Huntingdon Wrestling Preseason Report
Montgomery, Ala-Though the official start of the wrestling season may not start until November 13, the annual Scarlet and Grey Match in Wilson Gym marks the start of the season for the Huntingdon Wrestling Team and they're more than ready.
"We were super excited to get back practicing but now that we've been practicing, we're ready to compete," Head Coach Matt Oliver said. "Our intersquad is the first real tidbit for them to compete and to see how it's going to be. We have a lot of freshmen in the lineup, so they don't yet know college procedures and what it'll look like. A lot of them are anxious and nervous but it's out of excitement."
The Hawks will also be presenting 2 Academic All-American Awards from the 2020-21 year to Jack Haury and Joseph Pearson. This award is determined by the Coaches' Association to outstanding student-athletes with at least a 3.2 GPA.
The last time the Hawks Wrestling team held the Scarlet and Grey Match was 2019.
"2 years ago, Wilson Gym was packed. We're going to shape the bleachers around the mat; it's going to be a show for the fans. We want to show how good we are and how good we can be. We want to see the wrestlers giving effort, not just about who can win a match," Coach Oliver said.
Expectations and Goals
17 new student-athletes join 9 returners to make up the 10 weight classes for the Hawks.
"There will be some young wrestlers out there mixed in with the older guys. We have a few guys bumping up weight classes," Coach Oliver said.
"4 or 5 of our starting lineup will be upperclassmen and the rest of the weight classes will be freshmen. It's a young roster. It's good for us for the future but we may not have as much success right away just because we're so young but our upperclassmen are very talented," Coach Oliver said.
With only 4 matches in 2020-21, the Hawks spent most of their time in the weight room and practicing.
"We've had a long break of just training. We're just anxious to see what they've learned in their time here and how the ones that have changed weight classes handle that," Coach Oliver said.
One of the main goals for Huntingdon Wrestling is in the classroom.
"We have a team GPA goal of 3.4. That's our number one goal," Coach Oliver said.
Their second goal, and main wrestling goal, is to have wrestlers place in regional tournaments, whether in the Top 6 or Top 8. The top 3 finishers in the regional tournaments qualify for nationals. While there have been Hawks that have finished in the top 8 before, it would be the first time a Huntingdon wrestler has finished in the top 6 at a regional tournament.
Additionally, the team is looking for more Academic All-Americans. According to the National Wrestling Coaches Association, in order to qualify for the award, wrestlers must: have a 3.2 GPA and meet one of the following: 1.The wrestler must be a national qualifier this season with a .500 winning percentage; 2. The wrestler must have placed in the top six at the NCAA Regional Tournament. He must have a minimum .500 winning percentage and must have competed in at least 50 percent of his institution's total scheduled competition of NCAA sanctioned events; 3. The wrestlers must have a minimum .670 winning percentage, and must have competed in at least 50 percent of his institution's total scheduled competition of NCAA sanctioned events.
Wrestlers to Watch
One of the first wrestlers to watch is Jack Haury, a junior who will be wrestling in a new weight class this year.
"[Jack] has gained 40 pounds thanks to Coach Goodyear, so we're excited to see what he'll be able to do wrestling in the heavyweight class," Coach Oliver said.
Jayson Spencer, a junior who is down a weight class, was one of the top wrestlers in the regional tournament. Andrew Smith, a senior, will be wrestling in the 133 class.
Gabe Pittman is potentially up a weight class this year.
"[Gabe] does the student and athlete parts of student-athlete very well. He's lean and put on some weight so there's a lot of questions about what he'll be able to do but we're excited to see him wrestle," Coach Oliver said.
Jason Minchew, a freshman, has been "a standout guy so far," according to Coach Oliver. Minchew comes in as a 4th place wrestler in Alabama.
David Burgess, also a freshman, was a 3-time placer in Georgia as well as a state finalist. "He comes in with a lot of accolades and we're looking forward to how he'll perform in college," Coach Oliver said.
Gavin Strain, Burgess' workout partner and a freshman, is "one of the hardest workers on the roster," Coach Oliver says. In practice matches, he beat multiple returners at a variety of weight classes.
Nick Brasheer, a freshman on the mat, is "a true leader in the room. You would never know he was a freshman," Coach Oliver said. Brasheer is active in the military and was an Alabama state champion before coming to Huntingdon. "We're very excited to see him wrestle."
As far as Covid is concerned, the Hawks are just excited to be able to travel and wrestle in tournaments again.
"We adapt and overcome [Covid]. It just seems normal at this point," Coach Oliver said.
For full schedule and roster information, visit https://www.huntingdonhawks.com/sports/wrest/index.