THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Conway High School Athletics

“We have a lot of freshmen who have never ever been in a big match like that. Tuesday was a good match, but nothing like this 25-year-old rivalry,” Palmer said. “We’ll be going into the same conference next year so they’ll experience this more.” Palmer knows a thing or two about the spirited rivalry. He was a big part of the series when he wrestled at Riverside, earning a pair of state titles and setting the then North Carolina high school record for career wins. And given that breadth of experience, he knew what to expect Thursday when his No. 3 seed Pirates took on undefeated No. 1 seed Cary. Even though Riverside had not lost a dual match since before Christmas, “I think we understood that we were looking up through a tunnel as far as match-up wise. They came to our tournament, they won our tournament, and we got runner-up. So we knew what we were dealing with,” Palmer said. “On paper this was supposed to be our stop as far as moving forward. I hope it validates us to see them go on and win the whole thing because that gives us incentive,” Palmer said. Cary earned bonus points in six matches, with four pins, a technical fall, and a major decision. Riverside got bonus points in three matches, with two pins and a major. Palmer said giving up those bonus points, and not earning some where they could have, was the difference in the outcome. “There’s some hurt for our seniors. They worked really hard,” Palmer said, and should be proud of their 24-4 season. “This thing that we’re feeling here, hopefully it’s in practice tomorrow” as motivation for the upcoming individual regionals and states, Palmer said. “I think there were a few guys on our team that might have needed that wake-up call. This makes it personal to a man … Every one of those guys knows they still have a personal mission, and they can still vindicate themselves.” Riverside 138 pounder Asante Boler picked up a first period pin over Quinn Dunphy, and 285-pound teammate Michael Farrish clamped Jordan Glover in a doozy of a match. Boler hit a nifty bear hug lift and returned Dunphy to the mat for a takedown, and got his pin off a second takedown when he pushed Dunphy’s head to the mat, spun behind and tossed the Imp to his back. Farrish was trailing 6-3 after the first period, having been bear hugged to his back in a five-point move after his headlock attempt on Glover slipped. He fell behind 8-4 in the second period after another headlock attempt failed and he got taken down. But he bullrushed Glover for a takedown and back points and led 9-8 going into the final period. He then whipped Glover to his back for a takedown, sank a half and underhook and decked the Imp with 12 seconds left. Jaden Davis racked up a 20-8 major decision over Cary’s Dontay Turner at 195. Davis put on a takedown clinic, blasting to five takedowns in the first period. He picked up three back points on a far-side cradle and hit another takedown in the second period, and added two more takedowns in the final period. Riverside 132-pounder Noah Jacobs beat Conrad Schiess 7-4. After giving up a takedown in the first period, he escaped and hit a duck under from his knees to go up 3-2. He escaped and used a single-leg lift for another takedown in the second period, which he led 5-4. Starting neutral in the final period, Jacobs countered a Schiess attempt for one more takedown. At 152 the Pirates’ D’Anthony Bright was superior from his feet, scoring six takedowns in a 12-6 win over Ryan Wolfram. He repeatedly stuffed leg shots by Wolfman and spun behind. With the match locked up, Cary forfeited to Riverside’s Josh Cox at 113 and Jalen Adams at 120.

THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Conway High School Athletics

CARY'S EXPERIENCE OUTLASTS RIVERSIDE

DAN E. WAY

The Herald-Sun | 2/2/2017

PHOTO CREDIT: Riverside High School Athletics