By Mac Cohe (December 15, 2003)

On Friday and Saturday, December 12^th and 13^th, the George Mason wrestlers opened their season at the 32 team Powerade Duals in Richmond, Va. This tournament features mostly VA Group AAA teams from the Richmond, Norfolk and VA Beach areas as well as powerhouse public and private school teams from other parts of Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, and North Carolina. 

In pre-season, this year’s Mason Team has been compared to the outstanding GMHS 2002 team. The 2003-2004 team’s performance at the Powerade Tournament was worthy of those comparisons. The 2002 team, which featured 4 state championship qualifiers and several other quality wrestlers, was able to fill out all 14 weight classes. This year’s team will most likely suffer 3-5 forfeits of the 14 weight classes per dual match detracting from their overall team match win-loss potential. But this year’s team has more wrestlers likely to do well in the post season District, Region and State Competition and there is a strong potential that many of Mason’s individual wrestling records that were set by members of the 2002 team are likely to fall. 

On the first night Mason wrestled VA Group AAA Douglass Freeman, Group AA Fauquier, and legendary Group AAA wrestling power Granby High School. Mason lost it’s opener to Douglass Freeman 51-33 but got over the first match of the season jitters and lost to Granby and Fauquier by the very close wrestling scores of 42-34 and 46-33. The Mason Grapplers won the majority of the individual matches in both these team duals, but lost the team decision due to forfeits. Saturday, the Mustangs came on still stronger and defeated Group AAA LC Bird 54-29 and Group AA Deep Run 51-30 but lost a squeaker 34-33 to Group AAA Kecoughton, again winning the majority of the individual matches but losing the team decision based on forfeits.

The Mustangs were led individually by team co-Captain Devlan Melancon (145lbs) who won all 6 of his matches including 3 pins and a technical fall which is wrestling’s version of the "slaughter rule." Melancon is off to a great start to challenge the individual season win record (36 wins) shared by former 3 time state medalist Joey Cohe and former state champion Dominic Clark, both of whom are currently on the varsity wrestling teams at NCAA Division I universities West Point and Fresno State. Co-Captain Mac Cohe (171lbs) went 4-1 for the tournament with 4 pins and a one point loss to a tough Granby opponent. Seniors Tim Quintyn (275lbs) and Andrew Hipolit (189lbs) each went 5-1 for the weekend with 4 pins and 3 pins respectively. All three of these wrestlers are well positioned to challenge current GMHS assistant coach and former state medalist John Henry Pitas’ individual season pin record of 16. Senior Mike Cummings (152lbs) also picked up 3 wins including 2 pins and Junior John Sullivan (160lbs) won all 4 of his matches while recording 2 pins and a tech fall. 

Sophomores Nick Pitas (112lbs) and Willie Hoover (140lbs) recorded outstanding 5-1 performances this weekend recording 3 pins and a tech fall and one pin and a tech fall respectively. While none of this year’s seniors is in position to challenge Joey Cohe’s GMHS career win record of 112, both Pitas and Hoover are tracking to surpass it before they graduate, if they can continue their winning ways. Other match winners for the Mustangs include Sophomores Michael Coleman who recorded 2 pins and Bob Bumgarner who scored a come from behind pin against a tough Granby competitor. Freshmen Jesse Lennon (135lbs) recorded a pin for the Mustangs in his first varsity outing and Rick Schumann (189lbs) , also in his first wrestling competition, showed well wrestling up at 215lbs. 

Head Coach John Pitas was pleased with the team’s performance which included a 40-16 individual win-loss record and a total of 27 pins and 5 tech falls. The Mustangs next event is the Cougar Classic on Saturday, December 20^th at Manassas Park High School.