In an era when sports teams? training rooms are filled with sleek, sophisticated workout machines designed around scientific principles, Oxford’s varsity wrestlers are taking a more ‘old school? approach to their conditioning.
Doing squats while holding 200-pound tractor tires and swinging sledge hammers are just some of the old-fashioned ways the wrestlers have been preparing for their upcoming season.
‘Physically we’re doing stuff that no one else is doing,? said Head Coach Scott Couch. ‘The guys are all fired up.?
With 67 names on the varsity roster, there’s no shortage of strength, talent or desire on this year’s team.
‘We’ve got everything in place to be that other team, to go that next level,? Couch said. ‘I look for great things from these guys.?
Leading the team are 10 returning seniors ? Captains Kyle Brammer and Zach Line, Keith Bessler, Brad Jacobsen, Danny Cummings, Danny Johnston, Juno Cameron, Blake Smith, Don Pohl and Chris Sunman.
For Brammer, this year is the opportunity he’s been waiting for. ‘Ever since he was in sixth grade he wanted to be captain of this team,? Couch said. ‘He finally is and it shows every time he comes in to work out.?
So what’s this team’s ultimate goal?
‘These seniors want to go to the big dance, they want to go to the state tournament,? Couch said. ‘They’ve been working on it since Day One and even before that.?
What impresses Couch most is their desire to achieve their goal together.
‘It’s a family when you walk in this room,? he said. ‘They want to go (to the state tournament) as a team. That’s the one thing about this team is they’re very unified. I think they’d rather go as a team and do it than individually, which is kind of a reverse in wrestling. Normally, it’s an individual thing and if the team thing comes along that’s fine.?
Given how hard the team’s been working and how focused they’ve been, Couch doesn’t see the state tournament as an unrealistic goal at all.
‘When it comes down to February and they’re sorting out the best eight in the state, we should be in that mix,? he said. ‘These guys are working hard to get respect.?
Couch said this year’s team has the advantage of ‘always being considered the underdog.?
‘We’re kind of the dark horse coming in,? he explained. ‘No one here is a state placer. We’ve got a couple of state qualifiers, but that’s it. We’ve got guys that probably should have been in the tournament last year but got knocked out in tough weight classes. Everybody’s hungry.?
In individual competition, Couch said he ‘could see six, seven, maybe eight guys making it to the state tournament.?
‘That’s a pretty big accomplishment in itself,? he noted.
But the team’s seniors aren’t the only threat or the only hope to bring home the gold.
‘I’ve got underclassmen that are going to upset some people,? Couch said. ‘And some new guys coming in that are really, really tough.?
Juniors to take note of this year are Mike Myer, Bo Cantara, Josh Villareal and Dylan Smith. ‘These guys have been here and it’s their time,? Couch said.
Sophomores Kevin Jickling, Kevin Hein and Steve Ferguson are adding toughness to the team.
And watch out for freshman Matt Frisch and in particular freshman Keegan Cantara.
‘He’s real tiny right now, but tough, tough as nails,? said Couch, referring to Cantara.
Couch said the team’s success now and in the future will ultimately spring from the ‘great feeder program? that reloads it year after year.
Right now, that feeder program includes 58 wrestlers at the middle school and 87 kids, ages 5-12, in the club program.
‘You look at all the great teams ? Davison, Lapeer when they were in their prime ? and their feeder programs are awesome,? Couch said. ‘We’re getting to that level. I’m not putting us in that same caliber yet, but we’re getting close and we’re working hard.?
The team’s season opener is a quad meet which will take place today (Nov. 28) in Lake Orion. Oxford will face Lake Orion, Rochester Adams and Utica Ford.