The wrestling program at Northside continues to grow
Posted on Friday, November 25, 2022 at 4:21 pm
- Liam Paul (right) is one of four senior wrestlers at Northside. (Steve Barnes/Washington Daily News)
Northside’s wrestling program has come a long way in a short time, and coach Danielle Garcia expects the progress to continue this winter.
Garcia, a former Washington High School wrestler and assistant coach, started the program in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and saw almost immediate rewards as the team qualified for the 1A state tournament last year in just its second year of competition.
Two seniors have graduated, but more young wrestlers have joined the team, so Garcia hopes the success will continue.
“It was a little bit of a surprise last year for the team to go to the state tournament, but we finished the regular season very strong and gave ourselves a chance,” Garcia said. “We took all the time we could get and even though we lost to the State Center in Rosewood, our trip there was a huge learning experience. Our guys saw all their trophies and how important wrestling is out there, and I’m sure some of them are gone.”
The Panthers’ schedule has doubled to 12, and all of them feature at least two or three opponents. The quality of the opposition also improved with Garcia adding DH Conley, Ayden-Grifton and Tarbar, among others.
“I want to fight the big teams so we’re ready for the postseason,” Garcia said. “It’s great that I can think like that in only my third year, but we need to do more than just keep building the roster. We film all of our matches and our guys will learn faster if they see the areas they can improve in against great competition.”
Garcia expects all 25 wrestlers on the roster to contribute at some point, with returning seniors Liam Paul, Nick Roberts and Ronan Lewis leading the way. Juniors Gus Vansant and Landon Buck also return along with several newcomers.
“We filled all but two weight classes, which will help the program have more success,” Garcia said. “The next step is to create a feeder program from North East and Bath Primary School, which we are working on. We have a good mix of returnees and young guys and I’m looking forward to continuing our progress.”
