From left: Catherine Davis, Jenna Reeves and Sydney Williams.

Go to a BCHS wrestling match and you’ll find athleticism, intensity and hard working wrestlers. But  among those usual sights you might also come across something surprising.

Three of them actually.

The high school fields a trio of female wrestlers as part of the team. Catherine Davis, Jenna Reeves and Sydney Williams take the mat and wrestle male and female competition.

Wrestling is one of the few sports that went coed on the high school level. The reason is quite simple; it is played out in specific weight classifications so it doesn’t really matter whether the competitor is male or female.

Coach Adam Brunner, in his first year, enjoys coaching his lady wrestlers and has not altered his style at all because of their gender.

Charles Ruise

It was a rough and tumble week for the Wildcat basketball team with a loss on the road to Baldwin and, for the second time this season, a razor-thin win over West Nassau.

The Cats have split with Baldwin this season, winning at home by four points and losing on the road by two points.

Last Thursday’s loss to the Indians was very frustrating. The Indians controlled the game early, at one point running up a 20-point lead. But in the second half the Wildcats scratched their way back into contention behind a career-night shooting from Johnny Lamb, only to lose by a bucket, 63-61.

Baldwin controlled the first half, starting fast behind a hot shooting Terry Stripling and running out to an 18-10 lead. The Indians extended it in the second period, despite Lamb scoring nine of the Cats’ 13 second-period points. The Indians led 43-23 at the half in what had the looks of a runaway victory for the hosts.

But the game was one of two separate halves and starting with the third period whistle the Cats began to exert themselves, especially in the paint. Lamb was impressive on the inside, leading all scorers with 26 points. The Cats clawed their way back in the third period, then went on a 23-10 run in the fourth quarter.

By the end of the game it was both teams trading basket for basket as the Cats hoped there would be enough time on the clock for them to pull even.

In the end the Indians held them at arm’s length for the win. Lamb led all Wildcat scorers. Charles Ruise Jr. had 13, Cameron Mack and CeCe Jefferson 8.

• The match against West Nassau in Callahan on January 11 was nothing like the previous night’s game against Baldwin. It was basket for basket from the first whistle with both teams evenly matched.

Earlier in the season, the Wildcats won by one point over the Warriors and they repeated the feat with the 49-48 victory.

Cameron Mack

The Wildcats cruised to a 70-49 win January 8 versus Bishop Snyder in the BCHS gym. The Cats opened up a large lead early as Charles Ruise Jr. sunk basket after basket in the beginning minutes.

The Cats ran out to a 23-9 edge in the first period when Ruise was virtually unstoppable. The Cardinals could not keep up with the pace of the Wildcats’ transition game and struggled to find their offense.

They were able to shoot more effectively in the second period as the Cats slowed the pace a little and BCHS led at intermission 44-23.

The Wildcats spread the ball around a little more in the second half, getting the ball into the paint more, but were able to hold the Cardinals at arm’s length.  The Cats led 60-39 at the end of the third period.

Ruise led all scorers with 22 points. Alex Mack added 10 for the Wildcats who travel to Baldwin on Thursday night, January 10.

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The Wildcat wrestling team turned in a good showing at the Sandalwood Invitational on December 13 and 14. Three of the wrestlers medaled and the Cats finished eighth in the 16-team field.

Coach Adam Brunner had hoped for a stronger finish for the Cats but was happy  with the second place showing by Lenny Carter.

“Lenny Carter displayed a great effort against the team who won the tournament, Fletcher High School,” said Brunner. “He battled with Fletcher until the last minute of the last round, but ended up coming just a little short in points.”