FULL STRENGTH

December 30, December 31, January 2, and January 3 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and January 6 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

What do these times mean? They were the practice times for the Madill High School Wrestling team during Winter Break.

While other students enjoyed the time off from class and activities, the Wildcats trained for two hours a day as a squad.

Be it conditioning or practicing their sparing technique, the athletes kept working.

With a dual record of 2-7, head wrestling coach Jim Love said this year considers the 2019-2020 season to be amongst his most challenging as injuries have decimated the squad.

Love said the team had to forfeit three weights for the first dual of the season at McLoud.

The injuries meant the team was short handed to start the year, Love said.

“I’ve never had to forfeit three weights in my career,” Love said.

Since the season started, the team was missing key contributors: Dylan Mc-Cullough (138 pounds), senior John Venable (170 pounds) and junior Griffin Williams (heavyweight). Another wrestler, senior Coty Tweedy (220 pounds) has been working his way back to full conditioning after being involved in car wreck last summer.

In spite of the injuries, the team was able to claim victories over larger schools Ardmore and Lawton Eisenhower. However, the Wildcats dropped matches to McLoud, Noble, Durant, Marcus (Texas), Plainview, Chisolm (Texas) and Byron Nelson (Texas).

However, the injury crisis is nearing its end.

“We’re just now getting back John Venable at 182 (pounds) which really helps,” Love said. “He did very good when we down to Dallas. We got him back on the Thursday before Christmas Break. We are also getting; we think Dylan McCullough back after Christmas Break. We got possibly got Griffin Williams, our heavyweight, back. He’s still working to get back. If we can get those guys back, we should have some future success.”

A good attitude

Love said the has stayed positive in the face of adversity. “I’ll say this, where our dual record has not been good, our attitude has been good,” he said. The injuries have forced Love and his first-year assistant coach, Austin Pettigrew to lean on other athletes to fill their lineup card. Ahead of the McLoud dual in December the duo shared that they were trying to see who would wrestle at four weights: 106 pounds, 126 pounds 170 pounds and heavyweight. There are 14 weight classes in a dual setting: 106 pounds, 113 pounds, 120 pounds, 126 pounds, 132 pounds, 138 pounds, 145 pounds, 152 pounds, 160 pounds, 170 pounds, 182 pounds, 195 pounds, 220 pounds and 285 pounds (aka heavyweight). Prior to getting their missing starters backs, their dual lineup was as follows:

• Sophomore Elijah Connelly (106 pounds),

• Senior Wilby Roberts (126 pounds),

• Junior Coby Sanderfur (132 pounds),

• Junior Kalob Swinney (138 pounds)

• Sophomore AJ Sweet (145 pounds),

• Senior Jacob Massey (152 pounds),

• Senior Edwin Recio (160 pounds)

• Sophomore Cade Barker (182 pounds)

• Sophomore B Thompson (195 pounds)

• Tweedy / Axzel Mendoza (220 pounds)

Although they will be close to full strength ahead of the 47th annual Bryan Scripsick Tournament this week in Pauls Valley, the Madill squad still lacks a 106 pounder. “I think the only forfeit we’ll have after Christmas Break is 106 (pounds),” Love said. “We don’t have a 106 pounder.” Love is optimistic that the tweam will have 13 of the 14 weights full for future duals. “We think we’ll have more of a full lineup,” Love said. “We had to forfeit some weights that we’re getting back. We should have a 160 pounder and 170 pounder back after Christmas Break. “That helps a bunch.” Love said the Pauls Valley Tournament this week will show more about the squad. “That will be our first individual tournament to show us how our individuals produce,” he said. “And for tournaments we’ll see how we progress.”

Action begins at the Pauls Valley tournament begins at noon Friday, January 10 and 10 a.m. Saturday, January 11. Love said another upcoming tournament is the Midwestern Conference Tournament in Shawnee in February. He said the team may pick up another tournament before the end of the season.