New-Look Wrestling Team Includes 10 Freshmen, New Coach
28 Nov 2008

First year Manchester High School wrestling coach Kyle Wood is excited about not only the 2008-09 season, but with the future seasons as well.
Wood inherits a young team, but a team that is ready to learn and to grow.
Wood, a social studies teacher at MHS, was part of a strong wrestling tradition as an athlete at Columbia City High School. He was part of four sectional and three regional championship teams. He also was part of a team that finished in the top four at state.
Former teammate Kyler Kirby is on board as an assistant coach, along with Nate Birch, Scott Bowman, and Keith Sorg.
“We have a great coaching staff,” Wood said. “We have a lot of guys who know what they are talking about.”
Numbers are up for the wrestling team, but Wood hopes to bring even more wrestlers onto the team.
“We have 20 kids on the team this year, including 10 freshmen, which is a great thing,” he said. “I’d like to have a few more, and eventually, if we can get to 40 (wrestlers), that would be awesome.”
In the preseason, Wood and his coaches have been impressed with what they have seen.
“There has been no problem with intensity or their work ethic. That’s just instilled in them” he said. “We are working on getting them to be technically sound. There isn’t a lot of knowledge of good proper technique. You should see the Squires better on their feet from neutral (position), getting lots of take downs. That’s one thing we’ve been preaching. We’re pretty blessed to have the young group that we have.”
The Squires are led by two seniors, Eddie Black (145) and Jacob Hutchinson (152).
The Squires won’t have anyone in the 103 or heavyweight classes to start the season.
At 112, freshmen Justin Dill and junior Jeremy Walters will be battling for the spot, while Payton Sorg will be at 119. Freshman Brayden Bowman will be at 125, while classmates Preston Penrod and Bryce Pyrah will be at 130 and 135, respectively.
Junior Rex Tharp will wrestle at 140, while John Dill will be at 145.
Freshman Dillon Boyd, sophomore Josh Amick, junior Geovanny Flores, and senior Jacob Hutchinson will all battle at 152.
Freshmen Dustin Boyd and Drew Dahlstrom will vie for the 160 spot along with Matt Fairchild.
Freshmen Aaron Johnson and Aaron Snep will be at 171, while exchange student Ujarneq Sorenson will wrestle at 189.
Sophomore Dominick Byrns, who advanced to regional last season, is out with an injury, but will fill the 215 spot when he returns.
“We have a lot of good talent coming in,” Wood said. “A couple of them know what they’re doing. We’re just finding that raw talent, kind of shining it up, and getting these kids more technically sound in what they do. A kid may be a great athlete, but you have to teach them the fundamentals.”
Wood expects to see those fundamentals improve as the season progresses.
The Squires open the season Tuesday, November 25 at home against Peru.