Wrestling is coming to Polk County, but it won't be held in the bingo hall or a convention center. Onalaska ISD is taking on the sport of wrestling, to begin in just a few short months.
Zack Reese is the new coach for the Wildcats and Lady Cats, coming from a large program at Cy-Fair High School, where he held the same position.
He also attended the school in northwest Houston and began wrestling at the age of eight. He twice won youth state championships, was sixth in the state his junior year and the state's runner up as a senior. He has been awarded as an All-American at two different national tournaments and had offers at small schools, choosing instead to attend Sam Houston State University.
There are not many schools the size of Onalaska participating in wrestling, but the sport is the most demanded among students, according to athletic director Nick Tyerman. New Waverly and North Zulch are the closest in size. Huntsville, Willis, Conroe and The Woodlands are among the closest drives with programs.
"I've always wanted to start a program at a small school," Reese said. "I wanted to give them an opportunity, because they don't have it. We love Huntsville, and we will move up there and commute, because it makes my wife's drive better. We are excited about the small school aspect."
For the coming school year, Onalaska will compete in grades 7-12. Next year, the plan is to expand into fifth and sixth grade. That will coincide with the new junior high school adding those two grades. This year, Onalaska will compete on the junior varsity level and move into varsity competition when district realignment occurs.
"We will have time to grow something," Reese said. "In wrestling, you don't need much, just a mat. You don't have to be 6-foot-3, you don't have to lift 350 pounds,and you don't have to run a 4.3 (40-yard dash). You can excel if you put the time in. It is just a matter of how much time you put in and get good people around you."
The high school season spans from November to February.
Onalaska, Huntsville, New Waverly, Willis, North Zulch and Bryan will participate in a junior high league beginning the week after spring break and into April.
"It is a cool opportunity for me to put my print on it. Coach Tyerman and the whole Onalaska administration seem like a family and seem like they are really going to be supportive and get me what I need to be successful. We're going to be just J.V. next year, so we don't have to apply to UIL yet. Wrestling only has (Class) 5A and 6A, so we will be competing on the 5A level. There have been rumors about adding a (Class) 4A for a couple of years, and I don't know when it will actually happen, but it would be really cool, especially for the girls. If you can get some athletic girls, you can grow a program pretty quick. (Girls wrestling) is the fastest growing sport in the nation for a reason."
Reese attended the seventh-grade orientation to meet students. In all, around 40 student-athletes have signed up for the new sport. The coach said the split is about 60/40 boys to girls. He feels for a Class 3A school, it is a good number to begin with.
"It is going to be a challenge and I am going to be by myself this year. It is not something new. When I was at Cy-Fair, probably around 98% of the kids were new to the sport. Maybe one or two had some wrestling experience. It is just about going slow. Wrestling is a tough sport and really the hardest sport you can do in high school. It is just a physical grind of practices that are long. It is a combat sport and the only one you can do in high school. On top of that, you have to be disciplined with your grades and your weight. It is a no-nonsense culture, but still having fun. It is like a foreign language to these kids, but that J.V. year will be a good buffer year to introduce it."
The coach hopes to get a club started in the offseason through the school next year. It should help bridge the gap in knowledge of the sport and serve as preparation to compete on a varsity level versus many schools that will be much larger than Onalaska.
Practices begin in September with the season beginning just a few months later.
"My philosophy is that if you are a tough kid that is coachable and somewhat athletic, the first year is going to be that J.V. year. The second year, you should be a starter and pushing to place at district. The third year, you should be at regionals and pushing for state."
Reese will concentrate solely on coaching wrestling, leading both the high school and junior high boys and girls. In the classroom, he will teach seventh grade Texas history.
