Host Bill Barrett Memorial tournament Saturday

FRESHMAN TOMMY Vogelheim, who competes at 103 pounds despite being well under that won a thrilling 20-17 match in Oscoda for his first varsity win. (Photo by Angie Asam)

by Angie Asam–Staff Writer

The Rogers City Hurons wrestling team traveled to Oscoda Wednesday to take on the Owls and Whitemore-Prescott. The Hurons defeated Whitemore 51-30 and Oscoda 50-30 to improve to 4-2 on the season entering the Christmas break.

The Hurons won’t have much time off, however, as they will host the annual Bill Barrett Memorial Super Duals on Saturday beginning at 10 a.m. 

Bill Barrett was the father of the Rogers City wrestling program. He taught at Rogers City High School for 37 years and started the wrestling program in 1970. He coached full time until 1982 when he turned the program over to Warren Gleason. Gleason then gave the reigns to current coach Pat Lamb in 1999.

Lamb had Barrett as a coach and teacher in the 1970s. “I learned a lot from Bill Barrett and I’d never want to do anything as the coach of this program that would let him down. What Mr. Barrett stressed is that it’s not all about winning and losing, but about the way you go about doing things. It’s about effort, heart and desire,” recalled Lamb in the Jan. 25, 2001 edition of the Advance.

Although many of the wrestlers that will take the mats for the Hurons Saturday never met Barrett, or if they did do not remember him, they still wrestle his way. Coach Lamb continues to stress the same things his coach bestowed upon him 30 years ago. 

K

eeping the strong tradition of Rogers City wrestling alive, the team continues to host the memorial tournament during the holiday break, when many former wrestlers can come back and cheer on the orange and black. 

DOUBLE WINNERS at Oscoda Wednesday were Justin Saile (112), Jacob Sobeck (130), Evan Lamb (140), Austin Bober (145), Jack Ryan (152/60), Jared LaFleche (171) and Caleb Pommerenke (189). Going 1-1 on the day were Tommy Vogelheim (103) when he won a thrilling 20-17 match, Cameron Urban (125), Blake Fessler (160) and Corey Schaedig (215).

After hosting the Barrett the Hurons will be off again until Jan. 5, 2013 when they travel to the Roscommon Duals. Saturdays tournament is the second of three regular season home meets for the Hurons who will be at home again on Jan. 9, 2013 when they host a Straits Area Conference Quad.