Home > Articles 2017-18

    Fauquier Wrestling News:

Team Highlights - 2018 All Time Greatest Moments and Achievements
by: Ted Proctor
3-6-2018

Team Highlights - 2018 All Time Greatest Moments and Achievements
Franco Camarca getting arm rasied - After winning the 4A State Championships.

The 2017-18 season showed positive growth from a very young team a year ago with moments and achievements still having Falcons standing on top of the podium in the post season.

With team Fauquier becoming the Regular Season District Dual Champions, sweeping all teams in the Northwestern District through two District Dual meets, this proved to show the 2017-18 team was ready to be in the mix for a state championship run.

With senior leadership coming from Kyle Budd, Joe Del Gallo, Franco Camarca, and Tyler Raymond, their effort in the 2018 post season would drive the team towards the end of the season goals.

The Falcons continued to participate in a rigorous season schedule which had team Fauquier traveling north into Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania for some elite wrestling events. But we could not choose or select any Greatest Moments during the season as they surfaced from the post season.

The grind that a wrestling season has on teams and to keep starters healthy throughout an entire season seems like an impossible feat these days. This had Coach Fisher consistently adjusting the team’s line-up while giving all solid mat time.

Question for Coach Fisher: You had to sit many of your starters through the year which gave the Grey team many opportunities to wrestle on the varsity team. How did that go and do you see growth from them?

Coach Fisher: "I thought it went really well. Expanding our schedule with Grey team events gave us more flexibility with respect to sitting starters as needed and providing more valuable varsity level opportunity to more members of the team."

Senior Class

A reflection on the seniors should not go without acknowledgement of them here. Although there were five seniors on the team my focus will be on three.

Kyle Budd, a four-year starter, proved to show all that getting to the State Finals four years in a row is an remarkable accomplishment. This is the first time in history that a Falcon has wrestled in the Virginia State finals four years straight: (2015) at 106lbs, (2016) at 113lbs, (2017) at 120lbs, and this post season at 132lbs.

Budd holds a 138-41 career record (77.09%) and rests in tenth place for all-time most wins for team Fauquier. Budd became a 3-time District Champion, 2-time Region Champion and won the 4A State Championships in 2016 while taking second place in 2015, 2017 and 2018.

Joe Del Gallo was three-time-full-year starter with Del Gallo wrestling 106 lbs for much of his freshman season. During his sophomore year Del Gallo took a third in the Conference, fourth in Regions and qualified for States. It was not until his junior year where he placed fourth at the State Championships leading him into a solid senior year.

Del Gallo’s career record stands at 92 - 55 (62.59%) which currently has him at 31st on the all-time wins for team Fauquier. He was one of five state finalists this year who provided team Fauquier with a key win in his State Semi-Finals match to boast Fauquier in first place after day one of the 2018 State Championships.

Franco Camarca was also a three-year starter for team Fauquier. He ended with a career record of 131 - 44 (74.86%) while he holds on to the 13th spot with career wins. Camarca followed a similar path as Del Gallo, wrestling much of his freshman year, then sophomore year placing third in the Conference, and a Region and state qualifier.

Camarca’s junior year, wrestling at 170 lbs, he won the Conference, Region, and became the 2017 State Champion. Camarca duplicated as a State Champion this season, becoming one of four two-time State Champion for team Fauquier.

Most wrestlers’ goal is to become a State Champion and for Franco Camarca to repeat as State Champion in 2018 places him head and shoulder well above the senior class and on a list with other Fauquier greats that have won multiple State titles; Garrett Tingen a 3x State Champ, with Matt Raines, Daniel Ariola, Franco Camarca and Sam Fisher all having won a State Championship two-times.

Question for Coach Fisher: You have had many amazing seniors from one year to the next but can you discuss the class of 2018 seniors?

Coach Fisher: "I can’t really say enough about these three guys. They have wrestled together for a decade. They have come through all our youth developmental programs, and high school together. They have all had tremendous success which is a testament to both them and all those who have been in their corners for the last decade. They are all fantastic young adults and will have bright futures ahead of them. It has been an extreme pleasure to coach them."

2018 Moments and Achievements

To win a State Championship and to place at any high Nationals tournament should always have a claim to make the Greatest Moments and Achievements board. But even though that did not happen we still have room to add four Moments and Achievements to the list.

Winning the State Championships twice (2015 and 2016) and becoming runner-up over the past five years does show all what a successful wrestling program Fauquier wrestling has become. Finishing at the top continues to prove that the wrestling program has experienced some remarkable success.

