Garcia, Rifanburg doing all the right things
You can't talk about one without mentioning the other. Seniors Tristan Rifanburg and Frank Garcia will remain inexorably linked in the annals of Norwich High School sports history.
Before they became teammates on the varsity team in seventh grade, they were pee wee wrestling partners and occasional opponents on the grueling youth wrestling circuit.
It's been perhaps a 10-year journey together as their high school careers wind down with just the state wrestling championships left on the docket.
And make no mistake; those two will leave a lasting impression on the Times Union Arena mats as they vie for five combined New York State titles on Feb. 27-28.
In the 50-year history of the state wrestling tournament, only three other Norwich wrestlers had reached a state championship match. Not counting this year, Rifanburg and Garcia have doubled that total.
"It's going to be bittersweet, and both just completed their careers wrestling in the Section IV Tournament," said Norwich head wrestling coach Terry Hagenbuch. "I know they wanted to cherish the moment, but I also know they're still looking forward to the state tournament."
If you're a high school wrestler in New York State, ultimately, the goal is to reach the state tournament. For Rifanburg and Garcia getting to the state tournament has been a mere formality. Last Saturday at the Floyd L. Maines Memorial Arena, Rifanburg tied a section record with his sixth championship, while Garcia closed his sectional career with his third straight crown.
The two wrestlers' sustained excellence on the mat for better than half a decade has earned them our weekly honor as Matthews Ford and Planet Preowned Athletes of the Week.
Hagenbuch pointed out many times over the past two seasons as head coach that it was nice to have those two stalwarts in the middle of the lineup for dual meets – they were points he could count on. And in tournaments, Rifanburg and Garcia were typically wrestling for individual titles. Again, more points for Norwich.
Over six seasons, neither Rifanburg nor Garcia lost a match on Norwich's home mat. And according to some recent statistics we gathered, Rifanburg never lost a match outside of a tournament format. What that means is that he was unbeaten in dual meet competition for six straight years. Garcia, too, did not lose in dual meet competition for at least the last four years.
"I've always said, when the lights come on, Tristan gets better," Hagenbuch said.
What has made Rifanburg and Garcia better than their already high standard is the fact they train and drill with each other at every practice. In the meantime, they're setting an example for the rest of a Purple Tornado team that is now a two-time Section IV Division II team champion.
"Those two battle every single day in practice," Hagenbuch said. "But they're a little different. They won't put one or the other in a bad situation where one of them might get injured. You'll sometimes see two guys going hard in practice, and one kid gets injured. These guys won't do that. They know when to say when."
Unfortunately for the opposition, there is no let-up from Garcia and Rifanburg. Both are extremely aggressive, pressure wrestlers looking to bring the offense to the guy on the other side of the mat. Rifanburg dominated – as usual – all four of his sectional tournament matchups finishing off his sixth championship with a 12-2 major decision over Whitney Point's Nate Grubham.
Garcia was equally dominant throughout his title run, although he managed "just" a 5-0 finals win over B-G/A/H's Madison Hoover. Hoover implemented risk avoidance to keep his match with Garcia close, although the Tornado grappler found a way to pick up the key points when he needed them.
Garcia and Rifanburg have found a way to win more than 420 combined times, and the two are one and two on Norwich wrestling's all-time victory list with Rifanburg number one and Garcia number two. Yet, Hagenbuch sees more than just wins and those rare losses from his two standouts.
"I've said it many times, those two bring much more to the table than just the wins," Hagenbuch said. "They're the type of role models young kids can emulate. They do the right things in the classroom, on the mat, and outside of school. They're still doing the right things. If I were to have a son, I would want him to be like those two."
Before they became teammates on the varsity team in seventh grade, they were pee wee wrestling partners and occasional opponents on the grueling youth wrestling circuit.
It's been perhaps a 10-year journey together as their high school careers wind down with just the state wrestling championships left on the docket.
And make no mistake; those two will leave a lasting impression on the Times Union Arena mats as they vie for five combined New York State titles on Feb. 27-28.
In the 50-year history of the state wrestling tournament, only three other Norwich wrestlers had reached a state championship match. Not counting this year, Rifanburg and Garcia have doubled that total.
"It's going to be bittersweet, and both just completed their careers wrestling in the Section IV Tournament," said Norwich head wrestling coach Terry Hagenbuch. "I know they wanted to cherish the moment, but I also know they're still looking forward to the state tournament."
If you're a high school wrestler in New York State, ultimately, the goal is to reach the state tournament. For Rifanburg and Garcia getting to the state tournament has been a mere formality. Last Saturday at the Floyd L. Maines Memorial Arena, Rifanburg tied a section record with his sixth championship, while Garcia closed his sectional career with his third straight crown.
The two wrestlers' sustained excellence on the mat for better than half a decade has earned them our weekly honor as Matthews Ford and Planet Preowned Athletes of the Week.
Hagenbuch pointed out many times over the past two seasons as head coach that it was nice to have those two stalwarts in the middle of the lineup for dual meets – they were points he could count on. And in tournaments, Rifanburg and Garcia were typically wrestling for individual titles. Again, more points for Norwich.
Over six seasons, neither Rifanburg nor Garcia lost a match on Norwich's home mat. And according to some recent statistics we gathered, Rifanburg never lost a match outside of a tournament format. What that means is that he was unbeaten in dual meet competition for six straight years. Garcia, too, did not lose in dual meet competition for at least the last four years.
"I've always said, when the lights come on, Tristan gets better," Hagenbuch said.
What has made Rifanburg and Garcia better than their already high standard is the fact they train and drill with each other at every practice. In the meantime, they're setting an example for the rest of a Purple Tornado team that is now a two-time Section IV Division II team champion.
"Those two battle every single day in practice," Hagenbuch said. "But they're a little different. They won't put one or the other in a bad situation where one of them might get injured. You'll sometimes see two guys going hard in practice, and one kid gets injured. These guys won't do that. They know when to say when."
Unfortunately for the opposition, there is no let-up from Garcia and Rifanburg. Both are extremely aggressive, pressure wrestlers looking to bring the offense to the guy on the other side of the mat. Rifanburg dominated – as usual – all four of his sectional tournament matchups finishing off his sixth championship with a 12-2 major decision over Whitney Point's Nate Grubham.
Garcia was equally dominant throughout his title run, although he managed "just" a 5-0 finals win over B-G/A/H's Madison Hoover. Hoover implemented risk avoidance to keep his match with Garcia close, although the Tornado grappler found a way to pick up the key points when he needed them.
Garcia and Rifanburg have found a way to win more than 420 combined times, and the two are one and two on Norwich wrestling's all-time victory list with Rifanburg number one and Garcia number two. Yet, Hagenbuch sees more than just wins and those rare losses from his two standouts.
"I've said it many times, those two bring much more to the table than just the wins," Hagenbuch said. "They're the type of role models young kids can emulate. They do the right things in the classroom, on the mat, and outside of school. They're still doing the right things. If I were to have a son, I would want him to be like those two."
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