also a sign the Hibriten had something for the Tribe that night and was not going down easy.

The next two matches were traded out with Justin Baumgarner getting caught late in the third period with a pin after yet another high scoring rumble by two physical wrestlers. Senior Trent Bumgarner pulled the Tribe back even with a physically controlled match with a decision in the Tribes favor. The match score after three weight classes was 6-6.

Senior Dylan Godfrey and Travis Krogman pushed the Tribe out to a 18-6 lead after Godfrey's 31 second pin and Krogman receiving a forfeit.

The 215 and 275 mathes again were traded out as Robert Wessels fell by decision and John Eller won by a takedown in the overtime period. The score was now 21-9 Tribe.

Coach Baker was left with a decision of faith and confidence going into the two light weight divisions. The Tribe had to forfeit at 103. Would we send out Jesus Vazquez, our highly ranked 103, into the 112 match or send in sophomore Chris Moody which was currently 0-2 in conference action. The forfeit at 103 pulled the fighting Panthers to within 6 points of the Tribe at 21-15. A pin at this juncture of the match would allow Hibriten to tie the match with only 5 matches remaining to seal the match.

Chris Moody has shown marked improvement in the past several weeks along with hard work in the practice room. Coach Baker decided that Moody deserved the shot at the match and had faith that he would have the courage to battle to the end of the match. Chris attacked off the whistle and dominated the match with a pin in the first period. Chris's win set the Tribe's bench on fire. The supporting crowd also new that this was big for Chris and showed their appreciation for his efforts.

The Tribe won 4 of the next 5 matches and sealed the dual meet with a 45-24 win.

The wins this night for three seniors pushed them into career milestones.

Dylan Godfrey reached 100 career wins
Travis Krogman reached 95 career wins
Kyle Stephens reached 90 career wins

Our thanks go out to these individuals that have spent their entire high school career battling for the honor of St. Stephens Wrestling.

The Tribe is now 30-6 overall with a 5-0 conference record.

1-17-06

Tribe Overcomes Young Tornadoes

It was a tough night for the young Tornadoes as they hosted the Tribe this night. The Tribe handled the hard fighting Hickory wrestlers to a 75-0 win.

Noted matches in the meet were at 112, 145, and 152.

At 112 there was the matchup of the Tribes 103 Jesus Vazquez against the #3 ranked 3A wrestler Joey Alfonso. Alsfonso dominated early in the match with a takedown and a 2 point nearfall. Vazquez responded in the second period with a takedown and a 3 point nearfall before Alfonso powered a reversal midway in the period. Vazquez responded with an escape and a takedown then a pin to seal the match. It was a great individual battle for positioning in the upcoming conference tournament.

At 145, George Hahn continued his improved wrestling streak with a 9-2 decision over Cody Underwood. George's steady improvement has strengthen the Tribes middle line up. His growing skill level has elevated the Tribe to a stronger balance in the middle of the line up.

At 152, Justin Baumgarner wrestled Donald Bumgarner in a fast paced scrambling match that saw the score change hands six times. Justin finally caught Bumgarner late in the third period to score a pin. It was a great match to watch between two up and coming wrestlers.

Next up is an away match with Hibriten on Friday 7:30. The Tribe is now 29-6 and 4-0 in conference action.

1-15-06

SAINT HAS GREAT WEEK OF WRESTLING
OVERCOMES RED DEVILS AND FTF IN CONFERENCE ACTION
JV SQUAD CAPTURES SECOND AT THE DUDLEY JV TOURNAMENT

The Tribe fought closer to capturing the conference crown with a strong showing against Newton Conover 35-22. The other conference match of the week was against Fred T. Foard and it was a 70-4 run away.

Newton Conover always brings on their best efforts against the Tribe. This match was another critical point in the conference schedule for a successful season.

Trent Bumgarner started for the Tribe at 160, but could not overcome #5 ranked Chucky Jacobs 5-10.

Dylan Godfrey at 171 pinned for his 98th career win put the Tribe ahead 6-3 in team points.

Travis Krogman defeated 9th ranked Brian Mulligan in a thrilling 10-8 overtime win. Mulligan was trailing 8-4 with time running out in the 3rd period when he reversed Krogman and obtain a two point near fall at the buzzer. Krogman got the take down in the overtime period.

