In the last few weeks, the boys varsity and JV wrestling teams have been on fire. On Friday, February 4, the teams left it all on the mat and went head-to-head against their conference opponents in the OK White Tournament. 

“The OK White conference is a classically rugged league and known as one of the toughest in the state,” head coach Brad Anderson said. “FHC wrestlers fought hard last night and were in some really scrappy matches with good competition.”

The OK White Tournament was an individual tournament with all the boys competing for themselves instead of the normal overall team score. The varsity team had seven boys place top four that all put up a great fight and dominated the mat.

Sophomore Greyson Ripmaster placed third, with fellow sophomores Isaac Spratke and Josh Elzinga landing at fourth in their weight divisions. Juniors Landon Cooke and Blake Jacobs placed fourth in their divisions and seniors Will Richardson and Arash Kordabacheh came in third. 

“Greyson Ripmaster, Arash Kordbacheh, and Will Richardson all snagged third place and looked good out there in the bronze medal match,” coach Anderson said. 

The JV team had some placers as well, such as junior Andrew Weiskopf coming in second and senior Charlie Radke coming in third in their shared division. 

“We did really good on the JV side,” Andrew said. “I came in second in my division and Charlie came third in my division too.”

Many of the boys felt strong about Friday, but they did admit that the competition was tough and not to be messed with. Some of the new wrestlers like Thomas Paplawsky were tested on what they could handle on the mat, which made them much stronger at the end of the day. 

“I think as a team we all faced tough opponents, and at some point in the day, we all had to dig into our mental and physical strength to persevere through our matches,” Thomas said. 

The Rangers now set their sights on the post-season with the MHSAA Districts at FHC on Thursday, February 10, at 5:30 pm. Make sure you come out and support the team in one of its toughest battles yet.

“We’re proud of the overall effort. The OK White is really a good challenge,” coach Anderson said. “You have one of the best teams in the state in our league. You also have some very gritty Division One and Division Two teams in there as well. It’s not for the weak of heart.”