Sussex Academy wrestling program continues to grow
Following their inaugural season in the competitive Henlopen South, members of Sussex Academy’s wrestling team are hoping to continue to make strides for the program this season.
“We're kind of where we were at last year,” said senior Doug Horton. “Every day, I see a lot of new guys come in – they work their butt off, they're getting better – but overall, the team is hoping to see improvement.”
“I want to see a greater effort,” said Seahawks coach Justin Bennett. “I want to push them to the fullest extent of what they have, and I want them to give all they have.”
Bennett comes from Sussex Central’s illustrious program; he finished as high as second in the state during his time as a Golden Knight. Sussex Academy has a long way to go to match their Georgetown neighbor, but the Seahawks are adding more wrestlers each year.
“We have the numbers to wrestle some bigger teams now and possibly pull some upsets,” said senior Gabriel Hill.
Horton pointed out that some of the underclassmen are open to learning from the seniors.
“I'm noticing guys like Jeremy Van Pelt and Ryan Buckler,” Horton said. “They're both starting to improve, and I notice their leadership comes out.”
“I have a couple of returners here that I'm expecting to possibly be starters on this team,” Bennett said. “And from that, I expect them to be the leaders of this team as a whole. I don't expect just one or two wrestlers to be a leader; I expect my whole team to be a leader.”
Horton knows what it takes to succeed in the Henlopen South and the conference as a whole. The 165-pounder placed third at last year’s conference championships, the highest finish in the history of the program.
“We're going to be scrappy, but we do have some different guys that are really different in technique, which is an improvement on the team because, throughout practice and stuff, everyone has a different style,” Horton said. “You're not wrestling the same guy every time.”
“Wrestling is an individual sport, but it's also a team sport,” Hill said. “You’ve got that camaraderie, and as a team, it's a better environment when you have your brothers and sisters beside you struggling or winning with you.”
The Seahawks open with a home tri-meet against Indian River and A.I. du Pont at 5:15 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 11. Sussex Academy then finds itself in the Delmar Wrestling Invitational, Parkside Holiday Tournament and King of the Castle.
“The goal is to try to get them into as many tournaments, as many matches, as we can,” Bennett said. “The earlier we get them into it, the more mistakes they're going to make, and the more mistakes we can fix earlier instead of later in the season.”
