By: Kyle Moylan
VOORHEES Lee Hopkins had a plan he wanted to hold on to throughout the Region VII Tournament.
Instead, Hopkins tried to hold on to Eastern’s Ryan Radziak.
"I wrestled a stupid match," Hopkins noted of his 13-7 setback to Radziak in the Region VII quarterfinals this past Friday night at Eastern High School. "I’m good on my feet. I’m the best one here in this weight class on my feet. For some reason, I tried to wrestle the kid on the mat. It’s hard for me to control the guys on the mat because I’m one of the lighter 189-pounders."
Hopkins, a three-sport standout, weighs only about 180 pounds. A running back in football and a javelin thrower in track, Hopkins can be explosively quick, though. He uses that quickness to get takedown after takedown.
"That’s my advantage," Hopkins said. "I take everyone down."
Starting from their feet, Hopkins outscored Radziak 6-2. On the mat, Hopkins was dominated by a score of 11-1.
Fortunately for Hopkins, he had another day of wrestling to get it right. Hopkins stuck to the plan on Saturday in the wrestlebacks, winning all three matches and placing third in Region VII.
The third-place finish earned Hopkins a spot in the state championships this weekend in Atlantic City.
"If I wrestle the way I did today (Saturday), I can make it to the finals (in Atlantic City)," Hopkins said.
The way Hopkins wrestled was to get a takedown and, if he felt his opponent would be hard to keep on the bottom, just give away an escape point.
In his first match on Saturday, Hopkins won by injury default against Camden Catholic’s Steve Toll.
Against Rancocas Valley’s Ford Rogers, Hopkins got takedowns and gave away escapes while winning a 12-6 decision.
Hopkins stuck to the same plan in the match for third place and a spot in Atlantic City as he decisioned Collingswood’s Roy DiLiberto, 10-6.
"Three matches in one day is tough," noted New Egypt Coach Kevin English. "To stay focused and win three matches in the regions to earn a spot in the state championships is awesome."
Hopkins hugged English and his assistant coaches after the third-place match and was happy about becoming only the second (Craig Morton was the first) wrestler ever from New Egypt to reach the state championships. Even so, he couldn’t get that quarterfinal loss out of his head.
"It was just so stupid," Hopkins said. "I don’t know why I wrestled such a stupid match. I should have been in the finals here."
That was the plan for Region VII. It’s also the plan for the state championships.
This weekend in Atlantic City, expect Hopkins to let his opponent go and to hold on to everything else.