Chattooga Wrestlers Open the Season With Two Wins and High Hopes

Chattooga High School has long been known for tough-as-nails wrestlers and as the action kicks off for the Indians 2017 season, Head Coach Brian Beasley has several wrestlers filling the old-school Chattooga mold.

Season Outlook

With only one senior on the roster, veteran Austin Kiser (State Qualifier at 145), the young team holds several diamonds in the rough. Loaded down with freshmen and sophomores, Beasley says that despite losing three key seniors, “we hope to improve on the 6^th place finish at state” last year. Two returning sophomores will anchor the lineup at either end of the scale. Alex Mears (220 State Runner Up) and Griffin Jarrett (106 State Champ) have earned the respect of their team mates and some fear from their opponents. Jarrett is a life-long wrestler known as a master technician on the mat. Few wrestlers can boast the confidence and skill set possessed by Jarrett but his leadership in the wrestling room are even more critical to the team’s success. Jarrett is a quiet figure who leads by example and his small stature is in stark contrast to his poise and confident on the mat. Mears didn’t find the mat until middle school but has proven to be a fast learner. Despite being in the second highest weight class, Mears had a dominating freshman season wrestling mostly juniors and seniors. This year, Mears looks to pick up right where he left off.

Time to Step Up

Sophomore Luis Medina was a backup most of the year last season but proved to be a wrecking machine at the Freshman State Championship where he finished runner up. Medina should be a consistent performer in the heavy weight division and will be counted on for regular points in team duals.

In the lower weight classes, the Indians will feature veteran light weight Chase Osley, and freshman Jason Malone. In the middle weight classes, freshman Ty Veatch will face stiff opposition at 152 or 160 but, as he proved in his opening match, he could be a contender for a State Qualifying position and more.

The opening Tri-Match ended well for the Indians with a 47-34 victory over Rockmart and a 58-24 win over Gordon Central.

Upcoming Action

Coach Beasley will spend the first few weeks ironing out his lineup. “It is uncertain who will go where in the lineup at this time because it is early in the season. We started the season off with wins against Rockmart and Gordon Central and travel to the tough Buford Invitational this weekend.” Buford will be an early test for Jarrett, Mears and the other Indians but expectations and hopes remain high for Chattooga.

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