The boys varsity wrestling team crushes its competition at every tournament they go to, and this Saturday was no exception. The team went up against athletes from seven schools around the state. A majority of the tournament consisted of countless positives for FHC to draw back on. 

This impressive feat came just one week after the team’s recent win over their rival team Caledonia and claiming the Kelloggsville Individual Tournament title with an extensive list of placers was the cherry on top of FHC’s winning streak. 

“Our guys performed well today and really made a statement. We were able to execute our takedowns and get some momentum going into the postseason,” head coach Brad Anderson said. “Overall, I’m very pleased with their level of Wrestling and their focus on Saturday.”

The Rangers placed first overall thanks to their fantastic wrestling performances throughout the day. They scored a towering 217.5 with their opponents Zeeland East at 160.5, Northview at 105.5, Kelloggsville at 96.0, Grand Rapids Christian at 85.0, Big Rapids chiming in at 81.0, Ludington sitting with a 67.5, and in last Godwin Heights with a 61.0. In the end, FHC remained 57 points ahead of the second-place finisher, overpowering its competition for a first-place finish.

Wrestling is all about points, and four Ranger boys secured overall wins leaving as tournament champions at the end of the day that helped set the team ahead and kept them ahead of the game. Greyson Ripmaster, Josh Elzinga, Blake Jacobs, and Landon Cooke all walked out of Kelloggsville with first-place titles that left them as heroes of the day. 

“Greyson looked very competitive, and he showed a lot of hustle in his match in the finals,” coach Anderson said. “Josh got it out a close 3-2 victory and showed considerable grit. Blake is on a roll right now. Landon Cooke remains dominant at 160 pounds for us.”

Junior Andrew Weiskopf spoke out about how he felt his teammates did for the day and had only good to say when he was asked. 

“I thought we did solid for the ones I watched, and Evan Elzinga and Will Richardson, as well as Landon Cooke, were dominant as always,” Andrew said.  

Some of the team’s runner-up finishers, third place, and fourth place medalists were Will Richardson, Michael Frazer, Trevor Williams, Evan Elzinga, Michael Campbell, Isaac Spratke, Thomas Paplawsky, Ty Ryan, Nathan Rushman, and many more talented wrestlers. 

Freshman Thomas Paplawsky was very happy about the Ranger’s outcome and is optimistic about the effects of this strong win. 

“I think from a team standpoint, this tournament win was really big because we’ve gotten beat down in a couple of our matches this season, so to be the ones doing the beating was like a breath of fresh air,” Thomas said. 

On Wednesday, February 2, the Rangers will be competing at home against Monague High school with JV and girls wrestling at 6 p.m., followed by varsity kicking off Senior Night at 7 p.m.

“I think our guys made a really good memory today, and hopefully, this gives us spark going into the final weeks of the season,” coach Anderson said.