Herndon Wrestlers Compete In 2017 6A State Wrestling Championships

From Herndon HS: Two Herndon wrestlers are making the trip to Chesapeake this weekend to compete in the 2017 6A State Wrestling Championships at Oscar Smith High School. The opening round is set for Thursday, February 16 at 7:00pm and will conclude with the championship finals Saturday, February 18 at 3pm. Conference 5 champions Trey Passmore and Chris Estrada earned bids to the state tournament based on their performances at the 6A North Region Championships at Fairfax High School. Herndon finished in 18th out of 26 schools in the final team standings.

Passmore won his first match by major decision, 11-3, over South Lakes’ Thomas Miller to advance to the quarter-finals. In his next match, he was able to score two takedowns in the first period, to take a 4- 2 lead over West Potomac’s Dawann Steagall. He added a two-point reversal in the 2 nd period, and was able to win by a 6-3 decision to advance to the semi-finals and earn an automatic bid to the state tournament. Passmore met the eventual champion, Hayfield’s Michael Baldinger, in the semi-finals. Trailing 2-1 after the first period, Passmore chose bottom to start the second. Baldinger was able to score a set of back points off of a tilt, before wearing down Passmore to earn a fall. Dropping down to the consolation semi-finals, Passmore then squared off against Osbourn’s Gerdi Mouvi, a wrestler he had defeated at an earlier tournament in the season. After some initial hand-fighting on their feet in the first period, Passmore bit through his tongue during the action, and was unable to continue the match due to the bleeding. After being rushed to an urgent care center, Passmore made it back in time for the fifth-sixth place match, where he received a forfeit over West Springfield’s Dalton Campos to take 5 th place at 160lbs.

Estrada was also able to make it to the semi-finals, making short work of South County’s Preston Hix in the first round, pinning him seven seconds into the second period. In the quarter-finals, Estrada was tied with Osbourn’s Charlie Castellanos 2-2 going into the third period. Estrada was able to reverse Castellanos and take him to his back to earn a two-point reversal and three back points to secure an exciting 7-2 decision. In the semi-finals, Estrada was pinned by the eventual runner-up, John Holzworth of West Potomac. Estrada was able to rebound from that loss with a close 6-5 decision over West Springfield’s Robert Perry in the consolation semi-finals. Estrada was able to score a late takedown and ride out Perry for the decision. In the consolation finals. Estrada faced Yorktown’s Clay Chadwick.

Estrada led 2-0 late in the third period off of a 1-point escape and a stalling penalty point. With a sudden flurry near the end of the match, Chadwick was able to secure a bear-hug and pin Estrada with less than ten seconds left on the clock. Estrada finished in 4 th place at heavyweight. Also placing for the Hornets, senior Cole Cooksey finished 8 th at 220lbs. after going 2-3 for the tournament. Cooksey dropped his first match to South County’s James Momom by fall. He was able to reel off two straight wins in the consolation bracket, picking up a forfeit over Madison Tyler Paul and a pin over Osbourn’s Isaac Figueroa. Cooksey then dropped his next two matches, two tough 2-1 decisions to Patriot’s Andrew Santi and Westfield’s Giancarlo Polizzi to settle for 8 th place.

Images Courtesy Of Herndon HS