Randolph-Henry High School’s varsity wrestling team continued its strong showing in the 2018-19 season with big victories over Chatham High School and host Appomattox County High School on Dec. 21.

The Statesmen topped the Cavaliers 56-12 and defeated the Raiders 48-24.

“We did pretty well,” Randolph-Henry Head Coach Zack Mowery said. He later added, “That was the first time I’ve ever beaten Appomattox as a coach, so I kind of wanted that one pretty bad.”

In highlighting individual Statesmen performances, he began at the 170-pound weight class.

“(The) standout wrestler was definitely Danny Parrish,” Mowery said. “He wrestled two really good kids, and he pinned both of them in less than a minute. Danny looked really, really good.”

The coach then moved his attention to the 138-, 145- and 126-pound weight classes, respectively.

“Billy French won all of his matches as well,” Mowery said. “He remains undefeated. Chandler Newcomb won both of his matches. He continued to look good. John Wendelin went 1-1. He lost to the defending state runner-up from Appomattox. So we did good as a whole. Layton Payne, at 182, went 2-0.”

Teams that are unable to produce a wrestler for a given weight class are forced to give up six points in forfeit. Randolph-Henry gave up only 12 points due to forfeit at the Dec. 21 event, meaning it defeated the Cavaliers in every class that it had a wrestler to compete.

Mowery has helped develop the Statesmen from a previously much more shorthanded team to one that now fills 12 out of the 14 weight classes.

“It’s taken me five years, man, but it makes a difference,” he said.

Still needed are wrestlers at 113 and 132.