By Mike McClure

The Woodbridge varsity wrestling team recorded three pins and picked up three wins by forfeit to defeat Laurel, 45-34, last Saturday in Laurel. The win came three days after the Raiders earned a road win over Delmar.

“The kids have travelled well. The guys that I have here dug deep and got it done,” said Woodbridge head coach Eston Ennis. “We’re all dealing with COVID issues. Every sneeze, every cough even if it’s not COVID it’s a worry.”

Woodbridge senior Duane Cooke, top, earned a 5-1 win in his 113 pound match against Laurel eighth grader Stanley Pete last Saturday in Laurel. Photo by Mike McClure

Laurel eighth grader Connor Smith opened with a win by forfeit in the 106 pound match. Woodbridge senior Duane Cooke held off another eighth grader, Stanley Pete, for a 5-1 win by decision (113).

The Bulldogs’ Jeremiah Stanley-Ross, another eighth grader, squared off with Woodbridge sophomore Dennis Buckley in the 120 pound match. Stanley-Ross took a 5-4 lead in the second period after the match was tied at 3-3 after one before going on to win by major decision, 14-6. Laurel added a win by forfeit at 126 pounds for a 16-3 advantage.

Laurel freshman Xavier Limehouse added a pin at 1:49 in the first period at 132 pounds. The Raiders Johnathon Webb (139) won by fall with 38 seconds remaining in the first and Woodbridge won by forfeit at 145 and 152 to move within one at 22-21.

Woodbridge’s Brandon Williams (160) won by forfeit to give his team a lead that it would not relinquish the rest of the way. Brenton Williams (170) trailed Laurel’s James Johnson, 2-0 after one period and 2-1 at the end of the second, before tying the score at 3-3 and securing a pin with 26 seconds remaining in the final period.

The Bulldogs’ Hayden Hastings (182) won by forfeit to make the score 33-28, but the Raiders’ Khelei Tillman (195) won by major decision, 11-3, and Aiden Timmons (220) won by fall with 1:05 left in the second period. Woodbridge held on to win, 43-34, following Laurel’s Jacob Davis (285) win by forfeit in the final match.