The heavy weigh match is one that will be remembered by the fans for a long, long time. John Eller for the Tribe battled Julian Cermuda in a class heavyweight matchup. Both fought constantly for inside controll in the first period, but no advantage could be gained. John came off bottom in the second for an escape and a 1-0 lead only to give up a penalty piont in the third to tie the score. With only moments left in the third period, John worked out from the bottom positon to grasp the winning two point reversal. John showed the big heart of desire to pull the team out to a 12-7 lead.

There were two more memorable matches which ended in losses, but displayed the winning desire of the team. Travis Paap went against #3 Eric Webster and lost 4-8 in a vigorous battle. George Hahn lost to Jake Coley in at 10-11 match that ended with George throwing Coley to his back into a pinning situation. Time ran out on George before he could score the possible 3 point near fall or pin. Travis and George both demonstrated the hard nose will of the Tribe against outstanding opponents.

The win over Newton-Conover gave the Tribe a controlling 3-0 record in the CVAC. Great things are possible with this year's team in terms of conference action.

JV SQUAD TAKES SECOND AT DUDLEY TOURNAMENT

This past Saturday at Dudley gave our upcoming a chance to show what they have learn in the varsity practice room. They were just outstanding in their efforts. Chris Moody took second at 112, Dylan Story 3rd at 125, Brandon Lackey 1st at 130, Sean Reardon 2nd at 145, Zac Hampton took 3rd in different 145 pool, Will Lominac place 3rd at 152, Brandon Townsend 2nd at 171, Josh Young 2nd in a 189 pool, Steven Rink 1st in another 189 pool, and Seth Eckard 1st in another 189 pool, Michael Ellis 1st at 215, and Spencer Griggs 1st in a 275 pool. The total points scored by the Tribe was 100 points which was just beaten out by Morehead HS. Great Job Guys. Your up next to continue the winning tradition of St. Stephens Wrestling.

1-3-06

SAINT WINS FIRST ROUND OF CONFERENCE ACTION

There is no doubt that no one in the state would have predicted or imagine what occurred tonight in the opening conference match against 2A #1 ranked Bandys. They had beaten the Tribe in the first week of the season in a non conference matchup 46-30. The only ones that believed in SAINT's chances were the young men who took the mat for Tribe and the coaches (with a little help from ZAN-TAC). It turned out to be a match up of two strong willed teams that knew this was a key match for control of the CVAC conference.

Enough will be said by other information sources about the Bandys team. Great program and outstanding wrestlers. Several that we have watched growup and respect their dedication to our sport. Our best wishes to Patrick McIntosh of Bandys on his recovery from a weekend injury that has forced him out of the Bandys lineup. He is an outstanding young man and we hope he is back as soon as possible.

This report is to state the pride we have as a coaching staff about a our group of wrestlers. Each and every wrestler carries the mental burden about maintaining the winnning tradition of St. Stephens Wrestling. They know they are apart of a long line on winning teams and it's their responsibility to maintain the tradition. Each man on the mat tonight for the Tribe put forth his best effort, even against overwhelming odds.

103 - Jesus Vazquez sticks a first period pin on an 11th ranked opponent. 6-0
112 - Chis Moody steps up to take the 112 weight class match and fights with great effort into the second period before being pinned by a 5th ranked opponent. 6-6
119 - Travis Paap battles into the third period an sticks a pin on a 14th ranked opponent. Tribe 12-6.
125 - Bradley Pendleton goes to the third and decisions. Tribe 15-6
130 - Sam Monish wins decision. Tribe 18-6
135 - Kyle Stephens bumps up to take on 3rd ranked opponent and loses in the closing seconds of the match. Tribe 18-9.
140 - Cody Rink wins decision. Tribe 21-9
145 - George Hahn fights deep into the second period before losing in a pin against 2nd ranked opponent. Tribe 21-15
152 - Justin Baumgarner decisions. Tribe 24-15
160 - Trent Bumgarner loses in a hard fought major decision to a state champion. Tribe 24-19.
171 - Brandon Townsend loses to a two time state champion by pin. Bandys 24-25
189 - Dylan Godfrey bumps up and takes overtime decision. Tribe 27-25.
215 - Travis Krogman bumps up and takes a pin. Tribe 33-25.
275 - John Eller wins decision. Final Tribe 36-25.

