First-year wrestling program begins competition on Sunday

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – It was a night of excitement and opportunity.

When the first-year Huntingdon wrestling team held its first public scrimmage on Nov. 8, few were certain of what to expect.

For the wrestlers, there was an uncertainty of what kind of crowd and atmosphere would await the newest Hawks. But the excitement of competing in front of a crowd for the first time and the opportunity to help introduce fans to Huntingdon's newest sport helped create a memorable first impression.

"That was exciting. I really didn't know how many people would come out," freshman Brewer Gilliland said. "It was good to see so many people, and to see how excited they were about it."

For all but two of the Hawks' wrestlers, it was their first exposure to a collegiate crowd. Head coach Tom Storey said it was obvious how much the support of the fans added to the scrimmage.

"Some of the guys thought it was going to be just like practice has been, just the team and that it wasn't going to be that big a deal," Storey said. "I told them, no, this is going to be like a match. And without naming names, I know at least one of our guys performed as well as he did because he was in front of a crowd for the first time. Being in front of fans, it made him work harder and it showed on the mat."

As a first-year program with 19 freshmen, in addition to preparing his team for competition, one of Storey's early priorities has been helping his team adjust to the collegiate level.

"Almost all of our guys are freshmen. A lot of times, freshmen get to come in, learn and adapt to collegiate wrestling before they're counted on. But these guys are being tested in a hurry. They've had to come in and be ready to wrestle right away," Storey said. "With a new program, a lot of things are just as new to me as they are to the wrestlers. There are always stepping stones you have to get past when starting a program, but getting the guys out there and seeing them take ownership of the program and enjoying what they're doing, that has been the best part.

"I'm looking forward to this weekend and taking them to Virginia. It's going to be a good to take them up to that next level and give them a chance to experience it and see how they respond to it."

The Hawks open their season on Sunday at the Washington and Lee Duals in Lexington, Va.

For freshman Josh Gillaspie, it will be his first competition since his senior season at Thompson High School in 2012.

"It's fun to think about competing. It's been a while since I've been in actual competition," Gillaspie said. "I took two years off from wrestling and wasn't going to wrestle in college. When I found out about Huntingdon starting this program, I decided to come here and give it a try.

"This means a lot to us. It's been awesome to be a part of starting a program. It is new for all of us, but we want to do a good job laying the foundation for the program."

Gilliland, who also wrestled at Thompson High School, said being a part of starting a program and setting a standard is a unique opportunity that he and his teammates take seriously.

"One of the main reasons I came here was because I wanted to be part of the first team. I wanted to be part of starting a program," Gilliland said. "Obviously, we're not the most experienced team, but we're learning and making progress. I think we're a little nervous and anxious, but we're ready to get out there and compete.

"As a team, we want to finish this season better than we start and improve each year. We want to set the bar as high as we can."