ROCKY RIVER, Ohio (Jan. 28, 2024) -- The Wrestling Raiders have had some big performances of late and are headed into upcoming events with optimism and a bit of momentum.
Rocky River opened its season Dec. 9, with seven returning starters and nine returning lettermen leading the way as the Pirates hit the mats at the Ron Madow Memorial Tournament at Beachwood High School. River took fourth in a field of 12 teams in the meet. Nine Pirates earned top-5 finishes. That group was led by senior captain Connor Schiefferle, who took second place at 165 pounds. Schiefferle went 4-1 at Beachwood and would go weeks before suffering loss No. 2. Junior Dylan Heffron went 3-2 to place third at 144. Freshmaen Milosh Petkovic (120 pounds), Nickola Petkovic (138), and Ryan Stirm (132) each earned fourth-place finishes.
At the Al Minter Memorial Tournament on Dec. 16, Schiefferle (5-0, first place at 165), Heffron (4-1, 2P at 144), and sophomore Charlie Uhler (41, 2P at 190) paced a third-place finish for the Maroon & White. Rocky River had four other placers in the 12-team tournament hosted by Cuyahoga Heights High School.
Rocky River competed in the Great Lakes Conference Duals Dec. 22, going 2-3 in five matches and placing seventh in a field of 10 squads. Senior captain Ilyas Bouchenafa had a big day for the Double-R, going 5-0. Heffron and junior Lincoln Krish, a district qualifier a year ago, also filed above-.500 finishes in the pre-holiday event. One of River's three losses was a 34-33 tie-breaker setback against Bay.
The Pirates' final event of the 2023 calendar year was the Brookside Brawl, a 16-team tournament that saw River take ninth. Krish took gold at 175, going 5-0 along the way. Ilyas Bouchenafa, sophomore London Hover, and Charlie Uhler earned fourth-place finishes.
The Wrestling Raiders sailed into 2023 at the Jan. 6 Woodridge Duals. Rocky River went 2-3 and took seventh place in a field of 10 squads. Lincoln Krish went 3-2 to close out a fine Dec. 22-Jan. 6 stretch that saw him go a combined 11-4. Connor Schiefferle went 2-1 in three bouts.
A week later (Jan. 13), the Sons of Blackbeard went 2-2 in the Westlake Duals. River earned a first-division finish in that event at Westlake High School; it placed fourth in a field of eight. Hover (4-0) and sophomore Laith Qasem were the Raiders' top performers in that one. Again, one of the Pirates' losses was in a taut battle with Bay; the Rockets defeated River 40-36.
The following week (Jan. 20), Rocky River went from first division to first place. River had 16 placers; chief among them were Qasem (1P at 285), freshman Liam Ries (1P at 150), and Connor Schiefferle (1P at 165). Ries and Schiefferle each went 6-0. Heffron, Krish, and frershman Quinn Stewart earned runner-up finishes. The Pirate win came in a field of seven teams.
On Jan. 27, the Wrestling Raiders went 1-4 in dual tournament action hosted by Lakewood High School. The Maroon & White placed ninth in a field of 11 teams. Milosh Petkovic went 5-0 at 120. Krish went 4-1 at 157. Nickola Petkovic went 4-1 at 138.
Krish is 17-4 since Dec. 28. His 24 wins (24-10) lead the Pirates for the season.
CANNON FIRE ...
ON DECK: Rocky River will host Elyria Catholic on Feb. 1 (start time 6:15 p.m.). The event marks Senior Night for the Wrestling Raiders. A pre-match ceremony honoring Rocky River's greybeards is scheduled for 5:45 p.m.
THE (OVER-) 500 CLUB: Heading into Thursday's home match, the Pirates have eight grapplers with winning records. They are Ilyas Bouchenafa (16-12), Dylan Heffron (22-16), London Hover (14-11), Krish, Milosh Petkovic (16-12), Laith Qasem (18-13), Connor Schiefferle (19-2), and Charlie Uhler (10-9). ... The Double-R's dual record is 7-12
by Skip Snow
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