By Brady Extin | Daily Reporter
GREENFIELD — Last season, Greenfield-Central completed a rare accomplishment, winning back-to-back Hoosier Heritage Conference titles.
It was only the second time in school history that goal had been achieved.
This year, they’ll be looking to make history and become the first G-C team to go back-to-back-to-back.
“One thing that we do kind of set as a goal for ourselves is to be on the top of our game by conference,” head coach Josh Holden said. “You really do want to win the conference. We’ve never won it three years in a row, so that’s a big goal.”
For Holden and the Cougars, that specific goal of winning the HHC is uncommon. For the most part, they’re a program that doesn’t tend to put emphasis on things like that.
“Expectations for us don’t really center around wins and losses. You never know with sickness, or injury, or holes in your lineup,” Holden said. “We don’t really focus on duals. We focus on getting better every day, wrestling hard, wrestling smart, being coachable, and doing all those things that make you a better man. Yeah, we’ve had some success, but we don’t really focus on that. We try to focus on the things that lead to winning, not the winning.”
Last season, at the HHC meet, the Cougars outpaced second place Mt. Vernon by just 14 points (207-193). That road to another conference title will be a difficult one once again.
“It’s going to be a tough goal. I’ve been watching these other teams, and Delta’s been improving, New Pal’s been improving, Mt. Vernon’s been improving. I watch the stuff in the papers from their off seasons and I think to myself, ‘how are we going to beat these guys?’,” Holden said. “We have to be at the top of our game, have a full lineup, and have everybody contribute. We have to have guys that don’t get pinned, and have guys that pin people. That’s how you win at our level.”
This year’s G-C team seems to have just about every one of those things that Holden wants and expects.
Even with the loss of nine seniors, including four that advanced to last year’s semi-state in Chase Gardner, Dakota Herald, Matt Wickham, and Josh VanOsdel, the Cougars should still be just as well-rounded and deep.
Leading the way will be senior Isaiah Holden and junior Clay Guenin who joined those four seniors at semi-state. Holden lost his opening match at 145 pounds, and Guenin lost his opening bout at 160 pounds.
This season both enter the year ranked in the state in their respective classes. Holden has moved up to 152 and is ranked No. 13, while Guenin is ranked No. 15 in the 170-pound division.
“Clay has had a great career so far, and we are really expecting him to get to state this season,” coach Holden said.
The seventh member from G-C’s semi-state group, sophomore Lincoln Parsons, also returns in the 113-pound division where last year he won the Shelbyville Sectional and was runner-up in the regional tournament. A broken elbow suffered in the regional meet contributed to an unexpected placement at semi-state.
“He ended up losing in the first round last year to a kid that he had pinned in 45 seconds earlier in the year, so obviously that broken elbow affected his chances,” coach Holden said.
Adding to the Cougars’ depth will be senior Cohen Hager, junior Kannon Zuber (138) who was an on-and-off varsity member last year, and junior Brayden Flener who will be the Cougars heavyweight.
“Brayden came out as a freshman and surprised some people. He’s a hard-worker, and pretty good athlete,” the coach said. “Heavyweight is a tough class in our area, but I think he’s right there with a lot of those tough kids.”
The Cougars also bring in some new faces to round out the roster.
Sophomore Owen Howell (220) joins the varsity for the first time, as well as freshman Jett McGuire.
“Owen has worked hard, and gotten better each year, so he will be solid this season,” coach Holden said.
Though new to high school, big things are expected from McGuire (106).
“He’s a freshman, but really tough. They didn’t rank him, but I think that’s just because he’s a freshman, and they haven’t watched him wrestle,” coach Holden said. “He got sixth at a national tournament here right before the season started, so to me at 106 he’s a state-placer type of kid, but obviously you’ve got to prove that.”
The Cougars open the season Saturday at the Rex Leavitt Invitational hosted by Tri High.
