Hey Coach, is it realistic to think that after the last three
graduating classes we can STILL make it back to the state duals and
possibly win?
Yes. Definitely. This is a good group that will get better as the
season goes on. We are a little banged up to start the season but
barring anymore injuries we should be OK come January.
How does this team compare with last years?
Very much to last years team. We have 11
returning letterman when combined with some 9th graders and kids
ready to step in we should be very comparable.
How do the upper weight classes look and will they and will they
be in contention throughout the state?
The upper weights are where we are the most
inexperienced. We do have very competitive people filling the spots.
We look for Tyler Rhoades a very talented 10th grader to fill the
171 lb spot followed by junior Jeremy Fowler or frosh Blake Heim at
189. Corey Augustine a senior who was unbeaten on Junior Varsity
last year (17-0 with 15 falls) at 215 and the experienced Will
Ringer at 285.
How's the elementary program looking... who is keeping that
rolling?
The elementary program will be as strong as
ever. Frank D'Urso and Mark Bartolo head up the program assisted by
numerous former RHS grads. They really love the kids and prepare
them for the future. Our booster club also purchased new TEAM
singlets so they will be looking good this year also.
Have you figured out who it is asking all of these tough
questions?
More than likely a former Section Champion
from RHS that does an outstanding job of preserving and promoting
Reynolds wrestling.
Remember the time you beat Ballock? That was cool!
Yeah as a sophomore wrestling the GHS
captain. That was a
match I remember
quite vividly as I was the underdog. Steve is a great person and
wrestler but I was happy to win and help our team win against our
arch rivals.
Does Jay Hockenbroch ever appear in your dreams/nightmares?
Believe it or not that last second State
Championship loss has been a great motivation for my ongoing
coaching career. I have had the pleasure of seeing Jay at several
PIAA State championships through the years. He is another very good
person that has gone on to a successful career.
Your staff seems to be consistant over the years. I see some old
names back on the staff again. How important are they to you and the
program?
VERY IMPORTANT! We are blessed to have a
tremendous group of coaches throughout our whole program. I get alot
of credit but it would not be possible without each of these guys
doing what they do. Great technicians in Casey Taylor, Joe Reichard
and Ron Beckman. Michael Hills doubles as our Head JR HIGH Coach.
Billy Collins, Ryan Hills and Tyler Middleton are good workout
partners for the kids. John Tofani is active again helping Michael
with the JR High. He is a very valuable asset. Rick Stoyer, Mark
Higbee and Pete Leise also help with the Jr High. Again it starts
with the elementary program as stated above.
What is the key to your success as a head coach?
Organization, timeliness and paying
attention to the detail are key. The most important thing is to
surround yourself with tremendous boosters, kids and fans who are
focused toward a common goal. You can never be bigger than the
PROGRAM and have to be able to sacrifice to contribute. I have
always considered myself as the caretaker of this storied program
and my responsibility for continued success. Always to make kids go
beyond what they may think their capabilities are.
No Greenville match -- what gives? Are you afraid of them?
Greenville elected not to attend the
Ultimate Duals at Brookville this year which very well could be due
to the PIAA limiting our sport by 2 competitions this season. There
is a good possibility that we could meet in the District 10 Duals at
seasons end. We all had to make sacrifices and changes to our
schedule that we didn't want to do.
Will you miss going to Tool City?
Yes. We definitely wish we could continue
to attend Tool City as we were the only remaining team other than
Meadville that had attended the tournament each year. I personally
felt bad notifying Meadville that we could not attend. We had to
change our schedule to attend the Perry Duals where we will wrestle
5 duals that will include a mandatory region match with Mercer. We
will also wrestle Commodore Perry at the Ultimate Duals as they are
attending this year.
Are you excited about having another JV tournament this season?
Yes. Coach Joe Reichard takes that
responsibility on and has done a great job. It was very successful
last year and gives our kids some much needed mat time. January 3rd
is the date and we encourage all JV teams to come. The Reynolds VFW
is the primary sponsor of the tournament and we appreciate their
continued their support.
What's the most important thing you learned from Coach Lineman?
There are to many things that would come
into this discussion and should probably be saved for another day
when there is alot of time. Dedication to your family, friends,
wrestlers, school district and program are critical. Coach Lineman
instilled many virtues in me that I still follow today. We try to
promote a professionalism in our kids and team that makes our
community proud. This was all started by COACH. He is respected as a
father figure by all of his former wrestlers and we stand as one to
continue his program.
Your lineup is exceptional through the first seven or eight
weight classes, but you are a little inexperienced at the top. Does
that concern you?
We believe in the people we will start in
those positions. With Kaine Kulka back in January, Greg Baptiste (30
match winner), Tyler Rhoades (who was 4-3 last year) and Will Ringer
at the end I think we will be better than some may expect.
How about a throw-back night like they do in the NFL where the
kids could wear the old uniforms and maybe run out of the lockerroom
and do a forward roll? Are those old jumpsuits still around from the
Tofani era or have they been burned?
We have been known to do this and it's not
out of the realm to break out the old stuff. I think we may still
have some of those cute warm ups from the Tofani era. There still is
nothing better than the fuzzies with tights. A throw back night
would not be complete without the patented Coach Lineman forward
rolls.
I see Coach Tofani is back on the staff, what will he be doing?
We are so glad to have T back. He is a big
asset since he's in school all day and acts as our eyes and ears.
John, while still taking classes is assisting Michael with the Jr.
High team and providing his advice at all levels when necessary.
Can you beat Shadyside Academy?
Shadyside Academy is a great team as
evidenced by their individual State Championship last year. We feel
we have the potential to beat them as we did last year in the 3rd
and 4th place dual.
