By Kyle LoJacono
Sunlake High’s wrestling team lost eight starters to graduation from last year’s team, but there are 35 Seahawks ready to fill that void this season.
“Our best asset is our numbers,” said second-year Sunlake coach Russ Schenk, also the school’s athletic director. “Each week our lineup changes as new kids improve and rise to the top.
“We’re taking baby steps,” Schenk continued. “We’re about 50-50 with guys who have experience wrestling to new guys. We’re progressing faster than I anticipated. The kids are motivated and working hard every day.”
Schenk is still learning who the best wrestlers will be at the end of the year.
“Right now it’s about mat time,” Schenk said. “It’s all about getting the younger guys enough mat time so they get all the moves and pick the ones that work best for them. Once we give them enough chances during the season we’ll know who our 14 guys are come districts.”
Last year, the Seahawks placed third in Class 2A, District 8 tournament and sent 10 wrestlers to regionals, an accomplishment considering the level of wrestling in the area.
“It’s probably the second hardest region in the state when you look at all three classes,” Schenk said. “If you get to states out of this area you’re almost guaranteed to place because you’ve been facing the best.”
Only the top six in states place. Only one Seahawk has ever accomplished that feat — Jarrett Baker. The Sunlake graduate was fourth in states in 2009, the same year he was the Sunshine Athletic Conference, district and regional champion. He has returned to his school as a volunteer assistant to help the wrestling team get to the top.
“He’s been a big help, especially for the bigger guys like Brandon Franklin (285 pounds),” Schenk said. “We didn’t have guys his size to go up against in practice before and I’m too old to jump in there every day. Jarrett has been able to work with him and show him what a big guy has to do to win.”
One wrestler who is making a push to add his name next to Baker’s on the wall in the Seahawks gym is senior 145-pounder Sean Hart. He reached regionals as both a freshman and junior.
“As a freshman it was overwhelming,” Hart said. “I was just amazed by all the good wrestlers that were there. As a junior it wasn’t like that and I was just trying to do as well as I could. The experience helped. … I’d like to place in states. That’s been a dream since I was a freshman.”
Hart, who started the season with a 4-0 record, is the team-captain this year and acts like another coach for the squad; giving teammates pointers on technique and when to use certain moves.
“I’ll watch the younger guys and when they do something that doesn’t work I talk with them about why they should have done something different or how they can improve what they did,” Hart said. “If it works, we talk about why it did work. Wrestling might be an individual sport, but I like to make all of our team better. Overall that makes us all better when we’re on the mat.”
Junior Wesley Wood, who competes at either 112 or 119 pounds, also has the goal of placing in states.
“I’m working on all new things to get to that level,” Wood said. “Coach has been great teaching me what I need to do to get to that point. It was weird going through two coaches between my freshman and sophomore year and having the same coach is making it easier this year. He knows what we do well and what we need to do better.”
Somewhat new to the team, but not to the sport, is sophomore John Ortiz who competes at 112 pounds. As a freshman he was two matches away from qualifying for states.
“I actually had the kid pinned, but he’s crazy strong,” Ortiz said. “I couldn’t finish him, but it was a really good experience and made me a lot better. It makes me push harder in practice to get to the point I can overcome someone that strong.”
All three wrestlers picked up the sport because of their family. Wood’s father Lee and Hart’s father William competed in high school. Ortiz started wrestling at a young age because of his older brother Eddie.
“I wanted to be as good as him,” Ortiz said. “He was sixth in the state at 112 pounds in 2007 with Wesley Chapel (High). I started wrestling with the Wesley Chapel Wrestling Club to be like him.”
Like a competitive brother, Ortiz said he wants to finish better than sixth in states.
“I want to be able to rub that in his face a little,” Ortiz said jokingly.
