BE wrestling: A small but mighty group

Paul Spence has been a part of the Bishop England High School wrestling machine for nearly four decades and loves nearly every aspect of his job, whether it’s winning a dual match, celebrating an individual grappler’s state title or developing young men to become tomorrow’s ideal citizens and role models.

 

OK, the one thing he could do without: driving the team bus.

 

But Spence, who is in his 33rd year as head coach and 37th overall at the school, wasn’t complaining Saturday night when he pulled in and parked the bus on campus after a trip to Springfield, Georgia, over the weekend to compete in Effingham County High School’s Rebel Invitational.

 

“Thirty-seven years: I feel every one of them,” Spence said with a laugh. “I’m just blessed because I love to do what I do, and that’s helping our kids reach their potential when they become adults.”

 

Ten BE wrestlers competed in the Dec. 9 Rebel Invitational and three placed. Sam Cherichello, who won an individual state title last winter, claimed first place in the 132-pound division while Sean Loughery finished in fourth place in the 138-pound classification. Dixon Hardy, a hard-nosed running back for the football team, claimed fifth in the 165-pound class.

 

That’s a big part of the senior nucleus for Spence’s squad, which begins the season as the No. 7 team in Class AA for the 2023-24 season, as ranked by scmat.com.

 

Cherichello is seeking his fourth straight trip to the state championships. He won the state title at the Class AA level after winning a silver medal at the Class AAA level as a sophomore.

 

“You don’t have to motivate this guy,” Spence said. “He’s entirely self-motivated and elevates himself in bog matches.”

 

Loughery is looking for his second trip to the state. He had tough luck at the Rebel Invitational despite finishing fourth.

 

“He could have placed third, but he took a knee to the head and the (meet) trainer stopped the match,” Spence said. “He was very disappointed.”

 

Hardy is seeking his third trip to the individual state championships.

 

Other Bishops who competed in the state individual championships last winter include senior Preston Cederquist and a pair of juniors: Griffin Buss and Thomas Curl.

 

The team has just about everything but depth, and that’s a big obstacle for the Bishops, who have 26 student-athletes on the roster, including three middle-schoolers.

 

There are 14 weight classifications in a meet, and the Bishops can fill only 11 of them. That means the Bishops must forfeit three matches and find themselves behind 18-0 before an official even blows his whistle to begin the match.

 

“We’ve had success, but we have holes in the lineup and 18 points is a big hole to get out of,” Spence said. “It’s frustrating going into the match and knowing you are down by 18. But we don’t look for wins vs. losses. We look for opportunities. We want you to win. But we also want you to develop as a person.”