Someone once said there is strength in numbers, and that is what the Patterson Mill Huskies are going to rely on for their 2010-2011 wrestling season.
“We have over 40 wrestlers on the team, so our numbers are good,” Husky coach Ryan Arist said. “Our future looks bright, and we have a nice balance between freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors.
“We lost a lot of guys to graduation and kids moving away, so it is almost like a rebuilding year for us. But we also have a core, strong group coming back and we have good numbers.”
The Huskies are building from a 20-5 record in 2009-2010, when they advanced eight wrestlers into the regional tournament.
“Last year, we came in basically like we are this year; not with a bunch of really good kids, but with kids that are athletic and have talent,” Huskies’ captain Jon Williams said. “We were able to beat tams and won when we needed to. This year we are jut going to build upon it and become stronger.”
Returning to the team is two-time state qualifier and state bronze medalist Zach Cullison, who is eying a 2011 state crown at 119, his third weightclass in as many years.
“With the big numbers of kids coming in, we should do well,” Cullison said. “We lost some pretty good guys last year, but we will keep building back up and hopefully place in the top four of the UCBAC.
“We have a lot of athletes. Some are just beginners, but show promise of what they can do on the mat, and we have a couple returnees who should be doing pretty well this year.”
