On Saturday, the Ranger wrestling team was on the lookout for plenty of triumphs at the Forest Hills Eastern Kickoff Duals. The boys ended up going 3-1 against Muskegon, FHE, Oakridge, and Holland. After a 0-2 loss earlier this week, the dual proved that the Rangers are ready to rumble. 

The Rangers smoked Oakridge by over 50 points with an effortless 66-12 victory while also dominating the mats against Muskegon, 42-28. The team squeezed past Forest Hills Eastern by three, pulling ahead to end with a 36-33 win. Sadly for FHC, Holland got the best of the team with a towering 45-27 victory over the Rangers. 

As if a 3-1 record for the day wasn’t good enough, sophomore Greyson Ripmaster, juniors Michael Campbell and Blake Jacobs, and senior Evan Elzinga all went out with undefeated records, helping FHC gain serious ground. Greyson had a special day, with one of his wins being a test of strength—both mentally and physically.

“Greyson had a really good day,” head coach Brad Anderson said. “He found himself in some tough matches and found a way to win. Against Muskegon, he was down 8-0 and clawed his way back to a 12-10 victory. He has a very workman-like style, and today he put together some gritty performances.”

One of FHC’s senior leaders, Evan, pinned two of his opponents and walked away with four wins that helped secure his team a berth in the championship bout. 

“Evan has a very pragmatic style. He takes his time and does his job for the team,” coach Anderson said. “He’s off to a great start this season.”

Evan was a little disappointed that the Rangers didn’t pull off a clean 4-0 record for the day, but that doesn’t stop how proud he is of his team.

“I felt mildly disappointed that we didn’t go 4-0, but I was extremely proud with our performances overall, especially with some of the wrestlers beating some tough opponents or winning matches,” Evan said.

Juniors Michael Campbell and Blake Jacobs also had clutch breakout performances today, with both going 4-0. 

“I’m really pleased with Michael and Blake today,” coach Anderson exclaimed. “ They are fun to watch, and they stick to their system; very meat and potatoes. Today was a perfect day for them, and they showed a lot of promise.” 

Michael Campbell had only positive things to say about how the team did today and also how he feels he did personally.

“I think the team wrestled very well; we fell just short in the finals,” Michael said. “I think I wrestled pretty good. I went 4-0, but there are still some things I need to work on.”

Other honorable mentions from the meet are sophomores Josh Elzinga and Trevor Williams, senior Arash Kordbacheh, and junior Landon Cooke, who all went 3-1 in Saturday’s matches. 

“Those guys [Josh, Trevor, Arash, and Landon] are the core of our team,” coach Anderson said. “They work hard, they show up ready to fight, and they just wrestle with a lot of heart.”

The Rangers now sit comfortably at a 3-3 record for the season and will work on improving their stats when they battle it out on the mat next Saturday, December 18, at the Kent County Championships held at East Kentwood High School.