RamPage

An unofficial archive of Strasburg sports.

Category: Wrestling

  • Kibler and SHS Part Ways

    Kibler and SHS Part Ways

    Strasburg Wrestling Coach Resigns

    Following two top-five state finishes and a Region B championship, Strasburg wrestling coach Brian Kibler is stepping down from his position. Local media reports indicate that Kibler will accept a physical education job at nearby Sherando High School. It remains unclear if he will continue to coach wrestling at his new school.

    The Strasburg wrestling program has experienced a series of coaching changes since 2004. Rick Bowley, who had two stints as head coach, stepped down in 2004, paving the way for Daniel Smith to take over. Two years later, Smith transitioned to an administrative role at Sandy Hook Elementary School. John Stevenson, a former state champion for the Rams, then assumed the head coaching position. After a year, Stevenson resigned but remained on staff as an assistant coach under Kibler.

    The Strasburg wrestling program was founded in 1967 by Glenn Proctor and Gordon “Sonny” Bayles. Bayles coached the team until the mid-1980s when Bowley took over. The program boasts a rich history with four state team championships and over 50 individual championships to its credit.

  • Wrestling Program Adds Another Champion

    Wrestling Program Adds Another Champion

    Strasburg Wrestling Team Secures Third Place at State Championships

    Jonathan Brill’s championship victory propelled the Strasburg wrestling team to a third-place finish at the 2007 State Championships. Brill, a junior competing in the 112-pound weight class, was one of five Rams to place. His championship marks the first for the program since 2005, when Brandon Holbert (140) and Jeff Musterman (145) claimed titles.

    Fellow junior Carlos Ortiz secured second place in the 215-pound weight class, while Sean Hall (119), Michael Prince (130), and Brent Judy (145) each earned third-place finishes, contributing significantly to the team’s 106.5-point total.

    This was a successful campaign for a young team that brought nine wrestlers to the tournament, a week after capturing the Region B Championship. Despite predictions of a down year, Region B outperformed Region C, the home of state champion Glenvar.

    Strasburg has high hopes for next season, with only one wrestler graduating and first-year coach Brian Kibler gaining valuable experience from the tournament. Kibler, a former three-time state champion for Strasburg, understands the significance of success in his hometown. As quoted in the Northern Virginia Daily, he stated, “Any time you can come back to where you are from and have success, it’s a nice feeling.”

    Behind champion Brill, Strasburg finishes third
    By Chuck McGill
    Northern Virginia Daily

    SALEM – Brian Kibler smiled and shook his head in disbelief.

    Strasburg’s first-year wrestling coach was clearly pleased by his team’s performance this weekend at the state tournament in Salem, but he scoffed at his wrestlers’ notion that he was the driving force behind the Rams’ impressive showing in the two-day event.

    More at The Northern Virginia Daily

    Brill’s title helps Rams take 3rd
    From Star Staff Reports
    The Winchester Star

    SALEM – The Strasburg wrestling team followed up its Region B championship with a third-place showing at the Group A State Tournament, led by 112-pound state champion Jonathan Brill.

    More at The Winchester Star

  • Six Rams Place at State Tournament

    Six Rams Place at State Tournament

    Strasburg Shines at State Wrestling Tournament

    Strasburg had a remarkable showing at the 2005 Group A State Wrestling Tournament, with six wrestlers placing.

    Seniors Brandon Holbert (140) and Jeff Musterman (145) successfully defended their titles from the previous year, showcasing their dominance with a combined single loss throughout the entire season.

    Other notable performances include Brandon Pangle (112) and Nick Bowers (130), who both secured second-place finishes. Carl Hall (125) earned third place, and Robbie Gossard placed fifth in the 198-pound weight class.

    As a team, the Rams finished in second place with 134.5 points, trailing fellow Bull Run District squad Manassas Park.

    Bull Run Dominates Group A Wrestling
    By Drew Houff
    The Winchester Star

    SALEM – Under first-year head coach Daniel Smith, the Strasburg Rams concluded a strong 2004-05 season by finishing second at the Group A Wrestling Tournament at the Salem Civic Center.

    Strasburg’s Bull Run District rival Manassas Park claimed five individual titles and placed an additional five grapplers to easily claim the Cougars’ ninth state wrestling championship.

