There were lots of pins Feb. 27 at Dixie Heights as four wrestling teams competed against each other in a varsity wrestling meet.
Few brought more noise than the one by Highlands junior Henry King as he engaged in a tense back-and-forth match against Peyton Mayer of Walton-Verona.
King and Mayer had a high-scoring match, with both wrestlers coming close to pinning the other before King scored a fall in the second period.
Several Bluebirds stood by the mat cheering him on, and after the match, he had a big smile as teammates congratulated him for notching the only head-to-head win by a Bluebirds wrestler against WV, who is ranked fifth in the state.
“It was only his third match of the year,” Highlands head coach John Hazares said. “He’s a very young and motivated guy. He’s very strong and aggressive. He’s got what it takes to wrestle. He brings a lot of energy. He’s a good athlete. I’m looking forward to having him next year.”
Wins have been hard to come by for the new Highlands program, as the 2021 Bluebirds have been competing on the varsity level for the first time heading into the Region 6 championships March 12-13.
Highlands has had a couple of team dual wins this season mostly due to individual forfeits, and the Bluebirds won three head-to-head matches against WV and established programs Dixie Heights and South Oldham.
“We’ve been pinned a lot, but I tell them to keep fighting and try to go the distance,” Hazares said. “It’s been hard with them wrestling against kids who have been wrestling three or four years and it’s been about managing expectations. They come off the mat and they’re not hanging their heads. They have short memories.”
Highlands has 22 wrestlers on its roster, including three seniors. The Bluebirds have had a youth program the previous three years.
Hazares, a veteran youth wrestling coach who also coached at Northern Kentucky University last season, was tabbed to lead the varsity program heading into its first season.
He said the administration has been very supportive of the new program. While this year’s team has been sharing practice space with other programs at the school, the wrestling team will have its own dedicated space this fall in the school’s new fieldhouse.
“I’m more excited now than I was then,” Hazares said. “These kids like to be pushed. They’re very polite. They work hard. They encourage each other. They’re a family. That’s the thing I’m most proud of, is that they’re a team. I just want to have a full lineup this year. I’m not worried about state championships.”
Highlands has several females on the roster, with a couple of them starting in the Dixie meet. They will head into this weekend’s girls state championship before the Bluebirds head into the postseason and gain valuable experience.
“The main thing is getting them on the mat,” Hazares said. “It doesn’t matter who they’re up against. You can’t really practice a live match with just you and the other guy in a circle. You can’t mimic it in practice. At first, the kids lock up, they freeze up. They get scared at first. But after a while, you’re more relaxed when you get out there, and I can start getting them to do more moves.”
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