Sports

Griffith Panthers Take Their Win During Middle School Conference

Leilani Celio, Staff Reporter ♦ April 23, 2026

7th grader William Ethel prepares in stance before the referee blows the whistle. Ethel unfortunately did not win this match against his opponent from Highland.

The Griffith Jr. High School hosted the Middle School Wrestling Conference with grades 6th through 8th taking part on Saturday, February 28.

In total, there were 23 Griffith wrestlers that competed. There were many wrestlers from different schools that competed as well, including Boone Grove, Whiting, Lake Station, River Forest, Kankakee Valley, and Highland. The Griffith Wrestling Coaches host a conference every year at the end of every season so the wrestlers can show off their skills they’ve learned on the mat.

GMS the wrestlers that placed first were 7th grader Marek Bridegroom, 6th grader Danny Duch, 8th grader Ezra Hedrick, 8th grader Emmanuel Covarrubias, 7th grader Millz Flores, 8th grader Wyatt Konopasek, and 8th grader Tanner Szo.

8th grader Ezra Hedrick attempts to cradle opponent from River Forest during the Griffith Middle School Wrestling Conference on February 28. Hedrick was able to win against his opponent by pin. (Leilani Celio)

Many of the first placers won by pin, including Ezra Hedrick, Emiliano Flores, Marek Bridegroom, and Tanner Szo.

“I was really happy when I won first because I beat a lot of strong people,” said 8th grader, Ezra Hedrick.

The Griffith Panthers placed second on the leaderboard as a team. The Panthers went beyond expectation by winning together and hyping each other up before their individual matches.

8th grader Tanner Szo said, “I was proud of my team. We had so many first and second seeds that were advanced through the bracket without matches.”

The middle school wrestling team had a lot of spirit on Conference Day, and the adrenaline was high, but despite the nervousness and excitement, the Panthers showed off their hard work, dedication, and skill. As the season came to an end this year, the middle school Panthers made a lot of progress throughout the season, winning many of their matches.

7th grader Emiliano Flores said, “I think the season went good this year. We lost some matches and we won some, but we won a majority.”

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About the Contributor

Leilani Celio, Staff Reporter

Leilani Celio is a freshman here at Griffith Jr./Sr. High School, and it is her first year in Panther Press. Leilani joined Panther Press mostly because she enjoys writing, but over the past few months, she has grown to like it more than she thought she would. In Leilani’s free time, she enjoys having Bible studies, going on walks, going to the gym, thrifting, journaling, and spending time with the people she loves. She loves communicating with others and sharing her insights and opinions on things. In school, she tries to get her work done on time but sometimes her procrastination holds her back. Leilani would like to be a criminal psychologist one day because she has a fascination with the human mind. In the future, Leilani hopes to get into a good college, become a criminal psychologist, and take care of her family with whatever they need.