St. Stephens has won many conference matches over the years, but this was the biggest conference win since the 3rd randed Mooresville match in Billy's first year as head coach. This was the a HUGE win for the program in its first year of the CVAC. Each man that went on the mat performed to the best of their ability and did their job for the team win.

We would also like to recognize the fan support that traveled to Bandys. We knew you were a loud mouth bunch of people and you finally showed. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You. Every time the Bandys crowd had a chance to get into the match, our Springs Road Yap Traps would over power them with sheer volumn in support our kid on the mat. It was a great team and team support win for the program.

12-30-05

Tribe Takes 3rd At East Burke Cavalier Classic

The Tribe made a favorable showing at East Burke considering the absence of two weight classes in the competition. Even with the 24 point loss swing, the Tribe manage to pull out 3 wins.

The first match against the much improved South Caldwell team pushed out to a 6-24 lead before the Tribe made a move on the Spartans. Justin Buamgarner, Trent Bumgarner, and Dylan Godfrey had to close out the match with wins to save it for the team. Justin majored his opponent for 4 points, Trent decisioned for 3 points. This left the Tribe losing by 5 points with Dylan Godfrey to finish. Godfrey nailed a takedown to a pin to clinch the match with a 32-31 win.

The second match against conference rival Newton-Conover found the Tribe in the same desperate position. Down 3-25, the Tribe made their push starting at 130 with Kyle Stephens. Kyle pinned to bring the match to 9-25. Sam Monish and Cody Rink decisioned for the Tribe to pull within 15-25. Justin Baumgarner pinned to pull within 21-25, but a lost match at 160 left the Tribe with a 21-31 deficit. It was in the hands of the two seniors, Dylan Godfrey and Travis Krogman to win it for the Tribe. Godfrey and Krogman both pinned to put the Tribe on top for the win at 33-31.

The third match with Chesterfield, SC gave the Tribe some breathing time with a 47-28 win.

The last two matches of the day were lost by the Tribe against the best 4A and 3A teams in the state. The Tribe lost to Davie County 24-42 and against Morehead 6-62.

Our next match is at Bandys on Tuesday 1-3-06. It is the first conference match of the season. Bandys is last years 2A state champions and currently ranked #1 in the 2A rankings.

12-17-05

"FULL FORCE" SAINT RAIDS THE WEST LINCOLN REBEL DUALS

Finally, after weeks of missing pieces in the Saint lineup, the Tribe showed up at a tournament with the full force potential we had been waiting to see. Saint wrestling looked like "old school" as wins mounted up during the rounds of the tournament.

First match was against Shelby in which the Tribe handed in a 51-16 win. There was more excitment watching the officials take on the Shelby Coaching Staff. Team warnings and team penalty points were issued out faster than suppositories on the constipation ward at Frye Memorial Hospital.

The second and third match in the pool round were against Tuscola (Tribe 76-6) and then Southwest Guilford (Tribe 75-4).

Next came the championship rounds for final placement in the tournament. The Tribe took on the "Bentley Bandits" of the Watauga Pioneers. A switch was made in the starting order for the Tribe as Sam Monish started in the 130 lb position and Kyle Stephens was bumped to 135. Sam majored his opponent and Kyle fought off the highly touted Jacob Earp with a 5-11 lose. As I have stated over the years, sometime a small loss in a match is a big gain for the team. Kyle's outstanding effort along with the switch placed the Tribe with a 4-3 lead after to matches. Saint went on a roll and won big on 6 out of 8 match ups. With the lead at 38-11, Jesus Vazquez defeated Zain Eisenburg at 103 to push the lead out to 44-11. With the match won and looking ahead to the finals, Coach Baker forfeited the remaining 3 weight classes to win out at 44-30.

Now came the Finals against the West Lincoln Rebels. This was the first dual match up of a Coach Baker lead team against a Coach Ross team since Billy returned from Iraq. We all knew that this was going to go to the wire.

Coach Baker had already worked up grudge since he found out West Lincoln's Assist. AD/Assist. Wrestling Coach Biscuit George had mostly Diet Drinks in the hospitality room at lunch and the world famous "Baker Shrine", formerly on display in the old wrestling room, had been mysteriously hidden from public viewing by Coach Ross. All that could be found were pieces of the ceremonial candles that use to surround the Shrine. The pilgrims that had trekked across two counties to see the Shrine tore their clothing and spread ashes across their face and head.

