When every team from the CTWC gathered in Warren County over the weekend, there was going to be no question after two days on the mat who was the best squad. The Pioneers made sure of it by completely dominating the rest of the field.
WCMS left the weekend as the undisputed champs of the CTWC, winning both the individual tournament title on Saturday and the team title on Sunday. In the finals of the team tournament, Warren County avenged its only losses of the season, smashing Blackman to add an exclamation point to a statement weekend for Pioneer wrestling.
"Going into this weekend, coach (Joe) Damon and I knew we had a shot to win, but to be as dominate as we were is just a testament to how hard this team worked," said coach Ben Matheney, who was named the CTWC coach of the year over the weekend as well. "In the finals against Blackman, it was electric. To see and hear all the support for the team was incredible. These kids knew how big the moment was and deserved every bit of the celebration. It is arguably the best experience I've had in my coaching career."
Warren County was simply dominant in the individual duals, placing 10 wrestlers on the final podium, including four standing atop the podium.
Daniel Wittekind won the 72-pound bracket with three straight pins, the final one coming in the championship just four seconds before the final horn. Huck Damon was a monster at 123 pounds, winning all three of his matches with first-round pins (two coming in less than one minute). Anden Green became one of the few CTWC athletes to be a two-time champion, winning again at 140 pounds and Dean Wingate won a wild championship match at 165 pounds to earn more points for the Pioneers.
Brant Damon, Declan McAbee, Burgess Galligan, Nathan Luviano and David Franco all finished second in their brackets, while Kaden West and Lady Pioneer Annabelle Meadows were fourth in their weight classes.
"Having 35 wrestling on the team pushed everybody to work hard in practice. They knew they had to earn that spot and we were able to grow because we had a room full of kids ready to get after it," said Matheney.
The individual tournament win put Warren County in the driver's seat for Sunday's team tourney, but there was unfinished business left for the Pioneers. Blackman had beaten Warren County twice early in the season, but the Pioneers weren't going to let it happen again on their home mat in front of a packed crowd.
"All weekend long, no one wanted to be the one who didn't get the job done. Against Blackman, everybody had to be 'the guy.' They fed off of each other and we won matches we had previously lost just because our guys just wanted it more," said Matheney. "I was proud of every single wrestler this weekend. Every one of them had a moment where they just had the grit and determination to find a way to get it done."
In the final win over Blackman, Brant Damon, Huck Damon, Wingate and Luviano won by pin. Galligan had an OT 8-6 win, Kenley Mitchell won a 7-6 thriller, Wittekind cruised to a 7-0 decision victory, Eastlan Green added an 8-5 victory at 94 pounds and Anden Green added more points with a 9-5 victory. Franco also got six crucial points with a forfeit in heavyweight.
