The wrestling team is looking to bounce back and claim the ACC once again, but without champion Darrion Caldwell, who is out for the year. Last season State finished last in the ACC, but Caldwell winning a national championship at 149-weight class, defeating Brent Metcalf of Iowa, over shadowed that.
With Caldwell out, the Pack only has one returning senior, Taylor Cummings at the 125-weight class. Cummings is recovering from a wrist injury that cut his season short last year. Cummings does expect the team to do well, despite the loss of Caldwell.
“We still have to keep our goals out of sight, but within reach,” Cummings said. “It’s a big loss, Darrion’s our head hancho, and he’s our guy. It’s our one spot in our lineup that we are going to just have to try and deal with.”
The team looks to rebound from last year’s regular season record 4 wins and 15 losses. Junior Darrius Little said the team learned a number of lessons from last year.
“As a team we need to stick together more,” Little said. “Last’s year team, we had injuries and problems. We didn’t do as well as we thought. We had four people go to nationals. We had one guy, win it. [Caldwell] set an example that it can be done. The lesson is if you put your mind to anything, it can be done with hard work and perseverance the work will pay off in the end.”
This year’s roster is comprised mostly of freshman, 16 to be exact, which include a trio of high school national champions in Andrew Tumlin from Harrison, Oh., Eloheim Palma from Cary, N.C. who’s brother, Jainor, wrestled at State in 2004-07 and Dale Shull from Fort Lupton, Co.
Little said he believes the team will surprise a lot of people this year and is impressed with the freshman so far in practice.
“We should win ACC’s this year,” Little said. “Even with a young team, these kids are great, they work hard. They don’t complain. They are mentally more mature than most freshman classes that come in any sport. As a freshman, you still have the big head and then you get knocked down. You realize that you have to start at the bottom of the barrel. Not these guys. These guys are ready to go. I can’t wait for them.”
Shull, agreeing with Little, said having a large freshman class, in a way, is a good thing.
“It’s a lot easier adapting with people who are going through the same thing you are,” Shull said. “You can talk to the upperclassman about stuff because they’ve already been through it.”
Cummings doesn’t expect the youth to be a problem for the team.
“We’re young, but we have loads to talent. Once we get our feet wet a little bit we will be good to go,” Cumming said. “We’ll probably take our licks, we have to aim high.”
The team will open its season at the Citadel in Charleston, S.C. on Saturday and Little said he is ready to start.
“I have a personal vendetta going on,” Little said. “I feel bad for this first guy coming up. I’m not trying to through my head up or nothing. But I’m getting down [to business] this weekend. And I want everyone on my team to have that mindset saying that they are going to kill their guy. They’re not our teammates. For this weekend, not only am I looking forward to a team victory and a moral victory altogether from the whole team.”
Looking ahead to the schedule matchups Little is already looking forward to a number of conference and other opponents.
“I’ve lost four times to Steve Bell from Maryland,” My freshman year, he beat me in the ACC championship by one point. He’s beaten me every time by one point. He’s won two ACC titles by that. It’s going to be a different story this year. I guess it’s been like a mental block, he’s one of my number one people. If I can keep my weight down and stay focused, I’m going to cause some problems for everyone.”
