Caleb Waddell wrapped up his first summer as the Gilmer High Bobcats head wrestling coach, and he liked what we saw.
The Bobcats return some experienced, accomplished wrestlers, whereas last season contained many more unknowns at this point of the season. Seven state qualifiers and five pacers are one the roster.
Like the majority of sports at GHS, wrestlers practiced throughout June. The Bobcats were on the mat for four weeks, and they enjoyed the friendly confines of the Noah Harris Wrestling Center.
“With the timing of coach (Josh) Ghobadpoor leaving, we really didn’t have time to schedule anything,” said Waddell. “Next year, we’ll travel and do a lot more. This year, we stayed home and got a feel for everybody with the changeover. They worked hard every single day, and it didn’t seem like it changed much for them. They didn’t change the way they acted or their attitude.”
After five practice days in the first week, Waddell brought in a clinician for three days of instruction in week two.
“Fabian Gutierrez is an Army West Point athlete, and I wrestled with him at UTC,” Waddell said. “We worked a lot on leg defense on bottom. That’s something we’ve never taught either. We wanted someone who runs legs every single day and is top notch in the country. He teaches how to run legs and defend them too so we won’t just get mauled.”
Following a three-hour morning session and lunch, wrestlers were back on the mat for two more hours in the afternoon. Forty-four wrestlers attended the camp, which was the number of Bobcats who were typically in attendance throughout the summer.
The Bobcats were back on the mat for five days in the third week of June. Charlie Higdon, who formerly coached at GHS and wrestled collegiately at Clemson and Carson-Newman, was in town Friday for more detailed instruction.
“He brought his son with him as well and kind of went over the same thing,” Waddell said. “We went over legs using his style, the way he runs them and improved our wrestling IQ and talked about scenarios and positions.”
Another key component for the summer was an emphasis on finishing matches. The Bobcats had moments last year where they were ahead for the majority of a bout only to lose it in the dying embers. Waddell hopes to change that for the upcoming season.
“There were some instances where we just didn’t know how to win and finish a match,” he said. “We lost a lot of duals and matches and individual matches by one point. We want things to become second nature for them. All of our guys are coachable, so that makes it better. They all want to learn and improve.”
Waddell noted that the Bobcats need to improve their toughness before the season.
“We have to learn that when times get hard, we need to be just a little bit tougher,” he said. “Those one-point losses will turn into winning by two or more. They’re starting to realize that. Everyone is putting in the work, and our returning state placers are kind of leading the way.”
Gilmer wrestlers also have their own space for weight training at the Larry Walker Education Center. With the reshuffling of classrooms at the facility, a vacant spot proved to be the perfect place.
They used equipment from the former on-site weight training room and have power racks, dumbbell racks, elliptical machines and Smith machines.
“Overall, I thought it was a phenomenal summer,” Waddell said. “I really wouldn’t change a thing about it. The kids are coming in with the right attitude, and they want to win.
“They’re making it easier for me because they’re coming in and doing what they’re supposed to do.”