*Robbinsville wrestling season preview
Robbinsville – You can look at the 2019-20 Robbinsville wrestling season from many angles.
Just don’t think the outcome is going to be any different.
The dominant Black Knights program lost nine seniors – including eight starters – after last year’s second-place state finish, but head coach Todd Odom is sticking to the same formula that has brought Robbinsville a whopping 23 Smoky Mountain Conference championships since the wrestling program began in 1975.
“You have consistency in coaching, and you have a philosophy and you don’t waiver from that philosophy, the kids will respond to it,” Odom said. “Our expectation is we’re vying for a state title. That’s our goal.
“When I first started, winning conference was the goal. It’s great to do that and I’m not discounting it. We’re not after a conference or regional title; we’re after a team dual title.”
Three state finalists – Kyle Fink, Jayden Nowell and Nathan Fisher – are back for the Knights. Of those three, only Fisher is a senior. He will be joined by Kamron McGuire and Sage Buckel after football season ends.
“We’ve got a bunch of young kids, but in my mind you don’t teach to the middle – you teach to the top and let everybody catch up,” Odom said. “The young kids are eager to learn.
“The guys we lost are hard to replace. I’m not going to sit here and say it’s not.”
Robbinsville won the 1A state championship in 2017, then finished as runners-up in 2018 and 2019. With so much tradition in place – Odom has been coaching the Knights for 16 years and during the first decade of his tenure, Robbinsville won the conference title every season – it is hard to argue with the idea that the Knights could make another state run this year.
“Fisher will wrestle one weight class up (138 pounds),” Odom said. “Kyle wrestled at 220 last year, but he’ll wrestle at 195 this year. We’ve never had a freshman make the state finals until last year, so that was a big deal for Jayden and Kyle. Those guys are going to be a big part of who we are this year because they will be in the mix at any tournament we go to.
“As long as they stay healthy, they will produce at a high level and you will see us in the top 10, 15 of any tournament we go to this year.”
Grind has begun
Robbinsville already has four official battles under its belt, competing in a tri-match at Smoky Mountain on Nov. 21, cultivating huge success at South Caldwell’s Dakota Smith Invitational on Nov. 23, downing T.C. Roberson 45-36 at home Nov. 26 and pinning the competition at the Enka Jet Invitational on Nov. 27.
The win over the Rams started with Micah Smith (106 pounds) scoring a first-period pinfall, before Luke Wilson (113) worked back from a near-fall to win his bout via pinball. Julius Cross (120) dropped his bout via second-period pin, but Nowell got Robbinsville back in control with a first-round pinfall.
Nick Anderson (132) earned an 8-3 decision victory, before another comeback bid by Willie Riddle (138) gave the Knights a commanding 27-6 advantage.
Fisher and Jacob Hall (152) then put the match out-of-reach with back-to-back pinfall victories. Fisher’s win came in a mere 35 seconds.
A Cole Patterson loss at 160 pounds set off a chain of T.C. Roberson successes, though they came in the form of forfeits. The final bout contested was at 195 pounds, which Fink won at the 1:12 mark of the first period.
“They have been a perennial 4A powerhouse,” Odom said of T.C. Roberson. “We had a lot of kids come in and wrestle above their athletic ability.
“Willie and Luke wrestled well. We take pride in being tough. We teach our kids that bad things are going to happen on the mat and how you react to it really shows what your character truly is.”
Less than 12 hours later, the Knights got back to work at the Jet Invitational. When all was said and done, Fisher and Fink both won their respective weight classes, while second-place honors went to Smith and Wilson, Nowell took third and Hall placed fourth. Robbinsville finished sixth overall at the tournament.
The Knights were upended by the hosting Mustangs on Nov. 21, 45-36, but defeated Rabun Gap, Ga., 42-23.
Smith, Wilson and Case Beasley (120) each got their hands raised via forfeit against Rabun Gap, while Nowell (132), Fisher, Phoenix Brooks (182) and Fink each pinned their opponents.
Against Smoky Mountain, Fisher, Jacob Hall (152), Brooks, Wilson, Beasley and Nowell all scored pinfalls.
The Knights took center stage at the South Caldwell tournament.
Fisher and Nowell both won their respective weight classes, while Wilson and Fink finished second and Willie Riddle (138) took third. The team finished fourth overall. Smith and Blake Silvers both won their weight classes in the junior varsity bracket.