Grapplers take 4th at Farragut

Jon Paz works to turn over an opponent from Walker Valley during action at the Farragut Duals Tournament over the weekend. Paz and the Pioneers finished in fourth place.

Despite entering the event with a battered, bruised team, and missing two other wrestlers because of the ACT exam, the Pioneers still came away with a fourth-place finish.

Bobby Rampp and Herman Taylor were unable to make the event because of the ACT, but two junior varsity grapplers ? Ben Matheney and Denver Heitger ? performed admirably as they stepped into the varsity lineup.

The Pioneers? biggest highlight was a victory over North Carolina?s North Henderson High School squad. North Henderson is a perennial contender in its home state, but the Pioneers answered the challenge, defeating their out-of-state foes by a 47-24 final.

William Blount won the event, with Walker Valley taking second and Rhea County finishing just ahead of the Pioneers in third place.

Thursday, the Pioneers are traveling to take on the always-tough Riverdale Warriors in a Region 5 match.

?We expect it to be a tough match,? WCHS coach Matt Turner said. ?Riverdale is always up for Warren County, and it is always a good, hard-fought match.?

For more information on the Pioneer wrestling team, fans can log on to www.warrencountywrestling.com.