WEATHERFORD WRESTLING PREVIEW
There’s something new on the wrestling scene for the Weatherford Eagles this upcoming season-a girl’s wrestling program.
“Maya Hummel, who is on our softball team that just won the state championship, will be coming out for wrestling this year marking our first ever female wrestler,” said head coach Bryan McCarther. “I think getting that first girl out is important because I’m hoping other girls who have expressed an interest will come out now and we can start building this program. Maya has a background in jujitsu, so I think she’ll catch on to wrestling pretty quickly.”
On the boys’ side there is a lot of optimism with some wrestlers who missed all of last season returning plus what McCarther considers some strong freshmen entering the program.
“Dylan Renna is probably our top returning wrestler,” said McCarther. “He’s a two-time state qualifier who will wrestler at 106 or 113 this year.”
Two seniors that missed all of last year with shoulder injuries are back in Cooper Moses at 157 pounds who was a state qualifier as a sophomore and Gunnar Smith at 190. Another grappler McCarther is high on is junior Lucas Burd.
“He shows up at any practice he can go to. In freestyle he ended up beating some 6A guys and has really stepped it up in practice and I think people will know his name by the end of this year.”
Junior Jackson King is another underclassman that McCarther has high hopes for.
“The first time I saw him wrestle I thought this kid is going to place at state but then he got injured and missed all of last year. When he steps on the mat, it’s 110 percent all out with him which makes him a good leader by example for the team. We also have three incoming freshmen that I think will help us a lot in Ryker Smith who placed third at junior high state last year at 165 pounds and two brothers I call the Twin Towers, Andrew and Aiden Willard, both of whom placed at junior high state last year and who will battle for the heavyweight spot this year.”
