The wrestling team has made “drastic improvements” this year, according to coach Philip Plowman.
Most recently at the Feb. 9 Regional tournament, junior Lester Hernandez came in fifth in the 106 pound weight class, as an alternate for States. Junior Jordan Grimsely and sophomore Darius Corbin finished in the top eight out of a 16 man bracket.
Previously, at the Feb. 2 District tournament, three members qualified to go to Regionals. Hernandez took second place, and Grimsely and Corbin came in third place, in the 126 and 132 pound weight division respectively.
On Jan. 12 at Stuarts Draft, Hernandez and Corbin both placed first, with Grimsely and senior Joe Oddo coming in fourth.
“I love what the sport of wrestling does to a young person. It changes you physically and mentally,” Philip Plowman said.
Last year the team faced the physical challenge of having many team members injured. This year the team has managed to avoid injuries thus far, but the new year has presented new challenges.
“We are giving up a lot of weight classes, which makes us lose a lot of matches as a team,” Hernandez said. However, the team is working hard to counter this, by “getting stronger over the season” and just working through it.
Unlike many other sports, there aren’t many youth wrestling program. This means that many team members are new to the sport and have little experience competing.
“Our team isn’t a full one,” junior Masato Dowling said. “Also, we have a lot of new guys in varsity. We work with what we have and we try to show the guys moves and just the feel of wrestling.”
The AHS team has a plethora of wrestling moves that they use to pin, or beat their opponents. “I like the ‘turk’. It involves hooking someone’s leg and cross-facing them. (Punching them with your forearm)” junior Jordan Grimsely said.
Plowman also has his personal favorite wrestling move for the team, the “Cradle series: locking hands around someone’s neck and behind their leg. Once you learn how to perform it correctly, you can hit them from almost any position,” Plowman said.
“My favorite thing about wrestling is friendship made from it and just wrestling.” Dowling said. “There’s so much technique and strategy involved in wrestling, with the working out what your opponent might do and what you can do. It’s not only a muscle game, it’s a mind game, and afterward, if you lose or if you win, in most cases the other guy is a good sport about it.”
Plowman also shared his favorite aspects coaching the wrestling team: “It’s a joy to watch these young boys mature, become respectful and build a work ethic that will carry them through the rest of their lives. A young man or woman who makes it four years of a wrestling career, will have the drive and discipline that will make them successful in all aspects of their future.”
The AHS wrestling team look up to role models who they find inspiring and strong. One such person is Coach Plowman.
“I look up to my coach because he’s very tough and motivating,” Grimsley said.
Dowling agreed, saying, “I look up to my coach, Coach Plowman. He taught me a lot of stuff and he’s one of the few adults I feel comfortable talking to freely. He’s pretty funny too.”
