Rockets Wrestling Fall 44-24 at Lakewood Despite Fast Start From Lightweights

Bay High School’s wrestling team opened strong but could not hold its early advantage, dropping a 44-24 dual to Lakewood High School in a CWC matchup Thursday night at Lakewood.

The Rockets seized control in the lightweights, racing out to a 21-12 lead to start the dual. Freshman 106-pounder Carver Vovos set the tone with a key pin in the opening bout, giving Bay early momentum on the road. The Rockets continued to build on that start with strong efforts through the lower weights before lineup gaps and a series of losses in the middle and upper weights allowed Lakewood to surge back in front.

Bay’s victories came from a mix of youth and experience. In addition to Vovos’ pin at 106, freshman Max Prahl added another win at 126 pounds, helping stake the Rockets to their early advantage. Senior leadership contributed as well, with Joe Beauchesne earning a win at 150 pounds. At 138 pounds, senior Michael Surovi delivered a forfeit victory that added six team points to Bay’s total.

The Rockets also found success outside the varsity lineup, with Adyn Henthorne picking up a junior varsity win at 144 pounds. Coaches pointed to those efforts in the lower and middle weights as a positive sign for the program’s depth and development, particularly with multiple freshmen contributing in pressure situations on the road.

However, as the dual moved into the upper weights, Bay’s early cushion began to slip away. Freshman Forrest Ramage at 165 pounds, freshman Griffin Spratt at 190 and sophomore Jack Kinat at 215 all battled but ultimately dropped their bouts as Lakewood took control of the team score. Those results, combined with lineup holes, swung the momentum decisively to the home side and turned Bay’s 21-12 lead into a 44-24 final.

Sophomore Grady Frombach added to the team-first effort by bumping up a weight class to 132 pounds in an attempt to keep Bay in the hunt for the dual win. Despite competing out of his usual class and wrestling hard, Frombach also came up short in his match, emblematic of a night in which several Rockets took on tough assignments to give the team its best chance.

Despite the loss, the Rockets left Lakewood with encouraging signs from the lightweights and underclassmen who produced early momentum. With freshmen and sophomores already playing key roles and seniors providing leadership and points in the lineup, Bay will look to build on the fast start it showed Thursday as it moves deeper into conference competition.

Up next for the Rockets: their only Home match of the season, next Thursday, January 29th, as they host Normandy High School and Valley Forge High School for Senior Night!