On Friday, February 24, 2023, the RLA wrestling team travelled to Blessed Trinity CSS in Grimsby to participate in the first SOSSA Wrestling Championships in three years. About 125 wrestlers, boys and girls in separate divisions, from across Southern Niagara competed for glory and an opportunity to represent their school and region at the OFSAA Championships next month in Ottawa.
Young Pedran Jenkins, 57.5kg, was the very first match on mat 2 against Nick Tassielli (West Niagara SS). An enthusiastic Jenkins gave it all he had fighting off take-downs and ankle rolls to the tune of 0 – 9; a 10-point difference is a technically superiority and the match is over. But it wasn’t over as Jenkins managed to scramble on top of his opponent and eventually pin Nick to earn the first win and 4 points for RLA.
Next Pedran wrestled the eventual champion, Zubin Gatta, from Eden HS in St. Catherines. There were no heroics in this match, Pedran was schooled, a quick lesson, by Zubin 10 – 0. In his last match, Jenkins wrestled Tyson Wong from Blessed Trinity. A larger Wong physically dominated the younger and smaller Pedran. Oh well, that’s life, go down fighting. So Jenkins left Grimsby with a 1 and 2 record, not bad for a grade 9, first-year rookie wrestler.
Muna Assams, a little larger and older than Pedran, competed in a tough 83kg division; this SOSSA was Muna’s first tournament. His first bout was against Alex Zydownyk also from West Niagara SS. Muna wrestled really well scoring on four double-leg and single-leg takedowns (8-0) before winning by pin. In the semi-final Assams battled a seasoned wrestler, the eventual 83kg champion from Orchard Park SS in Stoney Creek; Billy Yole was a big muscular kid who trains out of Discipline Wrestling Club, Hamilton. Muni did his best to stay on his feet and off his back but was ‘teched’ 10 – 0 in the first round.
Assams was dazzed and fazzed but not out of it yet. In his third match Assams wrestled another WNSS wrestler Adonis McDonough. The result was the same for WNSS, Muni dominated Adonis earning a 10 – 0 technical superiority win during round 2. Next up for Muni was Alexander Beaudoin from ESC Saint-Jean-de-Brebeuf, Hamilton. Wrist-control, arm-drag doubles were the ticket to success, Muni eventually won that well-contested match 10 – 0.
One more to go, one more win to punch a ticket to OFSAA. Not to be, Muna was dummied in 20 seconds by Seth Ozog (6th place at OFSAA, 77kg, in 2020) from E.L. Crossley; a stand-up gator-roll ….are you kidding, that doesn’t happen … well that’s what does happen (anything can happen) when a veteran OFSAA contender wrestles a rookie! Seth placed second but the real story was Muna Assams, 3W – 2L, 3rd place SOSSA 2023; not too shabby!
Congratulations to both boys. And thanks to our Mess for the cooler of goodies, Antoni the team videographer, and Blessed Trinity for hosting the event (thanks Megan S. and happy birthday!).
