From the Parkersburg (West Virginia) News and Sentinel
Big Red wrestlers to watch Pitt’s Thomas today
By JAY W. BENNETT
PARKERSBURG – Two-time defending Class AAA state wrestling champion Parkersburg High and head coach Scheny Schenerlein will be getting an extra treat today aside from wrestling in a 6 p.m. triangular at University with East Fairmont.
That’s because the Big Red varsity members will head a little further north to watch the NCAA Division I dual between No. 6 Lehigh and No. 25 Pittsburgh, which starts at 2 p.m. at Fitzgerald Field House.
Former Big Red three-time state champion and Robert Dutton Award winner Lou Thomas, a Panther freshman, is slated to take on Mountain Hawk Jon Trenge, who is a 12-1 senior and ranked No. 3 in the nation.
“We’ve known him since he was a little kid coming up through the pee wee program, “said Thomas’ former coach. “He still comes back and works out with us.
“We’ve spent so much time with Lou, the coaches feel like it’s almost like it’s our son doing this. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Thomas is having a pretty solid first season, having just come out of Schenerlein’s Big Red program.
Although he’s only 6-2 with one win via fall, Thomas started his career with five straight victories before having to settle for a runner-up finish in the West Virginia Open.
“We were up there for that, “Schenerlein said of the early November event in Morgantown. “(Ex-Big Red and Thomas’ former teammate) Robert Shyver was wrestling there too from Mercyhurst.
“Lou made it to the finals, but he had split his head open earlier in the week and he busted it open and wasn’t allowed to wrestle in the finals and had to default.”
After winning his first five, Thomas suffered his first defeat, a pin, and then came back with another triumph before falling to No. 16 Matt Delguyd of Northwestern by an 8-6 decision.
“He’s pretty excited and fired up about it, “Schenerlein said. “He’s doing pretty well and not too many times do we have people in West Virginia going on to bigger and better things and he’s really taken advantage of it.
“He is doing really well with his grades, the coaches love him and he’s having a great time. It (the way the season has gone) kind of reminded him of his freshman year in high school when we didn’t know if we were going to get him. He kind of compared it to that.”
While most interested fans are unlikely to make the trip to Pittsburgh, Thomas will be in action on local television on Sunday when the Panthers invade No. 16 Penn State for a 3 p.m. dual.
That match will be televised by Fox Sports Net Pittsburgh, channel 24 locally.
Thomas’ opponent for Sunday could be No. 18 Phil Davis (20-3), a freshman, or junior Joel Edwards (13-8).
Contact Jay Bennett via e-mail at [email protected]
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