Charger wrestlers feel overlooked
The Chantilly wrestling team entered this season with a disappointing No. 7 ranking in Northern Virginia. That’s not what they wanted. But they’ve used it as motivation all season to finish where they did last year, in one of the top spots in the region.
“There are not a lot of things worse than being an underrated squad,’’ Chargers coach Phil Cronin says. ‘’And we might just be the most overlooked squad in the region.’’
Just ask Lake Braddock, who was ranked No. 1 in Northern Virginia, until losing to Chantilly. The Chargers also have defeated Fairfax, McLean and Mills Godwin, but lost to Robinson, who is ranked above the Chargers.
“There is no doubt we are overlooked.” says senior Marshall Cottingham. “Our match against Lake Braddock proved that to our entire team.”
Chantilly faces tough schools such as Robinson, Westfield and Hayfield. However, Cronin has molded a group of wrestlers that he says should be among the top five in the region. After last season, Chantilly lost four-year varsity wrestler Matt Dobson to West Virginia University, where he now plays football. Dobson lost only two matches as a senior.
This season, three seniors have become the heart of the squad. Cottingham and fellow seniors Brandon Sellers, and Clay Johnson are all successful four-year varsity wrestlers. Sellers wrestles at 135 pounds; Clay Johnson, who has battled a shoulder injury dating to last season, wrestles at 176 and Cottingham, who weighs around 275 pounds, competes as a heavyweight. Cottingham won 16 of his first 19 matches.
“He’s a big guy and he’s a big thrill to watch wrestle,’’ Cronin says.
These three seniors have wrestled with Cronin, who was an assistant during their freshman year. Cronin says he has bonded with these guys and feels he has taught them just as much as they’ve taught him when it comes to responsibility for the team, on and off the mat.
Aside from the three seniors, other notable wrestlers are junior Enrique Camacho (119 pounds) and sophomore Ian Martiny (135). Both athletes have improved, leaving Cronin anxious to watch them in the postseason.
A few wrestlers from Chantilly have also been invited to the Colonial Forge Super Duels tournament later into this season. In this tournament, the wrestlers will get the chance to prove that they are underrated.
Cottingham will be one of those wrestlers and is already eager to show his strength. He also knows that with Cronin as his coach, they will have the craving for “pins” in the ring.
“Cronin has done so well as our coach . . . he pretty much built this team up himself from our freshmen days.” say Cottingham. All three returning seniors say their performance within the region has risen because of their young coach.
For the remainder of the season, the Chargers’ wrestling squad will be striving for their placement at the top of the rankings. Cronin wants this no less than his wrestlers.
“It’s about time other schools were intimidated by us,” he says, “I feel that we have a roster of great wrestlers to achieve that intimidation.”
