2011-2012 Preseason Chat
with Head Coach Casey Taylor
Tuesday December 6th  7:30 - 9:00 PM

good luck keep the tradition going

thank you very much, appreciate all the support.

Is the head coach job what you had expected going into it?  Any surprises?

No major surprises yet, I expected it to be demanding, and it has been so far. but overall, everything is going very well.

Casey - Congrats, pleased they kept the job in the family.  Been following the RHS Rasslin Raiders since Hillsy took over and will keep following now.  As I've told Brian for many years, the Eyes of Texas are upon ya.  PD-Humble, Tx. Class of 74.

Hello Paul, Thank you for keeping tabs on us, Brian was a tremendous influence on me and the many wrestlers he coached over his 25+ years. Hope to keep making you proud down there in Texas!

What are the tournament expectations this year... Ironman/King of the Mt. and Manheim?

I Have already discussed with the wrestlers that they should set their goals high for themselves as we have done in the past, as for team goals, we need to place as many as we can and hopefully that lands us in the top ten at the first two tournaments and would like to challenge for a title at the Manheim tournament.

Who do you think is the team to beat in Dist. 10 and then in the state?

I would have to say that Fort Leboeuf is probably the team to beat in the district followed by Greenville, and Saegertown.  As for the state, Bethlehem Catholic returns a very solid team as does Brookville, who we will see at the Ultimate Duals.

What will the lineup look like this season? Do we have any holes?

the line-up in my opinion is very solid, with a good mix of upper and lower classmen. We have very good senior leadership as well as hungry young kids that want to win. i honestly do not think we have a hole and the coaching staff will be very confident in the individual that goes out on the mat,

How do the local teams match up with the Raiders?

Without having seen any of the local line-ups, I really cant say, but I expect a full day of competition on January 7th at the region duals at Hickory high.

How is the JH looking like?

The junior high only has 15-16 kids, so the numbers are down a little bit, however, the kids that are in there are VERY TALENTED and we look forward to when the next wave of raider wrestlers reach the high school level.

Seems like the elementary program has been solid for years. Do we have any up and comers in the elementary program?

The elementary programs have always been our foundation and one of the main reasons for that is our great coaches like Frank D'Urso, Mark Bartolo, the Stoyer brothers, etc.  The list is very long of up and comers, and hard to point out just a few, but off the top of my head returning state champion Rocco John-Daniello and runner-up Cole Matthews lead the way along with brothers Cole and Beau Bayless among many, many others.

Coach Taylor - How strong will this years team be? Who will be your toughest competition?

I expect this years team to be very competitive on an individual and team basis.  Our schedule is very demanding as we have McDowell and Erie Prep at home, followed our annual trip to Brookville for the Ultimate Duals. There, we will wrestle Fort Leboeuf, Brookville, Pen Argyl, Biglerville, and Benton.

Any freshman going to break the lineup this year?

As of now Michael Bartolo is our starting 106lb as a freshmen.  I also expect Michael Millero to get some action at some point in the year in the middle weights. All of the freshmen are working hard and improving daily.

Nice to see Rickert and Stoyer back wrestling again. How will they fit into the team's success this year?

You are correct, it is very nice to have them back....the coaches as well as their teammates have appreciated their work ethic in the practice room. Both of them are athletic young men that get better on a daily basis. Currently, Logan is our starter at 220lbs and Clay lost a hard fought decision in our eliminations to Austin Moffett. Glad to have them on the team.

What's the injury report for the Raiders going into the season?

Unfortunately, we have lost Cam Cianci for the year due to a football injury. Justin Rhodes continues to rehab his knee from a football injury as well and we hope to get him back in late December or early January. Denton Zeronas and Trevor Griswold are also on the mend.

How is the senior leadership on the squad this year?

We have an outstanding group of seniors lead by our captains Dylan D'Urso and Tyler Miller.  We will rely heavily on them as well as our other seniors Blake Heim, Tommy Davis, Justin Rhodes, Matt Tofani, Sam Napodano, and Jake Simpson.

Now that you are the head coach, what has been your biggest challenge?

Recently, my wife Rachel and I had our first son, so probably balancing work, practice, and time at home is the biggest hurdle.....the kids know what is expected of them, so practice has been a smooth transition to this point.

At first I was skeptical, but our kids started to talk to one another the moment they came out with the new weights and figured out where the best spot for each was going to be. it has really worked itself out on its own. Thanks JB

Hello George, I am not aware of any new rule that doesnt allow you to be on your knee, however, I do not envision Dylan being that style of wrestler.

unfortunately due to a minor injury he is not in the Ironman Tourney, he will be back at it very soon though.

To have a team full of hard working young men that strive to win on the mat, set their goals high, but most importantly do it with class!!!

Well Papa, I think the fact that he already weighs 15lbs it is safe to say he probably wont be a 103lber like his dad was as a freshman....by the way, what are you doing up this late?

I cant give out any secrets....just kidding. Brian is, SOMETIMES, a man of few words but in this instance he offered me advice for the past 25 years that even though he may not believe it I was paying close attention!! I will always appreciate his words of advice and encouragement.