There’s nothing subtle about the state’s highest wrestling trophy, a large wooden award with a plate cut in the shape of Arkansas with the words STATE CHAMPIONS visible from across the room. For Steve Straessle, principal at Catholic High School who can see the award from his office door, it’s sized just about right.
“How to describe that?” he said. “A state championship is always a great addition to the school because it is tangible proof of what we already knew about the team, which was their hard work, dedication perseverance, great coaching and all around great kids. The trophy is a tangible symbol to us of what we already knew, that they were champions.”
The Rockets brought home the hardware after capping a memorable season with the Class 6A-7A state wrestling championship Feb. 15. It is the Little Rock school’s first state title in wrestling.
The Rockets beat defending state champion Bentonville, 255.5-229, placing in the top three in 10 of the 14 weight divisions.
“We definitely worked hard this season,” said senior Josh Chiles, who won his second state championship in his weight class. “What I enjoyed the most about it was winning the team state, not just the individual title, because it just brings us all together. It’s something Catholic’s never done before.”
Catholic High placed second to Bentonville last year by 60.5 points and the sting of that loss served as motivation for the 2013-2014 campaign. The squad went undefeated in 10 in-state matches this year, winning by such wide margins they were considered the favorite heading into state tournament weekend at UALR’s Jack Stephens Center in Little Rock.
When the final horn sounded, three Rockets were individual state champions: Chiles became one of only two back-to-back state champions for the school, winning the 182-pound division; Richard Buzzitta, a sophomore, outpointed his opponent in the 120-pound division and senior Nick Hiatt made up for an injury-plagued junior year by winning the 220-pound title.
Two other Rockets made the finals in their respective divisions. Andrew Elmore, a sophomore, placed second in an overtime match in the 106-pound class. Senior Mike Volpe took second in the 170-pound division.
Bronze medalists were led by senior Collin Chambers at 132 pounds. Chambers ends his career having attained several firsts for the program, including the first to win an individual state title as a freshman, the first to win back-to-back titles and he is the only Rocket to win four state tournament medals.
“I’m going to miss pretty much everything about this,” he said. “When I first came here, coming in we had eight freshmen so we were a very young team. Back then I thought, ‘Wow, when we’re seniors if we all stick with it, we’re going to be a great team.’ As the years progressed, I started seeing us becoming that team.”
Also bringing home the bronze medal was junior Connor Perkins at 113 pounds, freshman Josh Ayliffe at 126 pounds and Cooper Griffin, a sophomore, at 145 pounds.
Catholic High’s march to a state title in wrestling began in 2006 when the school offered the sport at the club level, one of 19 Arkansas high schools to do so. Despite attracting just 20 very green participants, the school produced an Arkansas Wrestling Association state champion its first year. The sport became sanctioned through the Arkansas Activities Association in 2009.
Coach Paul Mammarelli relies on underclassmen to step in and perform — of this year’s 32 athletes, 17 were underclassmen. He and his coaching staff of assistants Ake Frelin and Charles James have perfected a system for bringing them along quickly.
Mammarelli, a member of Our Lady of the Holy Souls Church in Little Rock, was also named coach of the year by the AAA for the second consecutive year.