Covenant senior duo among state's finest

The 2011-12 wrestling season may be the one for the books for a trio of Covenant wrestlers.

Not once has a member of the team won a state wrestling title at the school.

Seniors Josiah Zodhiates (132 pounds) and David Collmus (182 pounds), joined by freshman star Paul Huemme (120 pounds), have an overall combined record of 102-12 this term and each look to be crowned the top wrestler in the state in their respective weight classes.

"They have been with me three years now," coach Colin Anderson said of his senior duo. "They have certainly been sort of the leader figures of our team. Last year Josiah finished second in the state, which is the best finish we have ever had. They are paving a new course. They are both captains of our team. In terms of leadership and setting a new standard, they have really done that."

But, a recent setback on Saturday causes concern for all three.

The Eagles participated in the Virginia Independent Conference meet at Roanoke Catholic School, after finishing third overall last season as a team. The squad finished sixth this season, with the results a bit surprising for the coach.

Expecting the seniors to win the conference and the freshman to have a great showing, Zodhiates, the top-ranked wrestler in the state heading into the competition, finished second, falling to Beau Johnson of Virginia Episcopal. Collmus finished third, losing in the semifinals to Titus Glaze of Liberty Christian, with Huemme also finishing third.

"It was certainly disappointing for Josiah and David to lose this weekend, especially to guys they’ve already beaten this year, but I think they learned some important lessons that will only make them stronger as they head into the state tournament," Anderson said on Sunday. "They are still very confident and are extremely focused, determined and hungry for the opportunity to bounce back."

Last campaign, Zodhiates finished second in the state, while Collmus finished eighth. The former is now ranked second in the state, with the latter seventh in the new rankings released Sunday. Huemme is also ranked seventh in his weight class.

"They were disappointed," their coach said. "They knew they didn’t wrestle to their potential.

"The weekend was kind of a wake-up call."

This coming weekend, the team will travel to Hermitage High School in Richmond for the VISAA state meet. As the coach sees it, his wrestlers, especially the seniors, have realistic chances at taking home a championship but must regain focus after the conference failure.

"I feel pretty confident as long as I can show up and wrestle my best, I have a pretty good chance," Zodhiates said. "You have to stay focused throughout the whole tournament."

He knows he has a shot to be the first ever state wrestling champ at the school.

"I think it would mean a lot, not just for me, but for the school," Zodhiates said. "We have a good coach and we can get to those places."

With experience and dedication, Anderson is confident that the wrestlers will bounce back in fine fashion, earning the school a missing honor.

"I’m confident as their coach," Anderson said. "For them, they realize that they need to focus on just wrestling their matches and doing what they need to do. Everything should fall into place. We are not worried about the rankings.

"They are just very steady, consistent. Every day they come to practice ready to work. Every day they are focused on how they can improve. Saturday didn’t go well, but for them, I know what kind of kids they are. They will bounce back just fine."