Numbers are a big part of wrestling and Chesterton coach Chris Joll knows
it.
“We have 42 kids in the room and I don’t remember having a bigger team than
that,” Joll said. “We’ve picked up a lot of freshman from football and have
some familiar faces that didn’t wrestle last year.”
The Trojans will have everybody ready on Saturday as Chesterton opens the
2012-2013 season by hosting the CHS Super Duals.
“This weekend, my goal is to split the lineup by weighing in multiple guys
at each weight class and have them be pretty even,” Joll said. “I think we
have a big group of capable kids that can win or be competitive with a
really good group of teams that will be here on Saturday.”
The Trojans miss just two kids from last year’s lineup, but get two back as
well.
“We lost two state qualifiers in Joe Kelly, who graduated, and Alex
Katsafaros has a knee injury that won’t allow him back this season. That
will cause a problem for us,” Joll said. “We still have some good upper
weights with the return of Ryley Harlow at heavyweight after missing last
year with an injury. Dana Konchar returns around 180-something after missing
last year too.”
The middle weights will be anchored by senior Chris Katsafaros.
“Chris Katsafaros is back for us off of qualifying for State and a bunch of
other kids who wrestled through March or April of last year,” Joll said.
“They were first year wrestlers that now look very good. Kids like Sawyer
Hallas, Jack Davison, Dontae Rodriguez and Tommy St. Germain. They are so
much further ahead of where they were last year. I know I can expect good
things from them.
“Joe Ponda is like that group of sophomores that worked really hard in the
off-season too.”
In the lower weights, a couple of freshman, a sophomore and junior Kaitlin
Loehmer should have success.
“Freshman Matt Estill will wrestle at 26 for us this weekend and he’ll be a
real good 20-pounder by the end of the year,” Joll said. “Josh Jensen and
sophomore Anthony Osorio will alternate at 106 at the start of the year.”
All in all, Joll’s expectation level is high and the excitement of a new
season isn’t being wasted.
“This group just has a real strong will to work hard,” Joll said. “They
don’t back off. That’s really nice to see. I’m really anxious to get out on
the mat and see where we are at.”
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