The Last Week.
The opening Shot.
The 2025 – 2026 West Virginia High School Wrestling Season is in the books. Congratulations to Head Coach Davis Solak on a successful first season as Head Coach. Thanks also to his assistants, and to the many clinicians, volunteers, parents, and sponsors who supported the program. Most of all, thanks to the young men and women who sacrificed, fought through adversity, and grew over the course of the season.
The Week in Review.
The 2025 – 2026 high school wrestling season ended with the WV State Championship Tournament. Eight GEHS men and three GEHS women (with an additional two alternates) qualified to wrestle in the State Tournament.
While it is easy to focus on those young men and women who wrestled in the State Tournament, it would not be fair or proper to forget those who worked hard all season but for any number or reasons did not qualify to wrestle in the State Tournament. The wrestlers who did not wrestle in the tournament are no less members of the team and their toughness, tenacity, and contribution to the team should not be forgotten. It was gratifying to see many of the men and women who did not move on to the tournament come to practice helping prepare and challenge their teammates as they geared up for the State Tournament. We look forward to next year when many of these wrestlers will qualify to wrestle in the State Tournament.
Congratulations to senior Kaden Stone on earning a Third-Place finish in the 144 lb. weight class. Kaden is one of Greenbrier East’s most accomplished athletes, excelling in football and wrestling. Kaden adds the 2026 Third Place trophy to his prior 5th and 3rd place finishes in the State Tournament and to his record number of wins and record number of Pins. As Kaden moves on to college, we wish him the best in his academic and athletic careers.
While Kaden (the only senior wrestler) was the sole member of the men’s division to place, many other members of our young team had success at the tournament. Mason Miller (165 lb.) and Harrison Smith (285 lb.) each finished in the top eight and are considered favorites to place in, or win, the state tournament next year. Freshman Hunter Holcomb (106 lb.) and Kane Frank (157 lb.) each earned wins in the tournament. Freshman Gage Webb (113 lb.) and Carter Webb (150 lb.) both earned valuable experience they will bring to next year’s team. All of these wrestlers represented Greenbrier East well on the largest wrestling stage in the state.
In the women’s division, three women finished in the top two at the South Regional Tournament, and all three placed in the State Tournament. Fighting illness and an early injury which nearly swelled her right eye shut, Maya Frank (120 lb.) added another Third Place Finish to her 2024 Third Place trophy. She joins Kaden Stone as the only multi-year State Tournament placers on the team. In the third-place match, Maya once again wrestled the 2025 State Champion, Oak Hill’s Kirclyn Coleman, outlasting her to win by the score of 9 to 8. As Ms. Coleman is a graduating senior, Maya will likely be ranked in the top two or three in the state moving into the 2026 – 2027 season. Izzy Blankenship (138 lb.) demonstrated her reputation as a hard-nosed, tough competitor in working back to earn a Fourth-Place finish in the tournament. She is well placed as one of the top competitors moving into next year’s season and will be in the running to earn a State Championship. Sophomore wrestler Makaylee Bennett placed Fifth in the state in the very competitive 185 lb. weight class. Makaylee continues to grow as a wrestler and will likely win a state title before she graduates from GEHS.
One likewise cannot forget GEHS’s two state alternates in the 132 lb. weight class, Hannah Gill and Ava Taylor. The role of an alternate in the State Tournament is a thankless role. An alternate does not know until the day of the tournament – at the end of weigh-ins – whether they will wrestle or not. This means that even though they may not wrestle, they must prepare as if they will. This means maintaining weight discipline, continuing to practice, and working as hard as the wrestlers who know they will be wrestling. Hannah and Ava did not find out until the very end of weigh-ins that they would not be wrestling in the tournament. Even then, they stayed at the tournament helping to warm-up and practice with their teammates, cheering them on and helping in any way they
could. This kind of teamwork exemplifies what it means to be part of something bigger than oneself.
As we approach the off-season, there is much to look back on, to celebrate, and to learn from. We look forward to a great off-season and to an even better 2026-2027 season.
A debt of gratitude.
An incredible thing happened on the long road to the State Tournament. Greenbrier East High School and the communities of Eastern Greenbrier County came together in solid support of the wrestling team. The send-off given to the team by the school and the town was epic, as has been the monetary and volunteer support received this year.
I would like to thank GEHS Athletic Director Joey Hodge, and Principal David Vincent for their support. Mr. Hodge supported and fought for our team all year, helping us to overcome challenges from weather to the application of rules to the new and growing sport of women’s wrestling. Mr. Hodge and Principal Vincent were able to arrange an introduction and send-off at the half time of the Lady Spartan’s Basketball’s dominant win over Nicholas County. We thank the GEHS Lady Spartans for allowing us the use of their court for this introduction and the crowd for such a welcome send-off.
On the day the team left for the tournament, they were escorted through the town by Greenbrier County First Responders including law enforcement, firefighters, and EMS. These frontline heroes gave up a part of their day to show support for our team. Community residents lined the streets with signs and cheers as the team drove by. This is something the young men and women will never forget.
If someone comes into a car dealership wanting to trade in a year-old car with 150,000 miles, it probably means they are a wrestling parent. Thanks to our parents for driving mile-after-mile to tournaments, for volunteering, fundraising, livestreaming, and cheering. For putting up with hungry teenagers and tournaments that never seem to end. What you give to your kids, and their teammates has an inestimable value and can never be acknowledged enough or repaid.
Although we have thanked them throughout the season, we cannot fully express our gratitude to our many volunteers and financial supporters. From our initial fundraising efforts to the present, we have received the funds required to grow our program. We look forward to even more support next year and welcome all who may donate to the Greenbrier East Wrestling Family of Programs. I wish to give a personal thanks to my dear friend Dr. David Shaffer. Dr. Dave was one of the team’s largest (if not the largest) benefactors. He was a wrestler himself and loved the sport and the young men and women who wrestled. Dr. Dave passed away before the beginning of the season. He is my friend and I miss him. I am sure that he spent the season looking down on the tournaments from the best seats in the house – probably joking with Jacob that Jacob wouldn’t hurt so much if he knew how to defend a hip toss. RIP Dr. Dave.
Next Week.
Next week’s article will report on the teams off season plans and preparation for the Virginia Beach Nationals and U.S. Marine Corps Junior and 16U Nationals (the world’s largest, most prestigious high school wrestling tournament held annually in July at the FargoDome in Fargo, North Dakota). The article will also let you know ways in which you can become a part of our team. As always, we welcome sponsors and donors to our program. If you wish to sponsor or donate, please feel free to reach out to me at (719) 322-3985, or email me at rob@rjflaw.com.
