~by Dustin Teays for The Scranton Journal
It shouldn’t be forgotten that the Greene County Rams wrestling team sent a school record six wrestlers on to the Iowa High School State Wrestling Tournament this year.
Rams qualifying for the tournament were sophomore Brennan Jacobs at 106 pounds, sophomore Jaron Jacobs at 113 pounds, senior Gavyn Winters at 120 pounds, senior Brent Dennhardt at 157 pounds, and sophomore Degan Miller at 165 pound, and heavyweight senior Marcus Ball to the recent state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena.
For their efforts, Dennhardt was crowned state champion in Class 2A at 157 pounds and Degan Miller placed fifth at 165 pounds for the Rams. As for the other wrestlers in attendance, they performed well but were unable to crack the top eight for a podium finish in their respective weight classes.
While only two wrestlers were able to earn a podium finish, enough can’t be said about simply achieving an appearance at the state tournament. As a reminder of just how hard that is, these wrestlers had to place first or second at their district tournament just to make it here and that alone is a great accomplishment and something these wrestlers can forever be proud of and recognized for.
“This year has been an incredible journey and our team was challenged with many obstacles and challenges but they endured with amazing grit and determination. I know some of the young men did not achieve their goals but they all became better young people through the process and this experience will last a lifetime for them and make them better people which is the ultimate goal,” head coach Kirk Davis said.
For Winters, Dennhardt and Ball, their time as a Greene County Rams wrestler is over but their impact on the mats will be felt far beyond their time spent in the Rams uniform. For Jaron Jacobs, Brennan Jacobs and Miller, it’s likely this won’t be the last time they wrestle on the state’s biggest stage as a Greene County Ram. It wouldn’t be surprising to see one of these three crowned a state champion in the years ahead for the Greene County Rams wrestling program.
