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Everyone is accustomed to hearing about the most popular sports like football, baseball, and basketball, but this sport flies under the radar and doesn’t get as much attention. Robby Parker calls it the most difficult sport at Bob Jones, being “mano-a-mano,” yet the boys who participate make it look like a breeze.
Last Saturday, Feb. 15, the Bob Jones Wrestling Team competed in the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) State Championship at the Von Braun Center (VBC) in Huntsville. Levi Hickson finished 6th in the state, Collin Oliver came in 3rd in the state, and Griffin Ridgeway was the State Champion in the 145-pound weight class.
Griffin Ridgeway expresses his thoughts on his sport and the competition in retrospect. “Wrestling is my favorite sport and I love it, so to win the State Champion in the 145-pound weight class is a great accomplishment.”
Principal Robby Parker excitedly tweeted shortly after Griffin’s match, “GRIFFIN RIDGEWAY. STATE CHAMPION!!!! Beat the defending State Champion in Title Match. I’M FIRED UP!!!!” He also tweeted about Levi Hickson and Collin Oliver, saying “I’d have to take a stick if he challenged me to a match” and “That black eye fires me up!! Makes me want to wrestle somebody.”
Jason Edwards, wrestling coach, was very proud of his athletes’ performance at the State Championships, saying, “You just try and remind them to focus on their work and the results will take care of themselves. To many kids make the State tournament bigger than it is, and thus underperform. If they can avoid the extra pressure, they have a very good chance of success. To see these guys perform at the end of the year is always a joy. They work as hard as anyone.
Congratulations to Griffin Ridgeway, Levi Hickson, and Collin Oliver on your great matches and good luck next season!
