Piedmont Wrestlers Have Experience
Piedmont Academy wrestling coach Darrell Young will have several competitors with plenty of varsity experience during the upcoming season.
Young, who recently completed the process of finalizing his roster for the 2006-07 campaign, said he believes he has three of the top wrestlers in the state in Ryan Young (128), B.J. Benjamin (123) and Blake McMichael (145). Coach Young expects big things from each of these wrestlers this winter.
In addition to those three standouts, Coach Young has several other wrestlers with potential.
Sophomore Wade Roberts (103) is in his first year on the team. Junior Isaac Abbott (137) has wrestled before and is back with the Mat Cougar program this season.
Hayden Louis, a sophomore, is a transfer student, but the 143-pounder competed on the junior varsity team at Heritage High School last season.
Junior Charlie Needham returns at 176. Senior Joey Schroeder is hoping to be able to compete in 2006-07, but is still recovering from a broken hand suffered during football season.
Several younger wrestlers will compete at the junior varsity level for Piedmont including seventh graders Chandler Sanders and Drew Odegaard, sixth grader Bradley Mitchell and fifth graders Montana Sanders, Mills Smith and Malcom Tyler.
Third graders Ben Davis and Dawson Sanders will compete on the elementary school level.
“We are happy about our returning wrestlers and out newcomers,” Coach Young said. “We have the potential to have some success on the mat this season. The wrestlers are working hard and should be ready to compete.”
The Mat Cougars were scheduled to begin the new season Wednesday in a tri-match against Riverside and Windsor in Gainesville. The second match of the season will be Friday, Dec. 15 against George Walton Academy and Windsor in Monroe at 5:30 p.m.
Piedmont will also compete in a tournament hosted by Tattnall Square Academy in Macon Dec. 16.
The GISA has divided its schools which compete in wrestling into four regions this season. The Mat Cougars will be in Region 1 along with Brandon Hall, Riverside, Mills Springs, Holy Spirit, Heirway, George Walton Academy, Hidden Lakes, Webber and Mt. Vernon.
The top four wrestlers in each weight class from each region will advance to the 16-school state tournament, which will be at the Perry Fairgrounds in February.