Seriously, it was a great match for both team and all the fans. With a long history of competition and admiration between the two schools, the annual face off began. Senior Kyle Stephens was once again called on for team leadership and was bump up to 135 to take on Payen Houser. Kyle came through with a pin in the second period to start the team with a 6-0 lead. West Lincolns' Matt Avery, Tyler Poston, and Logan Schronce mastered the next three weight classes with 3 straight pins to push the Rebels out to a 6-18 lead. Seniors Trent Bumgarner, Dylan Godfrey, and Travis Krogman brought the Tribe back to even, 18-18, with two decisions and a pin. Junior Robert Wessels quickly pinned in the 215 match up and obtained a 6 piont lead for the Tribe. The lead was short lived as Clay Heafner for West Lincoln pinned at 275.

Knotted at 24-24, it was time again for the light weights to be the BIG MEN on CAMPUS. Jesus Vazquez pinned at 103, Joey Trawick pinned at 112, this gave Saint a 36-24 lead. Travis Paap at 119 fought out of pinning combinations by West Lincoln's Matt Whittle to hold the Rebel to a 4 point major decision. This left the Tribe with a slim 36-28 lead with two weight classes to go.

The clinching match for Saint came from 125 Bradley Pendleton. His opponent Jack Wombough has been a tough opponent for Bradley in past match ups with only a few successes. This became a break out match for Bradley as he found a gear that we had all been waiting to see. After a scoreless first period, Bradley stepped up his attack in the second scoring a takedown, recovering with a reversal, and scoring a 2 point nearfall. With the score at 6-3, Bradley reversed from bottom and scored a three point near fall. The bouts final score was 11-4 and clinched a win for the Tribe with the score now at 39-28.

Sam Monish finished off the night with a first period pin to obtain the final score of 45-28 and the Championship of the Rebel Duals.

A picture of the team will be forth coming and will be posted on our website for all to see. (which is more than I can say about the Baker Shrine)

12-10-05

SAINT FINISHES 6TH AT THE TWIN CITY RUMBLE

Dylan Godfrey and Travis Krogman take second at the Twin City Rumble hosted at Mt. Tabor High School. More will be posted later.

12-7-05

ALEXANDER FALLS TO TRIBE'S HEROIC SURGE 36-31

This was as much nail biting excitement as anyone would want between to competitive teams. The weight class draw at 135 started the dual meet off in the heart of Alexander's line up. The crowd was silent after the first five weight class match ups left the Tribe losing by 0-22. Senior Dylan Godfrey made the first score for the Tribe at 171 with a hard fought match that ending with a 12-7 victory. That seemed to wake up the sleeping Tribe and the tide began to roll in the Tribe's favor. Travis Krogman and Robert Wessels pinned quickly and brought the score to 15-22.

The light weights took over the fight for Saint. Chris Moody at 112 won by decision and Travis Paap pinned at 119 to push the Tribe ahead 30-28. Alexander struck back with decision at 125 to regain the lead at 30-31.

The match was in the balance at Senior Kyle Stephens took the mat at 135. Stephens dominated his opponent and jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first period and then pinned in the second period. This clinched the match for the Tribe with a 36-31 win.

12-5-05

2005 Indian Classic Has Classic Finish

It was the closest contested Indian Classic in years. The Tribe finishes in 4th place and is only 11.5 points away from the champions South Iredell. You never want to lose, but if your going to lose, its ok to lose to a classic coach like Coach Mayhew of South Iredell. After many years of a slump, South Iredell is back as a significant opponent on the wreslting mat.

Three senior members of the Tribe made it to the finals and finished as a Indian Classic Champion.

Kyle Stephens at 130 won his first Indian Classic title with one of his best technical efforts of his career. With two exceptional takedowns in the match, Kyle took his opponent,Pedro Martinez from South Iredell, to his back for a second period pen. Kyle scored 22 points for the Tribe

Dylan Godfrey at 171 pinned his way through the finals. This was Dylan's second Indian Classic title. He scored the most points for the team with a perfect 24 individual point talley, all by pins.

Travis Krogman at 189 toppled all his opponents and pinned in his last two matches. Travis scored 23 points for the team.

