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Camden Military wraps up wrestling campaign

By David Shelton

Senior Writer

Camden – It is not easy to build a consistent winning program at a military school but Camden Military wrestling coach Mark Dority is giving it the old college try.

Dority is in his second stint as the wrestling coach at the school, serving earlier this decade before taking off a few years for extended schooling. He returned three seasons ago to try to build a program.

With the school enrollment changing often from year to year, so do the rosters of the athletic programs. Dority cannot count on coaching a group of younger players one season and expect to have them return for another, or even two.

“Maybe, most years, we may have four or five returning guys each year but this year pretty much a new group,” said Dority. “It’s been difficult to build anything consistent but we just try to prepare every kid and let him compete. A lot of first-year wrestlers but they work hard and they learn to compete. We’re not going to have a great record and several of our kids won’t have a great record, but they compete as best they can.

“Back when I was here before we had a middle school program going. We’d like to get that going again at some point.”

Camden posted a 5-14 as a team in dual matches and competed in several tournaments around the Midlands.

The three most successful individuals this season were William Kliefoth, Joshua Layne and

Luke Elgin.

Kliefoth posted a 12-5 record in the 106-pound weight classification. Layne had a record of 14-8 in the 182-pound weight class, including a second-place finish in the holiday tournament at Cardinal Newman.

Elgin, who had significant wrestling experience at Fort Mill High School, won 12 of 15 matches at 195-pounds.

Christian Zurita wrestled in the 120-pound weight class and posted a 6-8 record. Tristan Smith was 5-6 at 126 pounds and Javen Senn was 3-6 at 132.

John Bowen won six of 20 matches at 145-pounds and Joshua Hillman was 3-4 at 152-pounds.

Working in the 160-pound weight class were Robert Semmler (3-6) and Daniel Xu (2-2).

Sharing time in the 170-pound division were Jonathan Hutchens (4-5) and Josh McInerny (1-4).

Noah Leary wrestled some matches in place of Layne at 182 and went 3-1.

Luke Scholl was 7-6 at 195 and Walker Leverett was 2-7 at 220.

Rounding out the lineup as the 285-pounder was Juan Canela, who went 2-2 this season.

 

if we can do that I will be very impressed," Richard said.
The captain of the squad this year is senior 160-pounder McKellar Johnson.  He was 26-4 last year and has gotten off to an 8-1 start this season.  He also finished third in the Carson Newman tournament.
"He's one of those guys that comes to practice every day and gets things going.  He can get the guys riled up and really encourages them.  He does a real good job at getting the other kids to train harder to try to get where he's at," Richard said.
The second returner is senior heavyweight Branson Dixon.  Two other wrestlers placed at Carson Newman, including David Duncan (third at 171 pounds) and David Cassie (second at 189).
Also earning a spot in the starting lineup this season has been Ned Beck (112 pounds), Graham Oetgen (119), Terrell Gibbs (125), Taylor Bayless (130), Trey Carroll (135), Chris Keough (140), Jennings Johnson (145) and Jean Brierre (215).  Dennis Kelly and Noah Leary are still fighting for the 152-pound spot while the 103-pound class remains vacant.
"It's so hard to keep these kids here because a lot of them just come for a year or two.  We have a good lineup right now and if we could get them to stay we would be great in a couple of years.  There's a lot of talent on the roster just not a lot of experience," Richard said.
The Spartans will compete against North Central one more time before they depart for winter break.  Once they return they will do battle with Camden High on Jan. 6 before entering the Dreher Invitational Tournament Jan. 9.