ROANOKE, Va. – State wrestling champions will be crowned this weekend, and one of the programs making a major push is William Fleming High School.
Under second-year coach and Fleming alumnus D’Angelo Reynolds, the Colonels will send five wrestlers to the state competition in Virginia Beach. Richard Hopkins and Aronde Phillips placed fourth and third, respectively, at regionals, while Jaylen Clary, Jovanny Gonzalez and Zion Baskerville each enter as multi-time regional champions.
The group’s return to the state tournament marks a redemption tour for the seniors, who fell short of their goals a season ago.
“Coming up short last year, I just had a vengeance in my head that this year is my year, my last year to go get a state championship,” Baskerville said. “That’s what I’m chasing.”
Gonzalez said the team hopes its recent success helps elevate the program’s profile.
“I feel like we’ve started something here, and I feel like it should continue after us, even when we’re gone,” Gonzalez said. “I feel like William Fleming was overlooked in a lot of sports, and doing this would mean a lot.”
Reynolds credited the program’s turnaround to a strong foundation built by previous coaches and a renewed emphasis on culture.
“I walked into a gifted situation. A lot of these guys came from a wrestling background,” Reynolds said. “Previous coaches definitely laid a good foundation. It’s about the culture and bringing the Fleming culture back — what I grew up with and what I learned from Coach Miller and the legends before him.”
Reynolds said the Colonels have a chance to accomplish something unprecedented for the program by producing multiple state champions in the same season.
VHSL Classes 1-3 state wrestling championships will be held at Salem Civic Center.
VHSL Classes 4-6 state wrestling championships will be held at Virginia Beach Sports Center.
VHSL Girls state wrestling championships will be held February 24 and 25 at Henrico Sports and Events Center.