Sophomore Cody Rink finish 3rd for the Tribe in the 140 weight class and accumulated 13 points.

Chis Moody at 112, Sam Monish at 135, and George Hahn at 145 finish in 4th place in their respective weight class.

You can see all the results on our Indian Classic web page.

12-1-05

Tribe Attacks East Burke 51-24

The Tribe attacked from the first whistle Wednesday night with an outstanding win by Jesus Vazquez over 10th ranked Austin Annas in the 4A 103 weigh class. It was a classic scrappy light weight battle with Vazquez getting the first takedown of the match in the second period. Vazquez finished the match with a pin in the third period which vaulted the Tribe into a great start over the Cavilers.

The Tribe never looked back from that point and mashed out a total of eight pins for the dual meet. Those pinning for the Tribe were Jesus Vazquez, Joey Trawick, Travis Paap, Kyle Stephens, Sam Monish, Dylan Godfrey, Travis Krogman, and Spencer Grigg.

The Tribe is now 10-2 on the season in dual match competition. The first individual tournament of the season will be the Indian Classic this Saturday 12-3-05 at home. The event will be held in the magnificant recently remodeled Baker Arena located just left of the Booster Club's 5 Star Rated Gut Grenade Sandwich Shop.

See the Indian Classic history at its location on this website.

11-24-05

Tribe Takes 2nd at Viking Duals and 3rd at the Indian Duals

In their first major competition tournaments of this season, the Tribe had outstanding results. Losing to last season's 2A champions Bandys in the finals 46-30 at the Viking Duals and only one lose in the Indian Duals to Davie County 38-31 the pool finals. The Tribe capture the 3rd place finish with a 48-33 win over last year's Indian Dual Champions Chatham Central.

This is a major jump in winning early in the season over last year's starting efforts. Several wrestlers made it into the lineup during the dual meets which will pay off later in the season. Now with a 9-2 dual record, the Tribe's two losses were close matches against qualilty opponents. The season looks promising for the Tribe.

The next match will be 11-30-05 at home against East Burke. It will start at 7:00 PM. Please come and support the efforts of the Tribe.

11-16-05

Tribe Rolls Over Warriors 73-6

A win is a win and Tribe overpowered the Warriors of West Iredell. Details of the match might be seen in the Hickory Daily Record on Thursday. Coach "Scissor Hands" Baker, has submitted a write up to the paper late Wednesday night.

Team Stats will have its first update of the year after the Indian Duals on Wednesday.

New coaching drill this week will be cutting material that sticks out of the singlet.

You see how out of control things get when Roy Toy is not there to provide the discipline. Thank God nobody bled to death.

DID YA MISS ME BILLY?

11-13-06

The Tribe will travel to West Iredell for it opening match of the 2005/06 year. Click on Maps above to get driving directions.

Wrestle Off Matches will be this week in practice and the starting line up will be settled by Tuesday. Good luck to the Tribe.

10-17-05

First Match of New Season Starts November 16 at West Iredell

Coach Billy Baker Back and on the Attack

The Tribe will once again be lead by Billy Baker as they attempt to compete in the new Catawba Valley Athletic Confernce. This will be a mix of 3A and 2A schools. This is the first update of the website for the 2005-06 season. All the Historical Records have been updated with last years results. On the Latest News page the Current Dual Team Record has been updated to show upcoming dual team matches. The main website and full schedule will be updated this weekend.

For now let's just review so fun times from last year and remember those that have paved the way to the Tribes winning wrestling tradition.

