Although they return only one state qualifier from last season, the 2003 Lake Orion High School Varsity Wrestling Team is ready to work for success this season, according to head coach Doug Kline.
“We’re very excited. We came in with a whole new attitude this year,” he said. “We’re going more old school…harder, tougher. It’s eliminated a third of the team from the beginning of the year already, but the kids we have now we know for a fact want to be here. They’re serious about their craft.”
This season the Dragons return starter David Franz, a sophomore who will wrestle at 112 pounds this year after wrestling at 103 last year. Also returning as a starter is Jason Bothwell, a sophomore who will wrestle at 119 this year after being in the 112 weight class last season.
Senior TJ DeGeorge also returns as a three-year starter for the team, wrestling at 130 pounds. Senior Ken Cerka will also start, having split time with the varsity last year, at 160 pounds.
Senior Rocky Rocheleau returns as a starter and the team’s only state qualifier from last season, wrestling at 171. Senior Aaron Turner will again wrestle for the Dragons at 189.
Junior Darren Peshl is the returning heavy weight wrestle for the team, and Kline said the 215-pound weight class starters are “still up in the air.”
“We have three guys possibly wrestling (215),” he said.
Kline expects the varsity team to get some help this season from Jordan Kennard, who will split time at 103/112 this year.
Freshman John Fingado is also new to varsity this season, wrestling at 125. Sophomore Ian Rocheleau moves up to varsity this season at 135. Sophomore Mike Carroll is expected to start at 140 this year.
Anna Jenkins will start for the team at 145 this season, and junior Gerry Webber will start at 152. Sophomore Scott Avery will wrestle at 171 when Rocky Rocheleau moves up to 189.
“This team sticks together,” said Kline. “It’s easy when you’re winning, but I don’t think that will change.”
The team has already started off the season on the right foot, winning 76-6 at Midland Dow and 42-36 in another early season meet. The team graduated four seniors last year and have two wrestlers from last season that chose not to wrestle this year.
Kline expects that Rocky Rocheleau will qualify for the state competition again this season.
“He would not be satisfied with anything less than placing at state this year,” he said.
Kline said OAA I remains a tough league this season, with rival Clarkston ranked second in the state.
“They’re a bear,” he said. “This league is so tough, but no one will be able to walk through us easily. The bad news is, we’re in OAA I. You can be a very good team in OAA I and still place fifth.”
Last season the varsity team lost their first five dual meets, eventually placing sixth out of 17 teams in OAA I. They finished tied for third at the league tournament.
“If you want to beat us, you have to catch us early,” Kline said. “We want to continue to improve at that level, but start much stronger. That’s our goal this year.”
Kline said the team was 2-6 at the end of last season’s first week, and they have already matched that record in their first two meets this season.
“I’m thrilled overall,” he said. “I can not tell you how happy I am with the kids we have.”