Valle Wins Twice At ND Duals

By ERIC X. VICCARO

EVICCARO@STEGENHERALD.COM

CAPE GIRARDEAU — The Valle Catholic High School wrestling team wore out Interstate-55 last week, traveling to a pair of events at Cape Notre Dame High School.

The Warriors continued showing progress toward becoming a stronger team in a dual setting.

“We’re definitely improving,” said Valle Catholic head wrestling coach Jacob Gegg, one of the sport’s original founders at the school.

Gegg pointed to scores of recent duals against New Madrid County Central and Herculeaneum.

Valle Catholic wrestled NMCC for the second time this season at a four-team dual tournament on Saturday — this time, the Eagles barely nipped the Warriors, 37-36.

Valle Catholic and NMCC actually deadlocked at 36-all; however, the Eagles won the match on the eighth criteria. The eighth item listed on the criteria sheet is the least amount of forfeits.

Valle Catholic also toppled Herculaneum, 42-30, beating a Blackcat team that topped the Warriors 39-28 during a triangular at Cape Notre Dame on Wednesday.

The Warriors twice downed host Cape Notre Dame by the same identical score last week, 42-24. North County proved to much for Valle Catholic as the Raiders smothered the Warriors 58-24 to round out the dual matches Saturday.

State qualifer Josh Bieser and teammate Kaden Gegg both went undefeated during Saturday’s meet.

The Warriors dominated in the upper weight classes to beat Herculaneum this time as Jacob Calbreath (220 pounds) pinned Herculaneum’s Shea Eberhardt in 2:58.

Bieser (152) recorded the fastest pin of the dual, pinning Herculaneum’s James Dixon in just 21 seconds. Gegg (106) pinned C.J. Asinger in just 1:01.

Tucker Bertrand (160), Timothy Okenfuss (182), Noah Elbert (195) and Jackson Fowler (heavyweight) all won by forfeit.

Calbreath recorded the Warriors’ quickest pin versus NMCC, needing just 0:22 for a fall over Kris Weaver.

Gegg pinned Eagle Chris Coffer in 0:25. Okenfuss pinned Jason Jones in 0:27. Joseph Flieg (120) also won by pin, topping Demarcus Walker in just 0:47.

Valle Catholic (3-6 dual record) isn’t a “spring chicken” program any longer, with the Warriors fielding a squad of 11 wrestlers.