Front Row: George Hahn (who set the tone of tonight's dual match by defeating his opponent in the preliminary match), Justin Baumgarner, Sam Monish, >>>>>, Chris Moody.
Second Row: Coach (I'm Back from Iraq) Billy Baker, son Blake Baker (the only terrorist to escape Home Land Security), Joey Trawick, Will Lominac, Cody Rink, Travis Paap (with that "I finally made the rigth weight" look on his face), Bradley Pendleton, Kyle Stephens (he thought this was a picture for the Entertainment Tonight show), Dillon Story, Charlie Powell
Third Row: Coach Wes Starnes (wrestling alumni and Team's Chief Council, thanks Wes), Seth Eckard, Robert Wessels, Dylan Godfrey (looking at the back of Trent's head), Trent Bumgarner, Travis Krogman (with no legs to standup), Jonathan Troutman (look who's wearing the watch now), Bobby Frost (in the blue striped shirt patting Krogman's head), Kevin Indenbaum (who is looking over to the bleachers trying to find his watch), Emilio Gilvaja (the tall Ricky Martin looking kid in the very back row), Lance Eckard, Mike Radionchenko (the smartest Russian descendant since Nikia Kolof), Shane Broyhill (back row with the headgear hair), Josh Young, Adam Starnes (with the hair that we can't get headgear around), Coach Scott Edwards (back row, wrestling alumni that has helped out SS wrestling on numerous occasions over the years, thanks Scott), Tom Selick, Head Coach Larry Carpenter (the guy on the end that looks like he just had the weight of the world lifted off his shoulders, great job Coach Carpenter, your legacy continues at SSHS).
Back Right Corner of the Gym: The scoreboard tell the tale. The score and the time remaining in the first period of the last match of the night. Broyhill pins to close out the match. Shane, we forgive you for your headgear hair in the picture.

The most intense and largest crowd of the season came to witness a history making performance or the end of a five year streak of conference wrestling championships at St. Stephens. The home crowd went away relieved and joyed that wrestling at St. Stephens still prevailed as a conference championship program.

RS Central came into the match with a 4-0 conference record and a up and coming program. RS Central has been rebuilding their program with the leadership of Coach Rich Cox and had arrived as serious contender to topple the Tribe's domination of the Southwestern Foothill Conference.

The Tribe had posted a subpar record for its program this year and had only broken above the .500 mark for wins in the past two weeks. There were serious concerns that the streak of conference championship teams would come to an end with the RS Central match.

As it turned out, the match last night was wrestled and supported by the home crowd just like days of old. Our wrestlers fought with the old Tribe Pride and the crowd stomped, clapped, screamed, and provided the "coaching from the stands" instructions that always makes it a great event. Everybody likes to yell "Shoot the Half" (as if the the wrestler is really going to listen). I think I did hear someone yell "Five on Two". No matter what came from the crowd, all of it inspired the best that each wrestler could offer.

One wonders over the coarse of a year if all the trips, camps, and fundraising will payoff and is it worth all the effort. Last night when you saw all alumni wrestlers return to support the program, the fans congradulating the wrestlers, kids with smiling faces, and the home crowd celebrating on the gym floor, you walked out thinking "Its worth every minute of it".

ST. STEPHENS WRESTLING
THE PRIDE OF THE TRIBE
(Maybe the Wrestling Banner shouldn't be forgotten and stuck in the far corner rafter of the gym afterall.)

THE 2005 SOUTHWESTERN FOOTHILLS CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP WINNING MATCH
ST.STEPHENS HIGH SCHOOL VERSUS R.S. CENTRAL
01/21/2005

105 TRAVIS PAAP (SS) PIN 3:17 J P CONNER (RSC)
114 CABE LOCKETT (RSC) PIN 1:28 JOEY TRAWICK (SS)
121 DEREK LYTLE (RSC) PIN 3:00 SAM MONISH (SS)
127 KYLE STEPHENS (SS) DEC 4-0 KEGAN WHITESIDE (RSC)
132 CHRIS MOORE (RSC) PIN 3:55 KEVIN INDENBAUM (SS)
137 CODY RINK (SS) PIN 0:37 MICHAEL MOORE (RSC)
142 JONATHAN TROUTMAN (SS) PIN 1:07 AUSTIN SMITH (RSC)
147 CLINTON WHITES (RSC) DEC 4-9 CHARLIE POWELL (SS)
154 TRENT BUMGARNER (SS) PIN 2:41 CARTER EDGETON (RSC)
162 CLAYTON SMITH (RSC) PIN 3:01 MIKE RADIONCHENKO (SS)
173 SHANE BROYHILL (SS) PIN 1:17 MITCH ELLIOT (RSC)
191 DYLAN GODFREY (SS) PIN 1:25 JOSH OXENDINE (RSC)
217 TRAVIS KROGMAN (SS) PIN 2:59 JESSE MCFARLAND (RSC)
277 EMILIO GILVAJA (SS) FOR 0-0 FORFEIT (RSC)

FINAL SCORE
ST.STEPHENS HIGH SCHOOL 51.00
R.S. CENTRAL 27.00