LANDIS — These are not the best of times for the South Rowan wrestling program.

Numbers are down and casualties are up on Patterson Street, where the Raiders have languished through an onsides kick of a season — chaotic, and moving in all different directions.

South has suffered enough injuries to fill a medical journal this winter and entered Thursday night’s CPC match with visiting R.J. Reynolds sporting only seven truly healthy bodies.

“It’s been kind of stressful,” acknowledged 130-pound junior Gaven Mize. “As captain I try to pull this team together every time, but it hasn’t been easy.”

Nor has it been pretty. Yet South (4-11 overall, 0-3 CPC) tried to be encouraged by its display in a 62-11 loss to the Demons, a team expected to challenge Davie County for CPC supremacy. Despite forfeiting two matches and taking pins in seven others, the Raiders left the building filled with optimism.

“The only good thing that’s happened,” explained junior Dale Eidson, “is that some people have improved quickly. The guys that are here are sticking it out. We’re all putting up a fight and giving a hundred percent. By next year we may be a good team.”

“What’s happening here is happening all over wrestling,” he said. “Kids come in and if they’re not gonna start for a year or two, they’re not willing to hang in there. Then you start contending with jobs and girlfriends and cars.

“These 14 or 15 kids we’ve got right now,” Freeman continued, “they’re busting their tails. They’re willing to commit to the program. They realize you have to pay your dues. No one starts out on top.”

Strange as it sounds, that’s exactly where South opened Thursday’s match with Reynolds (17-4, 1-0 CPC). Raiders’ sophomore Brian Helms kicked off the festivities with a resounding 22-6 major decision over Ryan Hart at 103 pounds.

“Brian’s not a big guy, but he’s very quick and he knows the sport,” said Freeman. “Technique and strength will come if he has the drive to fulfill that.”

The Raiders’ 5-0 lead was short-lived. After forfeiting at 112, South’s Jeff Grubb (119) and Keith Garrett each suffered second-period pins before Mize, now 22-7 with 16 pins, was frustrated by Reynolds’ Michael Lee.

“It’s hard to wrestle a rock,” he complained after dropping a 6-3 decision. “The guy got the first two (points) and just stalled out. You can’t wrestle a sack of potatoes. There has to be some movement.”

The guests captured the next three bouts by fall — including unbeaten O.T. Johnson’s win over Joe Taylor (145) in just 31 seconds. At 152 South’s Duane Herman fell 20-2 to Jim House and at 160 the Raiders’ Joe Walker made his varsity debut and was pinned in 2:11 by Casey Hogge, a state runnerup last season.

“We had more strength, more quickness and we’re a lot older than they are,” said winning coach James Alexander. “They’re a young team, just like we were three years ago. It wasn’t that they wrestled terrible. It’s that we were very good. We’ve got what I think is the best team in the conference. And for the first time all season, we had our regular starting lineup in place.”

That didn’t faze Eidson (171), who gave South its only pin of the night when he stopped Ryan Hayes in 2:59. His record improved to 19-9 with 16 pins.

“We know where we want to go,” said Freeman. “It’s just ‘How are we gonna get there?’ and ‘Who are we bringing along?’ If this is the cream of the cream, and these guys stick it out, then we’re gonna be all right.”

Alexander, whose team failed to win a conference match in 1997, can sympathize with Freeman. “I know where he’s been and what he’s trying to do,” he said. “My heart goes out to him. It’s frustrating not having success except in certain spots. But right now South Rowan is only a couple guys away from being pretty good.”