FAIRLEA- The Greenbrier East wrestling team has been a respected squad over the last several years and have elevated their status in the mountain state.
The team was supposed to open their 2024-25 season in the Blacksburg/Indy Dual on Dec. 7, but it got cancelled. So, instead, East will hit the mats this coming weekend, Saturday, Dec. 14 in the Morse Reese Tournament, named after longtime Spartan and Eastern Greenbrier coach of the same name.
Spartan coach Davis Solak is leaving no doubts on where he stands this year in regard to his team’s potential while also understanding things like that take time.
“My expectations are high. I am hoping we can have some wrestlers place high at the state tournament. However, it’s a long year and we still have some growing to do to get there,” Solak said.
To reach such lofty goals, the Spartans will need to stay healthy during the course of the season which can be a grueling task to say the least.
“The most important part of sustaining a good season has to be staying healthy and also opening up new opportunities for the children. We try not to dwell on winning and losing. We want our athletes to be good people and successful students first,” Solak explained.
With several wrestlers from last season returning, Solak and his coaching staff already know the coaching style to take with them. However, with the newcomers, it is all a feeling out process for them to be as successful as they can be.
“As far as my coaching style and other coaches’ coaching styles, they do change and cater to each individual. Some individuals require different molds to succeed, and we try different approaches to figure out what works best for each individual. Some of these wrestlers on the team I have coached since middle school so, I have a decent read on how to approach coaching them. Furthermore, the newer wrestlers we are still trying to figure out what works with them,” the coach stated.
This weekend, Solak is anxious to finally get on the mat and see what his team has to work with, especially with the new scoring system this year.
“The key to this weekend is just attacking first. With the new scoring in high school wrestling, we want our athletes to jump ahead quick and keep the pressure on during the match. With this being one of our first matches, wrestlers have a tendency to shut down instead of attacking.
Teams participating in the Morse Reese Tournament as of this writing are:
Greenbrier East High School
Greenbrier West High School
Buckhannon-Upshur High School
Midland Trail High School
Alleghany High School (VA)
Bath County High School (VA)
Capital High School
Elkins High School
