With wrestling just on the horizon, things are looking up for the pirates with the arrival of three new freshmen boys, according to varsity wrestling coach Travis Wittlake. Joey Vigue and Will Forbes transferred from Coquille, while AJ Lira came from Reedsport. Wittlake said the young men will be big contributors to the team and is excited they joined.
“All three of them are very good wrestlers,” Wittlake said. “I expect all of them to be standing on the podium at the end of the year.”
It has been a long wait through the fall sports season for the three boys, according to Vigue. He said he is excited and ready to get the new season going.
“I just want things to start,” Vigue said. “I’ve been waiting for the season to start for a long time.”
According to Lira, coming to a new school can be a challenge because being in a new environment and meeting new people can be difficult. Lira said he feels like he has something to prove this year. He said he has set some pretty lofty goals for himself, and he knows he is up for the challenge. Lira said he is not short on confidence and has clear intentions on what he wants to accomplish this year.
“I want to win state,” Lira said. “I’m going to have to work very hard. It’s not going to be easy, but I know that I can do it.”
Another drawback for the young men is the daily commute each one of them has to make, according to Forbes. With each one of them being only 15 years old, they all rely on their parents for transportation. Forbes still lives in Coquille and said it is a challenge to get to and from school every day.
“Coming into this my parents and I knew it would be a sacrifice,” Forbes said. “I am very thankful to them that they are willing to take me back and forth each day.”
Being an individual sport, wrestling is based more around coaching than one would think. All three of the young transfers agreed without a good coach they would not be where they are today.
“Coach Wittlake is a great coach. I have been wrestling for him for a long time,” Lira said. “I know that he can get me to where I want to be.”
Although it is an individual sport, there is also a team aspect to wrestling. Teams go to matches and get points based upon how each individual does. At the end of the year there are various state champions for each individual weight class, but there are also overall team champions. Wittlake said the addition of new members is huge, and it will give a big boost to the team.
“Every person you can get is great,” Wittlake said. “We are glad to have them.”
