The Peninsula wrestling team walked into the first day of practice last week under new leadership.
Ron Powers, who has a strong focus to push his athletes during practice and throughout the season, has been hired as the Seahawks’ head wrestling coach.
“The kids are walking through the doors looking for a coaching staff who is going to push them as hard as they can be pushed,” Powers said. “And if you don’t push them, they’re going to be let down.”
Jonathan Love, who was the head coach last season, decided to remain with the staff as an assistant. Powers said if he didn’t have a strong coaching unit, he might not have taken the job.
“Knowing I had the support, I was comfortable stepping up to the plate as the head coach,” Powers said.
As for the wrestlers, Peninsula senior Daniel McPherson was the only Peninsula athlete last year who advanced to the Class 3A Mat Classic state tournament. He won a match but was eliminated the first day following a 1-2 record.
There are a number of returners who are eager to make a deeper run this season, including Stephen Lascheney, who reached the regional tournament last year at 103 pounds. The junior plans to compete either in the 112 division or at 119 this season.
“I know what I need to do now to make it to state,” Lascheney said.
Just as other Peninsula sports programs vacated the 3A/2A Olympic League to realign with the 3A South Puget Sound League, so has the wrestling team. At last year’s state meet, six of the nine teams from the SPSL finished in the top 25, including Enumclaw, which won the state team championship with 124.5 points.
Preparation will be key in league matches and various tournaments as the Seahawks lead up to the district and regional competitions.
Peninsula senior Connor Knecht was an alternate for the regional tournament last year in the 189-pound class. He said the team’s intensity so far at practice is high, and they’re focusing on conditioning.
“I’m probably the most excited I’ve ever been,” Knecht said. “We’ve got a good head coach surrounded by other good coaches.”
Knecht added that he needs to continue working on his down positions and escapes.
“It’s a whole different team from last year,” he said. “We expect to do a lot better.”
One of his teammates, senior John Hamilton, said he’s noticed more coaches around when they’re practicing, which will make him and his teammates better in the long run.
“More help is better,” he said.
While the team could face tougher competition in the new league, Hamilton said it will come down to who wants it more.
“I want to go as far as I can and do my best in my matches,” he said.
Powers had an opportunity to coach at Kopachuk or Goodman middle schools, but he decided to take his coaching to the high school level. His said his interest for working with high school athletes went up after he attended a wrestling camp during the summer.
“At this level, the kids are committed and pushing themselves in the program, and they expect the coaches to have the same level of intensity,” Powers said.
Although wrestling is categorized as an individualized sport, Powers believes the team concept needs to be prevalent during practices and meets.
“It’s such an individual sport that sometimes programs forget that, in order to be successful, you have to be a team,” Powers said. “The concept of teamwork — when we are all working together — has a synergistic effect.”
Powers lives in the Gig Harbor area and is a Battalion Chief for the South Kitsap Fire and Rescue Department. His son, Chad Powers, is a freshman wrestler at Peninsula High School, but his season ended after a concussion.
Coach: Ron Powers — first year at the high school level, assisted with several junior high and middle school teams and has assisted in freestyle camps during the past couple of years.
2007 division champs: Enumclaw
Captains: Daniel McPherson, Conner Knecht
Key returner: Daniel McPherson, sr.
Newcomers: Josh Lemas from Central Kitsap (junior, 103 pounds)
Biggest upside: Strong team full of juniors who showed promise last year.
Coach prediction: “The wrestling team will be a very strong this year,” Powers said. “We have some tough battles in the South Puget Sound 3A League, especially against Enumclaw. If we can function as a team, working together and striving together, we have a chance to come out 7-1 in our league dual meets.
Dec. 4 at Lakes 7 p.m.
Dec. 6 Bonney Lake/Panther Invitational
Dec. 10 vs. Clover Park 7 p.m.
Dec. 12 at JV Olympic Duals
Dec. 13 at Varsity Olympic Duals
Dec. 17 at Enumclaw 7 p.m.
Dec. 20 at Franklin Pierce tournament
Jan. 2-3 at Rainshadow Tournament
Jan. 7 vs. Bonney Lake 7 p.m.
Jan. 8 at Franklin Pierce 7 p.m.
Jan. 10 at Bonney Lake Tournament
Jan. 14 vs. Sumner 7 p.m.
Jan. 22 vs. White River 7 p.m.
Jan. 24 at South Kitsap Invite
Jan. 28 at Auburn Mountainview 7 p.m.
Feb. 6-7 at District tournament
Feb. 13-14 at Regional tournament
Feb. 20-21 at Mat Classic
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