    More at The Winchester Star

  • Local Media Reports

    Local Media Reports

    Local newspaper, The Winchester Star, has two reports on Strasburg’s wrestling squad. First, a recap of their convincing victory against district opponent Clarke County last night, and a story about two promising Ram wrestlers vying to duplicate last year’s success.

    Rams Handle Eagles
    By Drew Houff
    The Winchester Star

    STRASBURG – Two forfeits got things started and Strasburg took eight of 12 matches wrestled to soundly defeat Clarke County 50-18 in Bull Run District action Thursday night.

    The host Rams racked up four pins and a technical fall en route to the convincing victory.

    Strasburg’s dominance left Clarke County coach Jon VanSice lauding the Rams’ performance.

    “That was bad,” sighed VanSice. “They were too tough in the middle and lightweights. We lost a match (152 pounds) 6-5 and that hurt. That hurt real bad.”

    More at The Winchester Star

    Different Rams, Same Goals
    Strasburg’s Holbert and Musterman Eye Second State Titles
    By Drew Houff
    The Winchester Star

    STRASBURG – Between them, they have a record of 67-1 this season.

    More impressive, Strasburg High School wrestlers Brandon Holbert and Jeff Musterman have won a total of 239 matches in their career as well as 2004 state titles at 135 and 145 pounds, respectively.

    The two seniors each aim to add another state title at the Group A State Wrestling Tournament in March.

    More at The Winchester Star

  • Winter Sports Round-Up

    Winter Sports Round-Up

    Basketball

    The Rams basketball season so far can only be described as a rollercoaster. After a four game winning streak Strasburg boy’s basketball team is in the mist of a three game slide, including two blow-out losses to district rival Clarke County. All of this after starting the season with two defeats. With their record now standing at 4-5, and more importantly 1-2 in the Bull Run district, the Rams’ young team will need to regroup with the bulk of their district games still left to be played.

    Eagles Down Rams To Win Daily Title
    By Chris Clark
    The Winchester Star

    STRASBURG – Six players are not allowed on the basketball court at once, but Strasburg felt like it was playing against that many at times Thursday night in the championship game of the Daily Basketball Classic against Clarke County.

    More at The Winchester Star

    Eagles Use Pressure to Stifle Rams
    By Jeff Nations
    The Winchester Star

    STRASBURG – Aggressive, in-your-face defense has long been a trademark of Brent Emmart-coached Clarke County High School boys’ basketball teams

    More at The Winchester Star

    Wrestling

    Several solid dual meet wins and high tournament finishes have given the Ram wrestlers an already great season that would make most other teams jealous. Already ranked number two in state by Single A Wrestling Zone, Strasburg continues to improve and showed that by handily winning the Bison Duals over the weekend. The Rams will hit the mat once again when they travel to Rappahannock County Wednesday evening.

    Strasburg dominates Bison Duals; hosts place 2nd
    By Ken Bosserman
    The Staunton News Leader

    BUFFALO GAP – Powerful Strasburg posted a 5-0 record to win the fourth annual Bison Duals wrestling tournament Saturday at Buffalo Gap High School.

    More at The Staunton News Leader

  • Bowley Retires from Head Wrestling Spot

    Bowley Retires from Head Wrestling Spot

    For the second time in four years, Rick Bowley has resigned as head wrestling coach at Strasburg High School. Unlike his previous departure in 2001, when he accepted the same position at Handley High School, Bowley will remain at SHS as a world geography/history teacher and an assistant varsity baseball coach.

    Under Bowley’s leadership, the wrestling program achieved significant success, including two state championships in 1997 and 2000, as well as numerous individual championships. As a wrestler for the Rams in the mid-1980s, Bowley himself captured back-to-back championships in the 155-pound weight class.

    At Thursday’s Shenandoah County School Board meeting, Daniel Smith was appointed to the vacant coaching position. Smith, originally from Virginia’s Tidewater region, served as an assistant coach for the team this past season.

  • Two Ram Wrestlers Medal

    Two Ram Wrestlers Medal

    Strasburg Rams Secure 10th Place at State Wrestling Championships

    The Strasburg wrestling team concluded the 2003-2004 season with a strong 10th-place finish at the Group A State Championships. Held at the Salem Civic Center in Salem, Virginia, the event featured 43 schools from four different regions.

    Representing the Rams were Clyde Pangle (112), Brandon Holbert (135), Nick Bowers (140), Jeff Musterman (145), Robbie Gossard (171), and Bryan Foley (189). Holbert and Musterman emerged as standout performers.

