Members of the Jonathan Alder wrestling team are from left, front row, Carter Clifton, Kyle Hicks and Reece Chapman; second row, Brendan Liford, Josh Kaeser, Luke Stalnaker and Jake Johnson; back row, assistant coach Ron Thomas, Jr., Dylan Boysel and head coach Ron Thomas, Sr. Not pictured, Christian Silknitter.
(Photo submitted)
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The wrestling mats are unfortunately not going to be very crowded this winter at Jonathan Alder High School.
Veteran head coach Ron Thomas Sr. and assistant coach Ron Thomas Jr. will have a roster of only nine athletes for the 2017-18 campaign.
“Depth is going to be a problem this year,” said Thomas Sr. “It’s going to be tough for us to win dual matches or tournaments.”
When asked about the downturn in roster size, the head coach said, “Wrestling is a hard sport and you have to be in complete shape at all times.
“It’s very grueling.”
The Pioneers will be led by senior Jake Johnson, who posted a 47-5 record, while earning another berth in the Division II state tournament.
Johnson is scheduled to compete in the 120-pound weight class.
He will be joined by classmate Dylan Boysel, 195, who finished with a 24-22 record a year ago.
Other lettermen include juniors Luke Stalnaker (170) and Kyle Hicks (195).
Newcomers to the varsity squad will include Josh Kaeser (152), Reese Chapman (106), Carter Clifton (126-132), Brendan Lyford (152-160) and Christian Silknitter (113).
Thomas said the team’s main strength lies with Johnson, who is a two-time state qualifier.
“We hope that Jake can make it back to the state,” said the coach. “If he stays at 120, I think he can. However, he may have to go up to 126.”
Thomas said he anticipates that Boysel and Stalnaker will also have solid seasons.
The Pioneers are making the change from the Mid Ohio Athletic Conference to the Central Buckeye Conference.
The team that always stands head-and-shoulders above the rest of the CBC pack is St. Paris Graham.
The Falcons have won numerous Division II state championships and appear to have what it takes to bring another gold trophy home from Columbus at the end of the season.
“With the CBC, it’s a one-man show with Graham,” said Thomas. “You don’t worry about winning the championship. You just see who can finish in second place.”
Thomas said that while he’s concentrating on the upcoming season, he’s also looking toward the future.
“We’ve got between 17 and 20 guys wrestling this year at the junior high level,” he said. “We hope that we can get our varsity numbers up in the coming years by keeping a lot of those guys interested in the sport.”