The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1054616
D-8 Winter Sports Preview Wednesday, November 21, 2018 The Press-Dispatch Pike Central grapplers reloading for the future Pictured above is the 2018-19 Pike Central High School wrestling team. They are, first row, left to right: Jagar Gladish, Adon Sanchez, Jaydon Gordon, Hunt- er Kunz, Jon Cannon, Dalton Williams, Isaiah Greer, Lane Potts and Simon McCrary. Second row: Gunner Earley, Cody Davis, Tyler Kirby, Blake Henson, Brandon Goeppner, Wyatt Frasure, Ian Allen and Lane Miller. Not pictured: Adam Jones and Taylor Atkins. Ed Cahill photo We can do that if we have the right attitude and work ethic. We will see where we are after the first match and what our weaknesses are and come back and work on it." – Coach Ryan McCain " 625 N. Ninth St., Petersburg Phone: 812-354-8776 Wishing all Pike Central Chargers the best of luck this season. GO CHARGERS! Charger By Andy Heuring Press-Dispatch Sports sports@pressdispatch.net Pike Central graduated a lot of talented wrestlers last year, but their new head coach is confident the Char- gers are reloading with a lot of young talent and have a bright future ahead of them. Ryan McCain, Pike Cen- tral's most successful ev- er wrestler, has taken over the reins of the Chargers. In 1998, McCain placed third in the state at 275 pounds and 12th in nation for high schoolers. He went on to be a national runner-up at Iowa Central in NCA A Division II tournament. McCain has been assis- tant coach for the last three years and has worked as a volunteer for years with the program. McCain said he was asked about the po- sition last year when Bil- ly Hewig announced he was leaving. McCain said it was something he had al- ways wanted to do, but just hadn't been in the position to be able to take on a full- time coach position. "The last four years being back in the area and being able to commit to the program has been big for me." But now being able to take on the head coaching positions is "something I al- ways wanted to do." He has 19 kids on the team and knows they grad- uated a lot of talent, losing Regional Champion Silas Goff at heavy, state finalist Jake Sisk and regional qual- ifiers Christian Alvey, Dylan Jones and Gavin Boyd. But McCain confident- ly states, "The future is bright." At 113 pounds he will have sophomore Lane Potts who will be wrestling 113 for the second season. "He is a tough kid. Last year he wrestled the sectional with a fractured sternum." Mc- Cain said Potts was hurt- ing but continued to wres- tle. Then after the sectional went to the doctor and found out his sternum was broken. He was literally one of Mc- Cain's first recruits. McCain said he knew Potts' parents and hired him to paint his fence. While he was there, McCain saw he was small and knew he had open- ings in the lower weights. So he asked Potts if he ev- er thought about wrestling. "He really proved to be good for us." At 120 there are two wres- tlers, Dalton Williams and Isaiah Greer, vying for the spot. Williams was a regional qualifier and placed third in the PAC. Greer as a fresh- man won the Pike Central Freshman Invitational last year. He said both are very hard workers. "Iron sharp- ens iron," said McCain of the 120 pound weight class. At 126 Lane Miller is a sophomore who last year was a regional qualifier. "He has been in the weight room and wrestling room all offseason. He is just a hard- nosed kid," said McCain. Jaydon Gordon is a senior who has wrestled for three years. Gordon and Simon McCrary will vie for the 132 pound spot. McCrary is a competitive hockey play- er. "He hasn't missed a ses- sion in the offseason," said McCain. Junior Blake Henson at 138 pounds is a team cap- tain. He started wrestling his freshman year and was in and out of the lineup last year. "When he was in the lineup he performed," said McCain. He said when the Char- gers beat Jasper last year in a dual meet Henson's match was a key. Henson had to wrestle one of Jas- per's best wrestlers. "You wouldn't have thought he would have lasted long, but he fought hard and stuck out and didn't give up a major decision." Because of that Pike Central was able to win the match. There is more competi- tion at 145 pounds. Bran- don Goeppner is a junior who participated in a lot of camps on his own this sum- mer and worked hard to get ready for the season. How- ever, he is suffering from mononucleosis and isn't able to practice. While he is out freshman Jon Cannon will be wrestling at 145. Mc- Cain said Cannon was wres- tling in the seventh grade when he started coaching. "He is really setting the bar for the incoming freshmen. I think he went to five differ- ent camps. It is rare to see his kind of passion for the sport," said McCain. At 152 pounds McCain ex- pects to see Jagar Gladish have a breakout year in his junior season. Last year he was in and out of the start- ing lineup. McCain said Gladish has been working hard all summer and at- tending camps. "He should have a breakout year. I ex- pect him to get out of the sectional and then we will just see where he stands." Another freshman with a bright future is Wyatt Fra- sure at 160 pounds. "I have coached Wyatt all through middle school. He is a hard worker and tough as nails. He doesn't make any excuses. He shows up and is one of the incoming freshmen I'm excited about. He has a bright future in the sport." At 170 the Chargers will have junior Tyler Kirby, who is a two-time PAC and sec- tional champion along with being the school record holder in the pole vault. "I'm expecting a breakout year from Tyler. He wrestled last year but had a knee inju- ry that set him back. He is a standout in the room," said McCain. "Tyler has no fear. He isn't afraid of trying high- risk moves. He just throws caution to the wind. Conse- quently he is fun to watch. I'm hoping he has a big year." Ian Allen will be at 182 pounds and is another kid who put in a lot of work in the off season. "I'm looking forward to him being able to show what he can do this year," said McCain. Allen didn't get to wres- tle in the sectional last year. McCain said Pike Central had a scale problem that was weighing kids a cou- ple pounds lighter than it should have been. When they got to the sectional at Huntingburg, several kids were caught by surprise at being at or overweight. Allen wasn't able to make weight. Gunner Earley will start at 195 pounds. Just a fresh- man, he will almost always be competing against old- er and stronger kids. But he brings a two-time PAC middle school champion re- sume with him. "He is an- other incoming freshman we are looking to for big things." McCain said he expected Earley to have some grow- ing pains early in the season as he wrestles older compet- itors, but added, "He will dig down and figure it out. The sky is the limit for him." Cody Davis is set for 220 pounds. It is his first year for wres- tling but McCain said Davis is picking it up quickly. He went to a tournament over the summer and "went the distance with a couple of them and almost won a cou- ple in his first time wres- tling." Aidon Sanchez, another freshman, will be wrestling 275 pounds even though he only weighs about 225. "He will be pretty undersized, but he will grow into it. It will be a good learning year for him." McCain knows winning meets with a young team that is going to give up a couple of forfeits will be hard. "I'm not that worried about the team record. We are short a couple of weight classes. I just want them showing up and working hard and competing. I don't want us to go out and give up quick cheap pins. I want us to go out and wrestle a good hard six minutes and compete with everyone," McCain. "We can do that if we have the right attitude and work ethic. We will see where we are after the first match and what our weaknesses are and come back and work on it," said McCain. He also knows with the talented and passionate young core of wrestlers he has they can get to the point of being competitive with everyone in the area and be in the mix year after year for the conference and section- al titles. "If we create the right cul- ture and keep working we will get there," said McCain. 812-354-8404 292 W. Main St. • Petersburg ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS Petersburg: Tues. & urs 8am-5pm Jasper: Mon. & Wed, 8am-5pm Fri., 7am-2pm Plus appointments by special arrangement. WALK-INS WELCOME Most insurances accepted. Adults & Children Good Luck! to all Pike Central SPORTS TEAMS! 2018-'19 WRESTLING BOYS'