IAC WRESTLING: NUMBERS UP AS MORE EXPERIENCED WAVERLY PREPARES FOR 2019-20 (10 PHOTOS) (2019-11-20)
Valley Sports ReportWAVERLY "" Waverly wrestling coach Devan Witman says the numbers continue to grow for a Wolverines program looking to rebuild and re-join the Section IV elite.
"The numbers are good," he said. "We're floating around 20 in the room every day. I think when we go to certify, my official roster is going to have 22 or 23 kids.
"Right now, I have a lot of verbal commitments for junior high, but sign-ups don't start until next month," noted Witman. "I'm expecting 15 to 20 kids on the junior high team.
"The numbers are getting bigger and bigger every year," he added. "Good things are happening here."
Witman says his team is more experienced this year than in recent years.
"My assistant coach (A.J. Aronstam) and I keep talking about what this early part of the season feels like compared to the past.
"Every year, half the room has been full of first-year wrestlers," said Witman. "This year, everyone in the room has wrestled with me, or in some capacity in the past, so our first full week of practice almost felt like a mid-season practice because technique is there, we can move a little faster, and I can get on the guys a little harder and I know they're not going to quit on me.
"The first week has been tremendous, and we couldn't be happier about it," added Witman.
The Wolverines have a pair of scrimmages set up. They will host Athens, Ithaca, Chenango Valley, Elmira, SVEC, and Windsor on Nov. 27. They will travel to Athens on Nov. 29.
"Those will be two tough days for our kids to see where we're at," said Witman.
Waverly will open their 2019-20 tournament schedule at the Mark Stevens Classic at Horseheads on Dec. 6-7, and will also wrestle at the Campbell-Savona Duals (Dec. 12-13), the Windsor Christmas Tournament (Dec. 28-29), the Rotary Duals (Jan. 3-4) in Oneonta, and Matness at the MACC @ Montgomery Bell Academy.
"The Stevens Classic is always a tough tournament," said Witman. "There are always a lot of Division 1 teams there like Camden, Pennfield and Horseheads there. It's a big test."
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IN PHOTO 1: Waverly coach Devan Witman. ... PHOTOS BY TIM BIRNEY.
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