Dolde looks for Falcons to take another step forward
Connellsville wrestling coach Tommy Dolde is looking for the Falcons to take another step in the right direction this season.
“We had two state qualifiers last year and we have one of those back in senior heavyweight Louie Mauro,” Dolde said. “We made the quarterfinals in the WPIAL team tournament, which is a step in the right direction, because we hadn’t won a playoff match in a few years.”
Dolde is very optimistic because in addition to Mauro he will have several seniors in the line-up. Three of those will be four-year starters Tommy Provance (182), Bryce Butler (145-152), and William Bell (152-160).
Despite taking some positive steps, Dolde felt the Falcons should have been a little better and is looking for overall improvement this year.
“I’m hard on myself that way because I always feel we should be better than what we have shown,” he said. “Even the year we won the state championship, we had two losses and I wanted to have the perfect season everyone dreams about. However, at the end of the day, you’ve got to be satisfied with your body of work.”
Dolde tells his kids if they come in and work hard every day and enjoy what they’re doing the payoff at the end will be satisfying. He said Mauro is an example of a good work ethic.
“He came up as a sophomore and continued to make small strides every year and worked to get better,” Dolde said. “At the end of all of that Louie made himself into a very good wrestler.”
Dolde said there is more overall experience on the team this year, even though there are some holes to fill. He said three other seniors are pushing for mat time in Jules Stash, Sterling Miller, and Devin Cafasso. “Having this group of seniors and some talented sophomores and freshmen is a good mix of youth and experience.”
Some of the youthful experience Dolde will count on will be sophomores Mason Franks (120) and Luke Kuhns (170). Dolde said he is still working to find the right bodies in the lighter weight classes and may have to go with freshmen. To that end, Dolde said the Falcons have about 30 kids in the wrestling room so the wrestle-offs should be pretty spirited.
Dolde said his goals haven’t changed in trying to win the section, WPIAL and state tournaments, however to get there the road now runs through a very tough Belle Vernon squad.
“Coming into the season they’re ranked No. 1 in the WPIAL and second in the state, and either 12th or 15th in the country,” Dolde said. “I’ve seen these guys for two years and they have grown into a good group of wrestlers. They will be tough.”
The Falcons will have a chance to test themselves early when they open the season at home against the Leopards on Dec. 9. Dolde said Albert Gallatin and Thomas Jefferson will be very competitive in the section this year.
“It’s good competition so might as well face the best so you see where you stand and were you have to improve.”
Dolde thinks if his team comes along as expected to Falcons should a much better team at the end of the season based on their schedule, which provides some of the best competition that can be found.
“With the youth and experience we have I’m looking for these kids to improve weekly,” he said. “Our goal is to improve every single day. If we take some lumps along the way, that’s OK. As long as it helps us to get where we need to be and reach our goals at the end of the season.”