Great achievements in wrestling are nothing new for the Knights at Oak Knoll Middle School. The program that feeds wrestlers into the Central Region powerhouse Hanover High School program has had a long tradition of excellence. But this year the group of four out-going eighth graders accomplished a feat that goes beyond the norm.

  Two of the young men finished their middle school careers undefeated. A third suffered only one loss in his three years at Oak Knoll and the fourth saw a career turnaround to finish this season undefeated.

  Last Thursday evening, Corbin Allen and J.D. Gregory caped off a remarkable run with the Knights. Though Gregory sat out the match against neighborhood rival Chickahomniny due to an injury, both he and Allen finished their middle school careers without suffering a single loss.

  More noteworthy than the wins was how they won.

  “All pins,” Allen said proudly.

  “All pins one Tech fall,” Gregory chimed in.

  Not far off their mark was Jacob Hale, who finished his middle school career with a single loss which occurred as a sixth grader.

  According to Oak Knoll head coach Dean Breedlove, the trio share a common work ethic and the knowledge of what it takes to get better.

  “These kids understand what it takes to get to the next level,” he said. “They’ve got good parenting at home, they do well in school and they do well on the wrestling mats. They travel to all of these big time tournaments and that’s what it takes.”

  Breedlove’s assessment merely echoes what the wrestlers themselves say.

  “Just go out there and go hard,” Allen said. “Just use your technique and be smart and if things go wrong just keep your head up and keep on wrestling.”

  Gregory: “Just getting in the room, work hard and don’t give up.”

  Hale: “I just work hard. Work hard and practice hard.”

  Breedlove, who wrestled at Chickahominy, Atlee and Longwood University, is in his third year with the Knights and he admits the outcome has exceeded his expectations when he first came to Oak Knoll.

  “I tell you when I first came in it was like a roller coaster,” he said. “You don’t ever know what you’re getting with middle school. I was fortunate to get a good group of kids in as sixth graders. What you do is just build on that. That’s what we did. We never stopped. Each year was constant.”

  And it was because of the dedication and work ethic from that group as sixth graders that he made them team captains.

  “I was fortunate enough to get those kids and they’re hard workers,” he said. “They know what needs to be done and that’s why they’ve been captains all three years. They’ve kind of been the nucleus that pushes the other kids. I think the other kids see how well they’re doing and they want to do the same. They basically want to simulate what these kids are doing.”

  Over their three years of captainship, the Knights have gone 22-1, suffering the lone loss of their careers on Wednesday to rival Stonewall Jackson Middle School, 46-43. But like true leaders, they gave credit where credit was due.

  “Still wish we could have won yesterday, but Stonewall came out as a team and just wrestled harder than us,” Allen said.

  And while the trio has made their mark throughout their careers, it was classmate Shawn Calder who proved to be a point of success this season.

  As both a sixth and seventh grader, Calder admittedly lacked focus.

  “He came in and he was a little rocky,” Breedlove said. “He didn’t want to focus in the ring, he kept playing around and I kept getting on him, getting on him and finally he came back as a seventh grader and he turned it around a little bit, wrestled a few matches for us.”

  But this year, Calder put it all together.  “I think he matured,” Breedlove said. “He’s like, ‘You know what, I’m tired of losing. This is what I’ve got to do. I’ve got to push my team and that’s what he did. He really pushed and that’s why I made him a captain this year.”

  After two years of standing in the shadows, Calder finished his final season at Oak Knoll undefeated. All but one match was won by pin.

  “Really none of his matches were close,” Breedlove said.
  Next year the foursome will take their talents on to Hanover High School with different thoughts on what it will be like to be part of the perennial regional powerhouse. 

  Gregory looks forward to the challenge. “Yeah, it also makes you work harder,” he said.

  Likewise for Hale. “Just get in the room work hard.

  For Calder it’s the excitement. “It’s a lot of fun, sort of intimidating too.”

  Allen will make the transition optimistic and undaunted. “Next year I’m aiming for a state championship and if we win the Super 32 and Beast of the East and stuff,” he said.

  “They’re going to do well in high school, there’s no doubt in my mind,” Breedlove said. “But I hate to see them go, because now I’ve got to find new ones to step up.”

  And Breedlove will now turn to his team to find the next Allen, Gregory, Hale and Calder. “I’m glad to see the progression,” he said. “I’m glad to see the kids start here and achieve here. It’s not like they’re going backwards. You’ve always got to take a step up.”

Oak Knoll 64, Chickahominy 32
70lbs Dylan Carlson (OK) pin. Alex Freeman(CMS)
75lbs Gray Hart (OK) d. 6-1 Ryan Santilippo (CMS)
80lbs Sam Vehorn(CMS) pin Jeremy Davis (OK)
85lbs Tyler Flora(OK) pin Bobby Jackson(CMS)
90lbs Ducan Starks (CMS) pin Tim Dubec(OK)
95lbs Ryan Jewel(CMS) d. 3-2 Daniel Gray(OK)
100lbs Jacob Hale(OK) pin Gene Haynie(CMS)
105lbs Corbin Allen(OK) pin Anthony Hugnson(CMS)
112lbs Hunter Bartells d. 16-4 Jake Hugnson(CMS)
119lbs Mitchell Patterson d. 14-0 Way Bwen(CMS)
126lbs Shawn Calder(OK) pin Michael Spears(CMS)
132lbs T.J Allen(OK) pin Chance Johns(CMS)
138lbs Josh Long(OK) winner DQ Conner Gray(CMS)
145lbs Cameron Parker(CMS) pin Phillip Adams (OK)
155lbs Charlie Belvin(OK) pin Tanner Lacey (OK)
167lbs Brooks Coombs(OK) pin David Baughan(CMS)
185lbs Jimmy Taylor(OK) TF Cole Sims(CMS)
Unlimited -Christian Tilton(CMS) pin Nathan Dabney(OK)