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Northwestern wrestling team has secret weapons

After barely fielding a team last year, Warriors have new coach, new goal.

Freshman Jacob Dooley of Northwestern wrestles Thorne Stoops of Southeastern at 152 pounds at the 18th annual Northeastern Jets Wrestling Duals on Saturday. Staff Photo by Barbara J. Perenic

Barbara Perenic Freshman Jacob Dooley of Northwestern wrestles Thorne Stoops of Southeastern at 152 pounds at the 18th annual Northeastern Jets Wrestling Duals on Saturday. Staff Photo by Barbara J. Perenic

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By Kermit Rowe, Staff Writer 11:43 PM Wednesday, December 14, 2011

SPRINGFIELD — What a difference a year makes.

Last year, the Northwestern wrestling team started off with four wrestlers and ended the season with just two. The future never looked more bleak — if you were focusing on the present.

This season, a logical goal would be just to have a team — which makes Saturday’s team championship at the annual Northeastern Duals all the more improbable.

New coaching staff. New athletes. New results. The Warriors went a perfect 9-0 in head-to-head dual meets for their improbable title.

“We knew going into the dual meet tournament we had a shot at winning it,” said first-year head coach Harry Husted, who was at West Liberty-Salem last season. “To a lot of people, we were off the radar.

“But the knowledge and maturity level of our freshmen, nobody but our coaching staff could have predicted that. I told them, it is our expectation to win this thing. If we don’t, I’m doing something wrong as a coach and they are doing something wrong as wrestlers.”

Indeed, the Warriors are extremely young, with just one returning letterman: junior Brandon Rogers. However, they have four junior high state qualifiers among their bumper crop of 12 freshmen.

They also have a “family thing” going for them, with four sets of brothers on the team: Brandon Rogers and twin brothers Devin and Conner, Zach and Justin Weekley, Ben and Andrew Franzen and Isaac, Forrest and Stewart Parrott.

“We had a good crop of freshmen coming in; they are very talented,” said Husted. “The rest of the kids out, that was the result of talking to kids, shaking hands, home visits, phone calls, going to football games, talking to teachers.”

The excitement is already catching on. Two former junior high state qualifiers, juniors Ben Franzen and Sam Oakes, rejoined the team this week after seeing the bright future of the program. They had both had successful freshman seasons, but did not come out as sophomores.

“That’s two huge additions to the team that not too many teams will not have on their radar,” said Husted.

They will now. But that’s OK with Husted, as he has a lot of coaching help and focused athletes because of it. His varsity assistant is former Urbana head coach Jeff Beard. Other volunteer assistants include last year’s Warriors head coach Jeb Pencil, ex-Northwestern standout Mason Sherrock and former two-time state qualifier Britt Wooten of WLS.

They have set the highest of goals.

“At the end of the day, if we don’t have the best record, that’s irrelevant; it’s if we can compete at the state tournament,” Husted said. “All our focus is on the postseason.”

So the secret’s out. That’s OK, too.

“We sat down and talked about the fact that it’s real hard being the underdog when you are 11-0,” said Husted. “We’re the ones with the target on our backs now. We’re ready.”

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