Back in the saddle: Laurel Highlands hosts wrestling match for 1st time in nearly 9 years
Rolling out the mats and returning them for a dual meet is something most wrestlers … and coaches, would rather do without, but it is a necessary evil for the home team.
Laurel Highlands graduate and current head coach Jimmy Harris and his Mustangs were glad to take up the chore Wednesday night, as Laurel Highlands hosted a dual meet for the first time since Jan. 6, 2016.
The Mustangs faced county-rival Albert Gallatin that night, and past Ian Edenfield wrestling individually for two seasons, the gym at Harold “Horse” Taylor Memorial Gymnasium had been quiet on the nights that were normally reserved for section wrestling.
Laurel Highlands got the better of Brownsville, 36-18, on Wednesday in a non-section dual meet, but both Harris and Falcons head coach Martin Vojacek were pleased to get the kids on the mat and show off the sport they love.
Harris, a 2002 graduate who was on the wrestling team, wasn’t definite he would be the high school coach this year, but is glad he accepted the position and is ready to build the program back up.
“I was intending to work with the junior high team, but the previous head coach resigned and I decided to take the high school job after talking it over with my family,” Harris said. “I couldn’t be happier with where we are. The assistant coaches have really stepped up and my wife is helping with the paperwork and all the organization.
“These boys give me 110 percent every day and the school has been fully supportive of the program. It is great being around this younger generation, and I love getting these kids out on the mat because some of them don’t play winter sports, so this gives them that.”
Brownsville is in its second year of a resurgence in the program that hadn’t had varsity wrestling since 2005. Vojacek and his team will be competing in Class 2A Section 3 with Bentworth, Beth-Center, Frazier and Jefferson-Morgan.
The Falcons wrestled as an independent last season, which is what the Mustangs will be doing for at least the next two seasons. The Commodores were a new program roughly 10 years ago and had plenty of growing pains, but pulled themselves up and have qualified for the state team tournament in Class 2A.
Brownsville hosts Beth-Center in the section opener next Wednesday at 7 p.m.
The Falcons have their own wrestling room this year, which is a necessity in building a program.
“We have our own room right now, and Dr. Kristin Martin, she is our acting superintendent, was very instrumental in that,” Vojacek said. “She’s from Connellsville, and she knows what goes into having a top-level program and understood what we were going through without having a room.
“It’s nice because we’re not spending 40 minutes a day rolling out mats and rolling them back up and having to deal with basketball teams wanting to practice around us.”
A junior high dual meet preceded the high school action, which was highly competitive and had full lineups from both teams.
“That match was unbelievable,” Vojacek said. “Every weight class was filled and they were all very competitive. It’s nice to see Laurel Highlands back with us, and hopefully both of us can move forward with our programs. We are excited about our youth program and the numbers in it because you must have a feeder program.”
Brownsville had four starters dealing with injuries, but earned victories in three of the four matches contested, as Ricky Pontious (145), Devin Drake (215) and Michael Ulery (285) all won by fall. Drake and Ulery tralied early in their bouts before turning things around.
Laurel Highlands’ Alex Jones recorded a pin in 1:51 at 127 pounds. The Mustangs’ Allan Carpinelli (133), Anthony Weygandt (139), Quenten Gouker (160) and Brandon Dunn (172) won by forfeit.
“We have a lot of endurance to work on with the guys,” Harris said. “The guys that were on the mat had a little bit of trouble finishing, and I think having that endurance got the best of them, but we’ll work on it. The boys learned a lot tonight about everything that goes into a match. They are learning important and valuable life lessons in the first couple of weeks.”
The Falcons opened the season last Friday in the Southwest Kickoff Classic at Valley High School and had four placewinners in Ulery (3rd at 285), James Pontious (5th at 121), Ricky Pontious (5th at 145) and Drake (5th at 215).
Lexi Lewandowsky took second at 170 in the girls tournament.
“Ricky is one of our team captains,” Vojacek said. “He came to us last year after transferring into Brownsville from Ohio. He has some wrestling experience, and as you can see, Ricky is a pretty polished wrestler. The kids look up to him and he is definitely our most experienced wrestler, and I think it showed on the mat tonight.”
Harris is looking to get his team more mat time as the season progresses. Laurel Highlands is eligible to have competitors in the individual postseason tournaments. The goal is to get back into the WPIAL and compete for team and individual championships.
“We have the coaches, kids and parents buying into everything, which is a deadly combination,” Harris said. “But you need all three to be dedicated. You can’t have one or two.”