St. Edward Freshmen Place 16th at Centerville Tournament Behind Russo’s Title at 106
St. Edward High School’s freshmen turned in a solid performance against one of their toughest fields of the season, scoring 63 team points to finish 16th out of 28 teams at the Centerville Freshmen Tournament on Saturday at Centerville High School.
Competing with a small contingent of just eight wrestlers, the Eagles navigated what coaches described as the most challenging level of competition they have faced so far this year. Despite the limited lineup, St. Edward produced a tournament champion, multiple podium finishes and valuable experience across several weight classes.
The headline performance came at 106 pounds, where Phoenix Russo dominated the bracket on his way to a first-place finish. Russo controlled every bout, with all of his matches ending by technical fall or pin. His string of bonus-point wins provided a significant boost to St. Edward’s team total and set the tone for the Eagles.
At 175 pounds, JJ McCraney battled through a deep and physical bracket to secure a fourth-place finish. McCraney bounced back after a second round loss, securing three bonus point wins to reach the consolation finals. His ability to compete late into the tournament at an upper weight highlighted the balance on the team's roster.
Charlie Shi contributed a fifth-place finish at 215 pounds. Wrestling against larger, often more experienced opponents, Shi’s efforts included two pins and rounded out a strong day from the upper weights.
Though the Eagles did not field a full lineup, the 16th-place finish reflected competitive efforts across the board and steady progress for a young group facing strong competition. St. Edward’s JV team will look to continue building on their success at their next meet, the Chardon JV tournament, on Jan 24th.
