As the night rolled out the mats come along with it.

Swartz gymnasium was covered by darkness except for the center area where the title of victory was up for grabs.  The rumble from the bleachers lead to the cheering for the team. The team was lit up by enthusiasm and ensured a great night for the Ferrum Panthers.

Before the matches began serval opposing teammates and panthers gathered  in the center for the guidelines of the match. The energy in the air was electrifying as the match began.

Adrian Samano, opening at  125 lbs, bested his opponent with a 20-5 tech fall. He closed out the match at 6:35. Zack Beckner, junior, 133lbs and Jonathan Ward, senior, 141lbs , both accepted forfeits in the tournament.

Perry Roller  (149 lbs) made competed in his match but fell short in his attempt, ending with a score of 11-6.

Next up was  senior, Tyler Ramriaz (157 lbs) who body slammed his opponent to the mat, leaving both wrestlers’ faces red and ending the match with a winning score of 13-2 (Ramriaz).

Freshman, Franklin Melton (174 lbs) triumphed over his opponent with a score of 16-10. Post Match, Head Coach Logan Meister, praised Melton’s performances .

“He beat a regional placer, this was a huge win, supper good match especially since his opponent was a junior,” Meister said.

Meister also praised the teammates in the stands and on the bench for their outstanding support. The rallying by the team helped the team each and every person keep high energy and a uplifted spirit. Even though the strategies  were not always the prettiest, they overcame and fought till the last pin.

As the evening continued the crowd’s energy increased as well. Not only was the team ecstatic but the fans of the Panthers rallied around the team and increased the atmosphere, where fans could feel each goosebump as the next match began.

“It was so nice seeing all the guys smile and cheering each other on,” Meister said.

The Ferrum Panthers took a victory, and they keep moving forward for the next one when they face Roanoke College on Feb. 1 in Roanoke at 7 p.m.

RESULTS BY WEIGHT
125      Adrian Samano (Ferrum) over Anakin Burks (SU) (TF 20-5 6:35)
133      Zach Beckner (Ferrum) won by forfeit
141      Jonathan Ward (Ferrum) won by forfeit
149      Manny Lucas (SU) over Perry Roller (Ferrum) (Dec 11-6)
157      Tyler Ramirez (Ferrum) over Cannon Long (SU) (MD 13-2)
165      Jalen Cornelius (SU) over Mateo Villalobos (Ferrum) (Fall 2:51)
174      Franklin Melton (Ferrum) over Dylan Weaver (SU) (Dec 16-10)
184      Hunter Thompson (SU) over Joseph Toner (Ferrum) (Fall 2:41)
197      Ethan Fragoso (Ferrum) over George Vrachnos (SU) (Fall 2:23)
285      Rayshawn Dixon (Ferrum) over Daniel Basil-Barker (SU) (TF 18-0 3:34)