When these Moments and Achievements first became public, there were just a few and something that we continue to build on. With three new moments occurring this year we also look back at an old achievement that emerges from the 2011 post season taking this list from 36 up to 40.

With four newly added Moments and Achievements to the board I am going to present them in ascending order.

New 9. Runner up 4A Team State Championship; with two 1st placers, three 2nd placers, one 4th placer, and two 5th placers – 2018.

Winning the 2018 Northwestern District, taking a second-place finish at Regions and to be leading the 4A State Championships heading into the start of day two with seven wrestlers in the Semi-Finals had the Falcons in exceptional position.

Going 5-2 in the Semi-Finals and advancing five wrestlers to the championships finals while placing eight wrestlers at states with 174pts seems impressive.

Coming in at #9 would be the highest moment of the four. Coach Fisher, it appears that the Falcons wrestled well earning bonus points to a second-place finish.

Coach Fisher - on #9: "Yes, overall, I was extremely pleased with our effort and results. If the state tournament was the same format and had the same uniform qualification requirements as the previous 4 years, we likely would have come away with our third title. But unfortunately, that was not the case, and although we continue to produce many state champions and state place-winners every year, we will need a larger state qualifying contingent to compete for state team titles in the future. We as coaches have room for improvement in this area."

New 31. Winning the 2011 Evergreen District Championships with 274 points (the most points scored for team Fauquier in a District Championship) while advancing 12 wrestlers onto the Championship Finals, with 8 champions and qualifying all 14 wrestlers onto the Region II Championships (the most in school history) – 2011
   Fauquier Wins District with 8 Champs by: Ted Proctor - 2-07-2011

Lead by senior Tyler Budd, Greg Flournoy, Landon Dean, Van Grimes and Jake Fahlfeder team Fauquier demonstrated dominance in this 2011 District Championship. A five-team district in 2011 had team Fauquier qualifying all 14 wrestlers onto the Regions and a record that has yet to be duplicated.

This was Coach Fisher’s first year as head coach with a remarkable post season tournament. Coach Fisher, with a look back can you let us know your thoughts about this event?

Coach Fisher - on #31: "That was another great team and like this year, with many guys that had wrestled together for many years. All of those guys either went on to wrestle in college or certainly could have if so desired."

New 32. Total team effort in a come from behind win in the final round at the 2018 Northwestern District Championships which resulted in every wrestler scoring team points. A District Championship that had team Fauquier winning by 1.5-points (210.5 pts to 209 pts) over Liberty with the Tournament Director calculating the team score inaccurately heading into the Championship Finals – 2018.
   Team Effort as Fauquier Wins its 13th District Championship by: Ted Proctor - 2-06-2018

With many wrestlers battling sickness and injuries, the Falcons came together to earn team points from every wrestler. A Northwestern District that is made up of seven teams with elimination from regional all played a factor with this 2018 District Championships.

Being down 14.5 points going into the Championship finals, Fauquier started a charge going 6-1 in an amazing come-back to win the 2018 District Championships. Coach Fisher, what are your thoughts on this team victory.

Coach Fisher - on #32: "That was one of the best total team efforts that I can remember. We entered 14 guys in the District Championships, which many years we have been unable to do. Each of the 14 guys scored more team points then the margin of victory. That is the definition of a complete team effort as each of the 14 won the tournament for the team."

New 33. Most Regional Champs 5 (Ethan Jordon, Kyle Budd, Joe Del Gallo, Sam Fisher, Tyler Raymond), and 7 Regional finalists - 2018.

Although Fauquier finished the 2018 Regional Championships in second place, team Fauquier boasted a team record with five individual Regional Champions - most ever. Totally baffled to have seven finalists, breaks record (most Champions), and still take home the silver. Any reflection?

Coach Fisher - on #33: "Well, similar to the District tournament, we had a very small margin for error, and we only qualified 10 guys to the Region Finals. We needed to qualify at least one more. We as coaches have room for improvement in this area."

Please note that a Moments and Achievements link is added within the link bar under History on the main page. The complete list can be found here:

   All Time Greatest Moments and Achievements

Past articles written about the All Time Greatest Moments and Achievement found here:

   2-22-2017 - The 2017 All Time Greatest Moments and Achievements

   2-24-2016 - The 2015-16 All Time Greatest Moments and Achievements

   3-31-2015 - Fauquier All Time Greatest Moments and Achievements

FOLLOW US:   2017-18 SCHEDULE     HOME  

   |