The Titans Defeat the Byzantines
44-45 in OT

We had our very first high school fencing club meet on Friday, September
30. Competing were the West Salem High School Titans and the Salem
Homeschool Byzantines. The Titans were represented by juniors Benjamin Bond (captain), Christopher Marsaglia, and Alex Grasley. The Byzantines fielded Alex Kohan (captain and reserve fencer), Gary Girod, Joshua Keatley, and Charles Allen.

In the 45-point relay match (score is cumulative), the results were as
follows:

1. Grasley vs. Allen: 5-3 bout, 5-3 match
2. Marsaglia vs. Girod: 5-4 bout, 10-7 match
3. Bond vs. Keatley: 5-0 bout, 15-7 match
4. Marsaglia vs. Allen: 4-6 bout, 19-13 match
5. Grasley vs. Keatley: 6-0 bout, 25-13 match
6. Bond vs. Girod; 5-4 bout, 30-17 match
7. Marsaglia vs. Keatley: 5-0 bout, 35-17 match
Kohan substituted in for Allen
8. Bond vs. Kohan: 4-4 bout, 39-21 match
9. Grasley vs. Girod: 6-23 bout, 44-44 match
Grasley vs. Girod: 1-0 in sudden death overtime, 45-44 match

Final score, 44-45, victory for WSHS in overtime.

The highlight of the match was definitely the last bout, when
15-year-old Gary Girod brought the Byzantines up from an 18-point
deficit to tie the score just before regulation time expired. Girod
scored an amazing 23 touches in just three minutes. Grasley simply
couldn't defend himself against Girod's offensive game, and Girod only
gave up five touches in the process. However, that effort required an
enormous expenditure of energy, which allowed Grasley to cooly score
the winning touch in overtime when Girod made a distance error. It was
a real nail-biter, and a great way to kick of the fencing season at
SCF.