The strong Phifer Middle School wrestling team recently won its fifth Pirate Classic wrestling tournament, beating the second place team, Collingswood, by over 90 points. The Pennsauken Indians placed a team-record 11 wrestlers in the finals. The young wrestlers’ skills continue to grow and feed the strong Pennsauken High School teams, who are now a well-known force in South Jersey wrestling.
The four champions for Pennsauken were seventh grader Braily Vargas and eighth graders Miguel McEady, David Louie, and Jesus Cruz. Falling just short of being crowned champions and landing in second place at the eight-team tournament were sixth grader Angel Abreu, and seventh graders Jahneil Blue, Stephan “Pudge” Przycowicz, Carlos “Muscle Man” Padua, and Sincere Jones. The eighth graders getting second place at the tourney were Geninson Castro and Gabe “The Model” Myles. Wrestling tough and coming in third was the trio of Duane Britt, Uriel Balon, and Brian Smith.
The team’s head coach, Sean Duff, has been lucky to have a wonderful volunteer staff to help the local kids turn into such a strong force on the mat. Volunteer coaches include PYAA coach Lynn Hunter, who helps every year with try-outs and runs the successful PYAA wrestling program; Tom Locke, a Berlin Police officer volunteering his time; Dave Corson, a middle school history teacher and long-time Pennsauken wrestling coach; and Dennis Sherwood, a conditioning specialist and counselor for the middle school.
The team’s dual meet record is a strong 11 wins and three loses, with another division championship and playoff run to come. The sport of wrestling is one of the toughest sports in the world and involves a long four-month season. The kids on the team work incredibly hard to attain the level of success they have reached. It builds character and the team’s motto of “hard work and dedication” is chanted at the end of every practice.
Let’s hope for another South Jersey Middle School League wrestling championship for the hard working kids of Phifer Middle School.
