SHORELINE
Shorecrest wrestling coach Lee Thornhill doesn’t mince words when he talks about how inexperienced his team is this year.
“We’re so young that we have to take naps at practice,” he said.
Of the 26 wrestlers out this season, 12 are freshmen. Nine of them had Thornhill as their middle school coach at Kellogg Middle School.
“We’re absolute rookies,” Thornhill said.
Senior Cole Arbanasin, who wrestles at 125 pounds is the only Scot to consistently win in the team’s first four dual meets of the season, He’s 3-1, with two pins and a major decision. He’s the only wrestler with a realistic shot of making it to regionals, Thornhill said. Arbanasin placed fifth at the 3A district tournament last year.
Shorecrest graduated its top two wrestlers, Ryan Pasic and Evan Burns. Pasic qualified for state last year at 135 pounds while Burns, a heavyweight, was an alternate to state.
The Scots are heavy on the lower weights and are forfeiting between five and six matches in dual meets.
“We’ll start getting better at the end of January,” Thornhill said. “As soon as all our people get 20 matches in it will start making sense to them.”
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