BOILING SPRINGS: Scott Lindsey was feeling pretty good about his Bishop McDevitt wrestling team around 7:30 Wednesday night.
Surprising? Maybe. After all, the Crusaders just suffered a 48-27 beat down at the hands of District 3-AA kingpin Boiling Springs and their team season come to an end.
Even in the loss, there was plenty to smile about.
“I'm pleased,” Lindsey said. “We scored 27 points with a forfeit. The kids poured their hearts out against, what many believe, is the No. 2 team in the state.
“We only have two seniors on this roster and have the whole team back. Next year, we hope to get a better seed and show people what we got.”
The Crusaders are ahead of schedule. That showed under the bright lights in the Bubblers gymnasium.
John Pipa, Zane Black and Marco Navarro earned falls. David Pipa, another Crusaders standout, earned a decision. Jalin Hankerson received a forfeit.
All five of these wrestlers are ranked according to PennLive's recent edition of the District 3-AA rankings. So even though the team season is over, the Crusaders chance to move forward as a program isn't.
More mat time is part of the maturing process. But this group is hardly just logging time, they will be contenders during the individual postseason..
This time of year will be valuable in regards to experience and success. And it could pay dividends next season.
“Some of these kids have been together since they were little, and the rest are all new,” Lindsey said. “We have five kids that haven't wrestled more than half a season.
“We've only been here four years, and Marco is the only one we had come through the feeder system. We don't have the experience to hang with a team that has 14 solid wrestlers, but I think we will be better next year and turn heads.”