LINWOOD – The Mainland Regional wrestling team will look to its senior leadership and depth to carry them to success this season.
“We’re a well-balanced team this year,” head coach Clayton Smith said. “I have seniors who have developed over the last four years, some people in the middle who are in the process of developing who came up through our junior program. Then we have a handful of kids who just came out of the junior program as freshmen.”
The Mustangs should have a leg up on many teams simply for having every weight class covered.
“One good thing, barring injury or COVID issues, is we’re going to have a full lineup,” said Smith. “That’s big because not many teams can fill all 14 weight classes.”
The team was sporting a 2-3 record to start this week and beat Overbrook 60-18 on Jan. 8 with the wrestlers scoring six pins in the match.
Mustang’s Noah Fontana at 120 pounds earned his pin in 1:27; Jackeline Oviedo at 126 pinned in 1:05: Nikko Carfagno at 132 got a pin in 2:31; Jackson Waters at 138 pinned in 1:30; 144—pounder Tyler Sheeler got a pin in 35 seconds and Gary Williams at 190 earned a pin in 49 seconds. Mustangs Andrew Siteman (106), Matthew Dikes (150), Jack Pokrass (165) and Paul Lombardo (215) all won by forfeit.
Smith will lean on his veterans to set the example.
“Jake Pokrass and Rob Sheeler are two standout seniors,” he said. “We also have Harry Franks, who’s out right now with an injured hand, and Jackson Waters. They’re my core seniors who have been with us four years. Rob is just a solid, tough kid. He’s developed into a good wrestler. Jake has probably progressed the most of anybody from freshman to senior year.”
After a condensed schedule a year ago, it should be back to normal this season.
“Right now it’s business as usual,” Smith said. “We have a full schedule with quads, tournaments, we’ve already had two duals. Aside from wearing a mask everywhere except while you’re wrestling, it looks like a normal wrestling season.
Pokrass and Sheeler are serving as captains.
“Rob is the voice of the room,” said Smith. “He keeps everything in check. Jake leads more by example.”
What Smith asks of his wrestlers is simple: “My challenge to them would be – and I know it’s a coaching cliché – that I want them to go out and be competitive on the mat every match. Look at the bigger picture sometimes, not just collect your win so you have a good record, but get as many bonus points as you’re capable of. We want to keep the team score in mind too.”
All things considered, Smith is happy where his group is right now.
“You always want more, but after a COVID season last year, and the freshmen having no season, I think we’re at a point I would call a satisfactory level,” he said. “Every day it seems we’re getting better, so by midseason I think we’ll be in a really good spot.”
A team is often only as good as its local youth program and the talent it feeds up. Smith is excited to see what his newcomers can bring.
“This year we have about a half a dozen kids that all came in with some basic fundamentals,” he said. “You review taking a stance, or review taking a shot, double leg or single leg. But you don’t have to completely teach it from scratch. You can tweak stuff but not have to start over. The other thing with the junior program is they took a hit this year, every team did. So looking at ours in particular, the eighth grade class coming in won’t be as big as in the past. But there’s a ton of little kids, which is great. If they have 50 little kids, by the time they get to be eighth-graders, if it’s whittled down to a half-dozen quality kids who embrace the sport and can come in and wrestle – I’ll take that.”
The Mustangs lost to Middle Township, Williamstown and Schalick, but also topped Pitman, 40-30. The loss to Schalick was tight, 37-36.
Mainland was wrestling Holy Spirit Tuesday after the Sentinel sports section went to press.
They have a home quad meet at 10 a.m. Saturday against St. Joe, Manasquan and Egg Harbor Township.