Deptford High School’s wrestling team won its senior night match on Jan. 24, with the Spartans shutting out Lindenwold High School’s Lions 81-0.
The Spartans competed in 14 rounds against the Lions and managed to come away with a win in each of them, as well as in all weight classes.
“Going into the match, we had a feeling that if we in there and took advantage of matchups, we’d have a good night,” said Spartans’ head coach DaJuane Collins. “Once we got things going, it became contagious. The kids worked hard, and it shows.
“Our main focus is always to come out aggressive in order to dictate the pace of the match early on.”
Out of its 14 victories, the Spartans won eight by pin, five were by forfeit and one was a 9-5 judge’s decision in favor of Deptford. That matchup saw Spartan Daniel Jiminez gain a narrow victory over the Lions’ Deny Ramos that gave the Spartans three points for the night, while their other wins granted them six points.
The eight players who managed to win by pin were Ethan Christmas, Amir Barnes, Jaylen Huertas, Nick Childress, Mel Maguire, Drew Ford, Kevin Sokhom and John Griffith. Winning by forfeit were Ava Paul, Eoin Curran, Quentin Boyce, Jason Perez and Nathan Dare.
Their victory propelled Deptford to an 8-4 record for the season, with the team placing seventh in the tri-county conference of the New Jersey State Athletics Association (NJSAA). The senior night win – according to Collins – was good for morale as the team looks to finish the year strong despite not qualifying for the playoffs.
“The team felt great,” he noted. “We lost a couple of close matches earlier in the season, but the team felt great and got momentum going later on in the season. After this match, we’re trying to finish the season strong and trying to advance guys to every level they can get to.”
Despite missing the playoffs, Collins praised the work and dedication of the Spartans as they look to hone their craft and put township wrestling on the map again.
“The guys have been working really hard in bringing Deptford wrestling back to being a serious contender,” he acknowledged. “I really commend them for their hard work and dedication this season.”