Have you given any thought to how much longer you might coach?
My standard answer is ONE year at a time.
This is my 23rd season as Head Coach. The help I receive really has
made it easier but I have noticed that I enjoy the time off more and
more each year. Sunny vacations are the most FUN.
How do you think Mike is doing will all the
responsibilities/pressures of coaching?
I am very happy with the job Michael is
doing. He knows that I am a stickler for paying attention to details
and utilizing the assistance he receives. He took this position when
we needed someone to do it and has done a good job.
Last year was a pretty solid line up. What does this year look
like? Do we have any flexibility with positions?
Yes we have some flexibility as we have
some qualified wrestlers that we can insert in the bottom of our
line up and bump up to solidify if necessary. Overall I think we are
still very solid.
Who do you is the team to beat at d-10 and the state finals?
My protégé and friend Kevin Drew has a
solid team at Commodore Perry. Saegertown, Hickory, Ft. LeBouef,
Harborcreek, Grove City and Greenville are all competitive.
Statewide it appears Shadyside Academy, Bedford, Burrell and
Bermudian Springs all have great teams back.
How far do you think kelly will go?
Cody has all the potential in the world. We
look for him to climb the ladder to the #1 spot this year. He is a
team captain this year along with Will Ringer and provides good
tutelage and leadership. He is signed at Cornell and they are
receiving an excellent student athlete.
Is augustine going to be able to replace shields?
We think Corey has the potential to be
similar to Corey Shields but he will man the 215 lb spot. Corey will
get better as the season goes on.
What teams will we be facing at the cp duals and ultimate duals?
CP Duals-Mercer, Maplewood, Oil City,
Butler and Port Allegheny. Ultimate Duals-Commodore Perry, Northern
Lehigh, North Star, Athens and Brookville.
How is Fuchs looking? Is he back in tip top shape?
Sam is looking very good. Better than I
thought he would be at this point in time. He is providing a good
work ethic and leadership in the gym. If he stays healthy he will be
a big boost to this TEAM.
I heard you have a younger D'urso coming up in the ranks with
high expectations. How does the rest of the freshman look?
Will any break the line up?
This is another good freshman group. The
good news is there are nine 9th graders that also include some
bigger kids that will be counted on in the future. We have very high
expectations for Dylan D'Urso. You will be pleasantly surprised when
you get to see him wrestle. Blake Heim has an opportunity to break
the lineup at 189 lbs. and Justin Rhodes may surprise some people at
112-119.
Any injuries to prevent people starting?
Kaine Kulka injured his elbow and is out
until sometime in January. We are awaiting an MRI to be read on
Rodney Harnett tomorrow. As is usual we have had our share of
injuries prior to the season even starting.
Hi Coach. The Raiders have performed very well at the Iron Man.
You have yearly, exceeded expectations. Are the Raiders ready for
another strong performance? Top 10 this year?
We would love a top 10 finish but to be
realistic a top 15 this year would be great. Without Kulka and being
the first action it may be tough to accomplish. There are nearly 60
teams this year and the quality of individuals is unreal. This is an
unbelievable tournament and whether you place, win several or lose 2
you still benefit by seeing and attending a tournament of this
caliber. You see what really great wrestling is all about.
Good luck Coach
Hills....Bob Loveless
Thanks Bob. It is always good to
hear from you. You were one of the guys I looked up to when I
was young.
Brian,
Working\living in
Houston, Texas and still able to keep up with the Raiders.
Going back more then a few years when the program had anywhere
from 160 wrestlers and up in the small gym nightly do you think
or have plans to increase participation? I know it was a
different time and era when just being on the “team” was a major
accomplishment to push those ahead of you. I read about the
same results not only on the mat but teaching young boys there
is more to just winning and losing. I think the saying back
then was eliminations were better then most matches and from
what I recall the fans watching were more then some high schools
match attendance. I also recall that after the top 24 (V\JV)
those 136 and 186 in my freshmen year could have wrestled on
almost any other program in the county plus and I bet they are
still supporting the Raiders of today. Do you ever wonder if the
participation will get above 50 or so from 9th on up?
Best wishes on a
08\09 campaign,
Mark RHS Class of ‘79 13th
street!!!
The days of
kids just participating
to be on the team have long passed us by. Wrestling has become
such as specialized sport that it is tough to keep kids out if
they are not going to have a chance to start. Fortunately we
have always carries between 25 to 30 kids on our roster. Some 9th
graders stay on the Junior High team to get more experience or
mat time. Also the graduating class is no longer in the 200
area. My daughter graduated last year and her class had just
about 100. By the way, Mark, your Dad was one of those
instrumental in making this program flourish that I referred to
earlier.
Coach Hills,
Just want to wish you, your staff and team the best of luck on
another quest for a championship season. I just ask you for one
favor...please see that my Catcher, Short-stop, First baseman
and pitchers stay healthy. Best of luck and it's great to
follow the success of the wrestling team!
Coach Foust
Thanks Coach
Foust. We both should be setting the goals of these individuals
very high. You are another of those people that help this
program flourish.
looks like we wrestle
alot of our region (league) matches this year at the C.P. duals.
Was that done in response to the P.I.A.A. reducing the # of
points? Are there advantages to wrestling everyone on the same
day?
If you can get your Region
matches in on the same day it allows you to open up available
points to be able to wrestle other (better) competition in your
Dual matches.
hey coach first time
visiting the page, long time fan. what are the chances of
repeating as d-10 champs?
We like to think we are very capable of winning another District
10 championship.
Thanks for all the good questions and
discussion. Best of luck to all teams and individuals as you begin
your quest.
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