Pioneers show their strength: Football team competes in ‘lift-a-thon’

By DALE STUBBLEFIELD / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

Warren County junior football player Mario Pezzimenti goes for the win in the hang clean portion of Tuesday’s lift-a-thon. Pezzimenti won the event with a lift of 265 pounds. (Dale Stubblefield photo)

Tuesday night members of the Warren County football team held a Lift-a-thon in the WCHS gym and raised a little over $4,000.

Members of the team flexed their muscles and showed off their strength while competing in the bench press and the hang clean lifts.

For the seniors, Greg Cotton and Matt Panter tied in the bench press with 250 pounds and Sampson Hitchcock took first place in body weight with a bench of 245, which is 94 pounds over his body weight.

In the hang clean lifts, John Morrison took first with 245 pounds and Hitchcock won in body weight with a lift of 230, 84 pounds over his body weight.

For the juniors, Chris King benched 310 and Cole Langford did 295 — 91 pounds over his body weight.

In the hang clean lifts, Mario Pezzementi lifted 265 and also had 57 pounds over his body weight.

For the sophomores Eric Hilldreth benched 255 pounds and John Loyd benched 55 pounds over his body weight. In the clean lifts Eric Hilldreth lifted 205 and John Loyd lifted 23 pounds over his body weight.