Published: Thursday, Jan. 21, 2010 / Updated: Friday, Jan. 22, 2010 01:02 PM
Clover, York grapplers point to Thursday showdown
The York-Clover rivalry reaches every athlete at both schools, regardless of the sport.
And let the record show that wrestling is no exception. All one has to do to gauge the impact of the rivalry is talk to Clover High School coach Mike Fitzgerald.
“This is more than a region match,” Fitzgerald said of the Thursday showdown in Blue Eagle Country. “Competing against York takes it to a personal
level.”
So personal that the Cougar wrestlers might find the seating to be less than desirable.
“They might find themselves sitting on 10-gallon buckets,” Fitzgerald said with a sheepish grin. “They give us the small chairs for seating when we wrestle over there.”
The Cougars continue to host their opponents in the Jefferson Elementary School gym until the new high school opens the next school year.
“We have given them the smaller chairs,” admits York Comprehensive High wrestling coach David Spencer.
Regardless of the seating arrangements, Thursday's match has all the elements of a barnburner.
With both schools' wrestling programs on the rise, the rivalry factor raises the intensity level.
“We're okay off the mat,” Fitzgerald said of the neighborly skirmish. “After the weigh-ins, we're ready to get after each other.”
Senior wrestler Andrew Brown, a six-year participant in the CHS program, said hosting York creates a lot of interest in all of the sports, wrestling included.
“Coach has turned it up the last week,” he said. “The rivalry with York makes it fun.”
Brown said wrestling is a sport that pushes him top be successful.
“It requires a lot of self-confidence and mental toughness,” he said. “You want to win as an individual and you want the team to win.”
Cole Bowlin, a junior participant in his fifth year in the program, said the rivalry with York is special.
“It's exciting,” he said “We'll have a big turnout because it's York.”
Bowlin said high school wrestling is all about pride, self-commitment and motivation.
“There have been times when I defeated an opponent that was probaly a better athlete,” he noted. “I was better prepared and in better shape.”
Fitzgerald said the Blue Eagles haven't hosted York in three years due to classification and schedule changes.
He added, “We had a close match with them at our December Duals and expect another competitive match Thursday.
“We have a young team with potential. We're getting there.”
Cougars on the rebound
The visiting Cougars will be seeking to rebound from a a down-to-the-wire 39-28 loss to perennial power Fort Mill last week.
“We look forward to our match with Clover,” commented Spencer. “It's exciting to prepare and compete because of the rivalry.”
Ta Cannon, Robert Cunningham and Lealon Comer each won their matches against Fort Mill and are ready to shift their focus to the Blue Eagles.
“Clover is a big rivalry,” assured Cannon, a consistent winner this season. “We really want to win there.”
Cannon feels good about the team's performance against the Yellow Jackets.
“We competed well against a top 10 team,” he said. “We're proud of that. I worked hard to come back and defeat my opponent. I knew I had to recoup.”
Cunningham said the rivalry is felt by all team members.
“We're excited about our match with Clover.” He said.
Cunningham, a ninth-grader, said the key to his success against Fort Mill was not giving up as he had in the past.
Comer, a sophomore with a bright future, pinned his opponent in the first pairing of the Fort Mill match as YCHS coaches and teammates roared in approval.
“I wanted to start the match right by giving our team six points,” he reasoned.
Said Comer of Thursday's long-awaited match, “We will be ready to compete against our rival. We will give Clover heck.”
Though disappointed with the loss to Fort Mll, Spencer lauded the Cougars for their effort against a quality team.
“The kids gave it everything they had competing against a great program,” the YCHS coach said. “We were in a position to win. Our program is making progress.”
“We're taking small steps.”
Thursday's action begins at 6 p.m.
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