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Congratulations to Hunter Watts from Jimtown for signing with Central Michigan. He is projected to wrestle 133. View full signing

As we started this season, I reached out to some former wrestlers for words to provide to the guys who think the sport isn't for them. These were guys who weren't "wrestling first" guys. These were guys who either had to be talked into being on the team, were there specifically to prep for football, chose not to wrestle one year, etc. This particular reply stood out, and I thought the Gorilla community might enjoy it. For the record, this is from a 2013 graduate. This particular wrestler was a one time sectional champion and did not qualify for semi-state. Somehow I find that makes his words more powerful...not from a top-dog guy. From a guy who was grinding every day just getting what he could out of the sport. Almost better than this longer version is the text he sent me later when I thanked him - "It's simple though, mentally, wrestling makes all other high school sports easier." The Struggle is REAL: Wrestling at first glance seems like it’s mostly physical. I wrestled for four years and didn’t understand what it was doing for my mental development yet, so regretfully I took a year off. After a year away, luckily I enjoyed what it did for me enough physically to come back to the mat for another three years. I wish someone could snap their fingers, tell you that your hard work will be worth it, and you will just believe it. Sorry, too bad it’s harder than that. At first glance, it’s doesn’t seem so, but wrestling is more mentally than physically beneficial. You know that feeling you have deep inside when you’re struggling? Just trust in yourself and know, that feeling is the first sign that you’re about to learn something new about yourself. Be conscious, have the wherewithal to push through the struggle for a solution, then take the time to reflect on what pushing through that struggle taught you, and ultimately you will have truly learned that NOTHING worth learning is easy. Each time you learn something new, it will breathe new confidence within you to go through the next struggle or barrier in your way. Whatever you do, take the measures and have targeted objectives to get better at struggling. Break down personal barriers and do yourself a favor, use what you’ve learned to struggle for a shorter period the next time. Make the valleys shallower and the peaks higher with each learning experience. Put in the time to learn the mental chess game that wrestling really is, and you won’t regret that decision. Learn how to strategically and more efficiently employ both your body and mind. Once you’ve learned how to tie a few good moves together, counter your opponent, and mentally grind through a full three periods, then win or lose you just took the measures to think one step ahead of the person in front of you; a skill you’ll use for the rest of your life. Struggles will come as long as you live. Wrestling has mentally prepared me for handling trials and tribulations. I hope that you’ll have that same experience.

My son is lifting after practice daily..alternating upper and lower body. Will this help or hinder his performance if he does this throughout the season as well?

How many schools participate in morning conditioning?

Everybody is different.. myself I lifted during season but not really heavy... enough to maintain what i developed in the summer. PECK had us do millions of air squats during practice and he did awesome incorporating exercises that were weighted but were exercises that developed things specific to wrestling.

This is one of the funniest comments in a while! Quality!!!

Well wraslin fans first weekend in November means da worlds greatest sport is in da swing of things. Lots of quality wraslin happen dis weekend. Michigan State open happin - a number of fellow rats competing. Since da rat is no longer slaven for da man so I will be doin some traveling in da 250. Some of you fellow rats looking for a road trip hit me up. Might check out da scuffle or catch a penn st / Iowa dual. Also ecxcited about tings happening in b-town. Got a number of rats down there. And Ole Angel goin to straighten out da mess Goldie locks screwed up for 20 years. Gonna take some time but he is gonna keep dat talent at home. Bein a retired guy got some time on my hand. So any rats need a roof put on a brake job not many tings da rat can't handle. I do it for a fair price and won't cheat ya, Just keep da old lady away - they get infatuated wit da rats muscles. As far as da high school seen as usual we will lookin for allot of gold here. 5-6 aint a bad year for da region. So as usual you guys better sharpen your pencils cause your gonna need to by February. Fyi Da rate doesn't do any tutoring in English. Aint much help on term papers. But if you need a little help in wood, metal or electric shop I can help out. Da Rat

Amen! This strikes a nerve with me. My freshman son is 85lbs soaking wet, but he's a pretty decent wrestler. He can compete with bigger kids, but giving up +20lbs is a stretch (particularly to the Cottey's, Dalton's, & Nelson's, etc). Competing on a level playing field was the whole reason that I encouraged him to wrestle. He wrestles year-round in the academies, and I can assure you there are a number of very good kids at or around his weight. Many parents just hold their kids back; who can blame them. We can't, in good conscience, do that, so one way or the other he's going to take his lumps. It is what it is. I understand the rationale, but given how hard he (and the other little guys) have worked; the idea of 110 as the lowest class gets me a bit frosty.

I like the idea of 15, but adding it to the middle of the lineup. 106, 113, 119, 125, 130, 135, 140, 145, 152, 160, 170,182, 195, 220, 285