Eagles Wrestling opens Tuesday

What made a dozen or so Eagles athletes skimp on Thanksgiving dinner last week?

The idea that they would be stepping on a scale and expected to make weight in two weeks might have had a lot to do with Eagles wrestlers not going for seconds on turkey day.  
The SoBoCo Eagles wrestling team will open their first season on Tuesday, Dec. 6 at the Middle School gym. The match will begin at 7 p.m.

Eagles coach Trent Tracy said his team has come a long way in the past few weeks and he was looking forward to seeing his team take on the Macon Tigers.

“We are at a point that I need to see our kids in competition so I know what we need to practice and learn in the wrestling room,” Tracy said.

The Eagles wrestling team will be stepping onto the mat for the first time in competition, however, the team held practices last year and wrestled an inter-squad dual meet last February.

“We have some good athletes wrestling, but we only have one or two guys who have any experience. But Macon has a young, inexperienced team as well – so we should have a good match.”

The Eagles lineup will start with freshman Connor Phillips at 106 lbs. Isaac Smith at 113 lbs., Tyler Lutz at 126 lbs., and Blake Schmidt at 132 lbs.

Schmidt has solid experience having wrestled for Tolton High School last year. Tracy said Schmidt has done a good job of wrestling with different Eagles in the smaller weights to give them the experience of a seasoned workout partner.

The SoBoCo middle weights will include: Blaine Sapp 138 lbs., Ty Varvil at 145, Bo Varvil at 152 and Lance Matheny at160 lbs.

Eagles football fans will recognize the SoBoCo wrestlers at the heavier weights – Jackson Sartain at 170 lbs., Cooper Mange at 182 lbs., Trent Garriott at 195, Tanner Smith at 220 and Dominic Lawrence at 285 lbs.

Tuesday’s match will be one of only two home meets (due to scheduling difficulties that go with being a first-year program) and Tracy says he is looking for a big crowd.

“We hope to develop a good following,” Tracy said, “these athletes have worked extremely hard and they would agree this is the toughest sport they have ever tried.”