Red Lion wrestler Pargoe commits to DI Gardner-Webb University to continue wrestling career
BEAR, Del. (BVM) — Red Lion Christian Academy senior wrestler Joseph Pargoe has had a standout career during his time with the Lions. Qualifying for a pair of state championships including a No. 4 finish in his junior year, Pargoe has shown that he is one of the better wrestlers the program has had over the past handful of years.
With his success, earning opportunities to wrestle at the Division I level came as no surprise and Pargoe ended his recruitment this month. On April 21, Pargoe announced his commitment to Division I Gardner-Webb University.
“I would like to thank everyone who helped me come to this decision; family, coaches, and teammates,” Pargoe wrote. “I am very excited about this opportunity to wrestle at a division 1 school. This is a dream come true.”
🔥COMMIT🔥 @GWUWrestling @_smattingly_ @DanieloElliott @jbz_53 @colinpargoe7 #itsjustwork #ncaawrestling #D1 @302sports @1stStateSports pic.twitter.com/Uq78oBBF4m
— Joseph Pargoe (@josephpargoe) April 21, 2021
As a two-sport athlete, the decision to go to school for wrestling wasn’t necessarily a surprise, but not so much of a slam dunk as people may think. As a first team all-Diamond State Conference tight end and linebacker for the Lions, Pargoe received some offers from NAIA programs McPherson College, Clarke University and Avila College. His older brother Colin also plays football at nearby Stevenson University, but Joseph stuck with wrestling as it gave him the best opportunity to attend bigger and more prestigious schools.
“I wanted to play college football up until junior year when I thought maybe I could wrestle in college, but then I still didn’t make up my mind until January of this year that I was going to go into wrestling,” Joseph said.
Throughout his wrestling career at Red Lion, Joseph was able to prove he was one of the better wrestlers in the state. As a sophomore, he finished in fifth place in the conference which allowed him to qualify for the state meet, though he would not place in competition that year. The following season, Joseph’s best, he would finish second in the conference in the 170-pound class before making it to the state tournament where he would finish in fourth in the weight class.
4th in the state‼️🔛🔝🔜 pic.twitter.com/Ma9PFiiSfa
— Joseph Pargoe (@josephpargoe) March 1, 2020
This season, Joseph would again qualify for the state tournament and would win his first match of the day with an impressive pin in the first 24 seconds.
“I felt good,” Joseph said. “I was like ‘I’m coming out of this season state champ’ … I felt great coming into the season. I was in the best shape of my life. I was wrestling good the whole year and we came off our best football year too so I was like ‘This is happening.’”
In the second match, Joseph would take a commanding 7-0 lead before getting his ankle awkwardly caught under him. Though he would win the match by points 10-7, he would lose his following match 8-4, which prevented him from being able to place. Despite the injury and disappointing end to the season, Joseph knew he still had plenty of opportunity to continue his career at the next level.
“It obviously sucked but it kind of motivated me,” Joseph said. “I probably wouldn’t be working as hard this offseason if I didn’t get hurt. Normally I would take a two week break and slowly get back into things, but I was back the next week working because I was like ‘Dang, I can’t believe it ended like that.’”
Although he had a number of programs interested, including taking an official visit to Liberty University, the senior was infatuated with the Runnin’ Bulldogs and the opportunity they had to offer.
“I liked that it was a Christian school and I liked that it was a little smaller because I have gone to a small school literally my whole life so I liked keeping it a small environment,” Pargoe said. “After talking to coaches it feels like I’ll be a good fit. They’re a Christian school and I’m a Christian so when I talk to the coaches we bond over that. I haven’t met any of the wrestlers, but I feel like I’ll get along with them fine.”
As he continues to recover from his ankle injury, Joseph is excited for his Division I turn with Gardner-Webb which begins in August. He hopes that with some more training he can reach even higher levels than he had during his time at Red Lion. Given his continuous improvement with the Lions year over year, it is likely that we’ve only seen the beginning of what will be a great career for Joseph.
“I hope to grow exponentially the first year skillswise with different coaching and different people to roll around with,” Joseph said. “I’m really excited to get in a good room where everyone can get me to compete. … Obviously the goal is to be an All-American walking out of there, to be the best wrestler that I can and to leave a legacy.”
