Bengals battle at NC 4A midwest wrestling tournament
February 17, 2023
FVHS hosted the North Carolina 4A Mideast Regional Wrestling Tournament this past weekend. There was a lot of buzz surrounding the event and the recognition that it brought to the Fuquay-Varina area. We also saw Fuquay wrestlers competing and volunteering at the tournament, creating a great atmosphere for the school.
“We’re grateful to be able to host a big event like this. It gives us a lot of confidence in the type of program we can be in the future,” said junior wrestler Dockery Taylor.
The action started during the week when Fuquay’s senior Austin Roberts took down a wrestler from Hillside in the 196-pound weight class. Roberts would go on to win the weight class, punching himself a ticket to the state championship.
The Bengals would open the weekend with a convincing win from freshman Borys Kralka in the 106-pound weight division against a wrestler from Southern Alamance High School.
Later, freshman Nehemiah Ortega would have an incredible comeback win against a wrestler from Chapel Hill in the 120-pound weight class, pinning his opponent in the waning seconds to steal a win for the Bengals.
One of the biggest moments of the day was when senior Parker Thullner suffered an apparent lower-body injury which required him to get medical attention in the first period of the match. Our trainers cleared him to continue, so he limped over to the mat and would last two more periods against his opponent from Northern Durham. Not only would Thullner power through two more rounds, but he also pinned his opponent on one leg. Cheers and support roared through the gym as Thullner pulled off the seemingly impossible.
Another Bengal in action was sophomore Lucas Roteu, who lost a close match against his opponent from Green Hope High School.
Later in the day, sophomore Jerry Bramble would struggle in his early matches, but he wouldn’t be discouraged.
“I’m excited about my next match. I didn’t win this last one but I’m ready for this one,” Bramble said.
Even though he was eliminated early, and Bramble kept a positive attitude throughout the day and continued to cheer on his teammates.
The event was a big success for the school as they had multiple wrestlers find success while putting on a great event in the community.
You can catch Austin Roberts in the state championship this weekend at Greensboro Coliseum.