    On the first day of competition, Holbert dominated his matches, securing pins over Cash Brown (Mathews) and Barry Nichols (Floyd County). The Bull Run and Region B champion continued his impressive run on the second day, defeating Greg Johnson (King William) by decision and ultimately defeating Drew Lester (John Battle) 13-5 in the finals.

    In the 145-pound weight class, Jeff Musterman claimed his first state championship. The junior showcased his skills on the first day, pinning C.L. Francis (King William) and defeating Cody Blake (Northwood) 9-3. On the second day, Musterman faced Clarke County’s Billy Crouse, securing a 6-0 decision. His final match proved to be a more challenging encounter against John Mueller, which extended into two overtime periods. After a referee’s conference, Musterman was awarded an escape point, securing a 5-4 victory.

    Notes: The two individual championships give Strasburg its 46 and 47 in school history. … Fellow Bull Run team Manassas Park took the team championship with 166.5 points, their first since 1985. … A gallery of Holbert and Musterman in action at the championships can be found in the wrestling section. … For the full results of the event visit Mat Talk On-Line.

  • Site Updates and Sports News

    Site Updates and Sports News

    Over the past several weeks RamPage has suffered through several down times and database errors related to hard drive problems, but hopefully these issues have came to an end. The site has been moved to a brand new web server running Red Hat Enterprise Linux. The server includes all the latest security and software updates.

    Two new article features have been added to the site. Visitors now have the ability to print news articles or email them to friends. The options can be found by clicking the read more links at the bottom of each news post, then selecting either from the article options box. RamPage takes privacy at a premium, and no emails will be retained when using the email option.

    The onslaught of wrestling photos continue. Three new sets have been added, including dual meets against Massanutten Military Academy and Rappahannock County. 29 pictures from Strasburg’s January 17 quad have also been posted.

    Continuing with wrestling news, Strasburg concluded its regular season schedule on up and down notes. In a tri-meet against Warren County and Fauquier County, the Rams were pummeled 61-5 against the Wildcats. Brandon Holbert (135) picked up Strasburg’s only individual win, pinning his opponent in 30 seconds. Against Group AAA Fauquier, Strasburg held its own and came away with a 42-25 decision. Full results from both matches can be viewed in the wrestling section.

    In hoops news, the Rams ended their regular season with their eighth straight loss. Even through they sport a 4-18 overall record; their 3-7 district record is enough to host a tournament game. Strasburg will begin post season play, when visiting fifth-seed Madison County comes to town February 17. Tip-off is set for 7:30.

  • Wrestling Gallery Updated

    Wrestling Gallery Updated

    Two new sets, and 27 photos in all, have been added to the 2003-2004 wrestling gallery. RamPage would like to thank Charles Burke for once again providing these action shots.

    The first were taken at the Clarke County dual, which took place January 7. Strasburg came away with 40-23 victory. Brandon Holbert, who wrestles in the 135 weight class, had the biggest win of the night. The junior came away with a 6-3 decision over Brett Childs, last year’s 119 champion. Holbert has since ripped off seven straight victories, upping his season record to 16-5. Full results from the match can be found in the wrestling section, and additionally The Winchester Star has a full report.

    The second set of pictures come from earlier this week, in which the Rams destroyed Madison County 62-3. Carl Hall (125), Ronnie Smith (130), Brandon Holbert (135), and Sean Peiffer (215) all collected pins in the win. For the full results, check out the wrestling section.

    Weather permitting; Strasburg will travel Saturday morning to Waynesboro High School where they will compete at the 15th annual News Leader Wrestling Tournament. The Rams will be vying for their third straight title. A preview of the event can be found on News Leader’s website.

  • Latest Sports Round-Up

    Latest Sports Round-Up

    Strasburg’s basketball team continued their downward trend Tuesday evening, when the were dominated by Warren County 55-37. The Rams now have a 0-4 record, which they will take against Bull Run District foe Madison County Friday night.

    Box Score

    In wrestling news, Strasburg completed their first tournament of the season, finishing at 15th place. The tournament was mostly made up of larger Group AA and Group AAA teams. Both Brandon Holbert and Carl Hall placed for the Rams in their individual weight classes.

    Eleven photos from the Handley meet, which took place on December 10, have been posted in the Wrestling section. The Photos can be viewed by clicking Photos on the left under the Wrestling sub-section, or on the wrestling page itself under 2003-2004 Gallery.