Heavy heart can’t stop Vikings’ Dukes
By Mark Schmetzer
Enquirer contributor
WILMINGTON – Ask DeRichieen Dukes about anything, especially his late father, and the Princeton sophomore’s likely response is a nervous smile.
But Dukes wasn’t nervous on the Wilmington High School wrestling mat Saturday. The second-seeded Viking 112-pounder held off top-seeded Moeller freshman Eric Gobin to win the Division I sectional championship and lead Princeton to second place behind the Crusaders in the team standings.
Dukes’ father, Richard, died unexpectedly Jan. 21 at 39 years old, DeRichieen said. He missed a week of competition and returned in time to win the Greater Miami Conference in his weight class and help the Vikings finish second, their best since 1996, fourth-year coach Ty Robbins said. Dukes followed up by overwhelming three opponents and edging Gobin 7-5 to improve his record to 29-4.
“Talk about a guy overcoming some stuff, “Robbins said. “His father was a big supporter of the program.”
Richard Dukes wrestled at Western Hills, DeRichieen said, adding he felt as if his father gave him strength and stamina on the mat.
“I want to go to state, “said DeRichieen, whose mother, Joell, was on hand. “I was one match short of going to state last year.”
Gobin was one of two Moeller wrestlers to finish second. A school-record 11 won championships as the Crusaders, who are ranked No. 1 in the Enquirer’s Division I coaches’ poll and No. 4 in the state Associated Press poll.
The top four wrestlers in each weight class advance to the district tournament at Fairfield next Friday and Saturday.
“You’ve got to be happy, “Moeller coach Jeff Gaier said. “Everybody will be going on to next week. The competition we’ve wrestled this year really helps us in the tight matches.”
Two second-seeded Crusader sophomores, 130-pound Germane Lindsey and 135-pound Tommy Weinkam, advanced with upsets of top-seeded seniors. Lindsey (28-9) knocked off Lakota East’s Billy Baker, and Weinkam (25-17) edged Princeton’s Rodolfo Rivera.
Lakota East identical twin seniors Kody and Kent Pierson were the other two non-Crusaders to win championships. Kody (23-4) won his fourth sectional title by beating Colerain’s Ryan Erickson 14-4 at 119 pounds and Kent (25-4) improved to 3-0 against Moeller’s Josh Newbanks with a 4-3 win in an intense match at 125 pounds.
“It’s always that intense – always that crazy – when I wrestle him, “said Kent Pierson, who won his second consecutive sectional title.
FAIRFIELD I: Lakota West won by taking seven first-place spots and finished with 273.50 points. Elder was second (215) and had four winners. St. Xavier was third (205).
FAIRFIELD II: Harrison won with 224.50 points and three winners. Mason was second (220.50) and Oak Hills third (149).
WESTERN BROWN: The host Broncos won the Division II sectional with 227.5 points and finished with three winners.
EATON: Franklin won the Division II sectional with 210 points. Ross was fifth (144.5).
MADEIRA: Madeira finished third in the Division III sectional. Madison was fourth and Reading fifth.
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