106-Pound MRH Freshman Wrestler Goes to State, Dreams of Designing Cars

Maplewood Richmond Heights freshman Romell Person stands 5 foot 1 ½ inches in wrestling shoes, and is soft-spoken, but his “yes sir” and “no sir” sets him apart.

“My mom said always show your elders respect,” he said. “Show everyone respect, and you will get through life easier.”

Person hasn’t made life easier for his opponents on the wrestling mat. He qualified for the state meet this year, at 106, no easy task for any wrestler.

“As a freshman a lot of people didn’t think I was going to make it,” he said. “So I really wanted to work my way up to the top, to where I could go to state as a freshman, so I wouldn’t let anybody down.”

As a fifth-grader, he got second in the AAU state meet, then was disappointed in sixth-grade. “I didn’t do that well, I got fifth in state,” he said. “So I really didn’t think wrestling was for me.” But he stayed with it.

“I started worked harder and harder, and it got me to state,” he said. “Even though I didn’t place, still went to state as a freshman.”

Person has played football since he was six years old. “I really like that sport,” he said. He played on the JV team this year. This spring he’s thinking of doing freestyle wrestling and track. He also plans on going to a summer wrestling camp.

Person is the third sibling in his family to attend MRH. He said his brother, Tim Ray, has the record in football rushing yards and touchdowns for MRH. His sister, DeePkia Williams, played volleyball, basketball and soccer.

He’s not just about sports, though.

“If my sports don’t work out I want to be a car designer,” he said, “So I can see people riding around in my cars that I built.”

He said he’s got some designs already. “They’re not that great right now, but I think that when I start taking art classes that will make it better.

“I’m trying to stay at it,” he said of his classes in general. “I think that I could be doing better. Trying to push my way to the top.”

Read about, and see photos of Person playing football as a Jr. Blue Devil.

Also in Patch:

• Jr. Blue Devils Program Offers Football to MRH Youth