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James River wrestling standouts go mano a mano
James River High School wrestling standouts Jordan Dix and Jared Anongos don't have to travel far to put that theory to the test. The two state-ranked wrestlers are practice partners and have been for many years, beginning with their days as teammates on the North Chesterfield Youth Wrestling team that competes in the nine-team Chesterfield/ Hopewell Youth Wrestling League. "We push each other," Dix said. "It's great to have a good drill partner. It makes you push yourself even harder." "We go after it in practice," Anongos agreed. "It's nothing personal. We both go as hard as we can." Off the mat, they are good friends. Both are now seniors on the perennial Central Region power James River team under head coach Mark Helberg. Anongos is ranked first in a state pre-season ranking; Dix is ranked second. One, said Helberg, will wrestle in the 135-pound weight class this season. The other will wrestle in the 130-pound weight class. Dix is a three-time Dominion District and two-time regional winner, last year winning at 125 pounds. He finished fifth at the state meet last year at 125 pounds. Anongos has won the district and regional titles three times. He finished third in the state at 130 last year. Anongos preferred not to comment on any individual state-title aspirations this year. Dix, after a little prodding, slyly nodded and said, "I think it's assumed that's what we're both working for." Helberg said both young men are a pleasure to have as team leaders. "Jordan is one of the hardest working kids I've ever coached," he said. "Every morning and afternoon before he got his license, he would ride his bike to and from school. He eats, sleeps, lives and breathes wrestling. He takes very serious his responsibilities to his teammates." Anongos, Helberg said, "is a phenomenal athlete. You can't make him quit. He's a very highly gifted athlete, and he continues to work hard to get better." Of Dix and Anongos, Helberg said, "They work out with each other all the time, and that only makes them better. They are both very tough and so aggressive." Third-year Chesterfield/Hopewell league president Paul Powis volunteers to coach the North Chesterfield youth team that feeds the James River team in his spare time. He coached both young men when they wrestled in the league. He shakes his head and smiles when he speaks of Dix and Anongos. "It makes me very proud," he said. "I know all the other coaches feel the same way. They have always pushed each other to get better, and it shows with their performances on the mat." He also takes pride in the fact that eight of James River's 14 starters "came from our program," he said. The youth league, which recently began practicing for the January start of the season, helps fill a void in county wrestling. "Chesterfield County is one of the few counties in the state that does not have wrestling in middle school," Powis said. "Henrico and Hanover have it. Our league tries to get some of these wrestlers ready to move up to the next [high school] level. I think it speaks highly of our coaches and the teams in the league that some of these kids have done as well as they have." Helberg said about half of the wrestlers in the James River program have come up through the youth league. The other half got their start when they came out for the high school team. "It's a thrill to get some of the kids that have come through the youth league," he said. "It lets us start them at a higher level." James River, with a helping hand from Powis and a hardy band of youth-league coaches and wrestlers, has established itself as a consistent district, region and state threat. The Rapids finished second in the region last year and have finished in the top three of the past four years, including a run to the region title two years ago. Having talented leaders such as Anongos and Dix gives Helberg high hopes for this year's team, too. |
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