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The Woodstock Academy wrestling team lost their first seven dual matches this season.
The Centaurs have gone 8-3 ever since.
The Academy traveled to Uncasville Jan. 27 and scored wins in three of their four matches at the Saints duals at St. Bernard School.
“We have been on a winning streak and I think it’s the dividends of the emphasis we placed on team building. The skill was always there, but the understanding of how each wrestler plays an integral role for the team was not yet built in,” said wrestling coach Wes Jenkins.
The Centaurs faced teams in similar straits Jan. 27.
The Academy has been battling illness and injuries which has left some holes in the lineup.
Most of the competition, with the exception of Hope High School from Providence, was experiencing the same woes.
The Centaurs downed the New Haven cooperative, 33-24, and Juanita Sanchez School, 27-25, before running into Hope which handed The Academy a 65-12 defeat.
The Centaurs finished up with a 30-21 victory over St. Paul’s.
“We wrestled well and lucked out to be wrestling against teams in a similar position as us. We wanted to win at least two of the matches and we’re pleased to be 8-10,” Jenkins said.
Adam Schimmelpfennig and Daniel Ntamwemezi both recorded two pins over the course of the four matches.
Abe Cooke, Patrick Barrows, and Ben Holden also had pins for the Centaurs.
The Centaurs host their own tournament this weekend, the Jacob Bowen Invitational, at the Alumni Fieldhouse Jan. 27.
Currently, 17 teams are scheduled to compete including Ellis Tech, Montville and Southbridge. Wrestling will get underway at 10 a.m.
Prep basketball
Gold has weekend split
Ryan Olmslaer looked up at the scoreboard and laughed. Underneath the Centaurs was the number 128. “I think the most my team in high school scored was 70, maybe,” the Woodstock Academy Gold Prep basketball team back up center said. “It’s a big difference.”
It was a big difference between the Centaurs and their opponents, Cheshire Academy.
The Gold team almost doubled up on the Cats, posting a 128-66 victory Jan. 28 at Alumni Fieldhouse. Olmslaer said while the offense gets the headlines, it’s not what sparked the Centaurs. “Defense is something we put a lot of pride in to,” Olmslaer said. It was the press that caused the most problems for Cheshire Academy. It helped produce 17 of the first 20 points in the game.
Jakigh Dottin scored seven of his 21 in that early stretch and the Cats had no answer.
Cheshire Academy trailed, 58-30, at the half and a 20-4 run to start the second half left little doubt. Five other players finished in double figures for the Centaurs (22-3).
Chaylyn Martin, Joe Kasperszyk, Luis Rodriguez and Tre Mitchell all finished with 14 points while Marquis Moore added 13.
The Centaurs needed the win. It came on the heels of an 85-78 loss to Masters School Jan. 27. “It was a tough loss, but it’s part of the season,” said assistant coach Scott Moses. “You see it in college basketball right now, everybody loses to everybody. We didn’t play great.”
Moses was concerned about the defense. In their season-opening 16-game win streak, the Centaurs held teams to about 73 points a game. In their last eight, prior Jan. 28, they allowed 87.8 per game.
“We have to re-commit ourselves on the defensive end. It starts with being competitive and taking your personal matchup to heart,” Moses said.
Ty Perry and Mitchell led the Centaurs with 16 points apiece.
Blue falls in Rochester
Gedi Juozapaitis scored 35 points, E.J. Dambreville 23 and Danny Dade 18, but the Centaurs (14-8) lost to Monroe Community College in Rochester, N.Y., Jan. 27.
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director