It wasn't that long ago the Cloverdale wrestling program was one that was among the best, not only in Putnam County, but across the state.
According to first year head coach Eddie Byrns, the Clovers had a storied program that spent over a decade as county and sectional champions, picking up 14 sectional titles over the years.
And, then the program hit a rapid decline in participation.
"For Cloverdale wrestling, the season is going well. To describe it in one word, that would be simple -- rebirth. Last year, the team consisted of only one wrestler, senior Daphnee Gieger. That all ended in February," Byrns told The Putnam County Post.
What happened in February?
The Cloverdale Elementary wrestling program was restarted and Byrns, as well as Brian Siddons, both alumni, were hired and immediately got to work.
"The recruitment and search for new, young talent started immediately and offseason practice started immediately. All the energy and hard work has paid off," Byrns said.
This year, Cloverdale has a nice mix of veteran leadership and newcomers, according to Byrns.
He pointed to senior Olivia Hemmerling and juniors Corey Branigan, Ben Campbell, Jakob Compton and Patrick Harris who have all stepped up to the challenge and said many of them are first year wrestlers.
"As our upperclassmen learn, they are providing critical mentorship to our large talented group of underclassmen," he said.
Leading the unit is freshman Jason Glosser, who is 11-1 at 106 pounds. His lone loss came against fourth ranked Brady Bird. At 132, Logan Reynalds, a sophomore, is 8-2, and sophomore Max Bryant is 7-2 at 126 pounds. At 175, sophomore TJ Hamilton is 9-3.
"Max and Logan are both sophomores who come to Cloverdale wrestling with an energetic and dynamic wrestling style. TJ brings raw power and athleticism to the mat. His energy and drive to get better has many of his teammates looking to him as a leader and a standard to hold themselves to," Byrns said.
The excitement can be seen up and down the roster as Cloverdale has filled every weight class for the first time in over a decade, according to Byrns.
"The Cloverdale student body has stepped up in a huge way. This is the first time in over 10 years that Cloverdale has filled every weight class and brings an almost complete JV squad on the road. The team energy has been contagious, the student population has stood up, forming a traveling cheer block that rides with the team to meets to cheer this young squad on," he said.
With a young team, Byrns said there are three goals the Clovers have this season and the first starts with building a solid foundation.
He said that includes representing Cloverdale, spreading the wrestling message, bringing friends out, talking to the underclassmen and students in middle school and on the elementary teams and paying it forward.
After that, the second goal is to take every opportunity to learn, gain experience and learn every day. Finally, Cloverdale's third goal is to have fun, stay positive, be humble and leave everything on the mat every time out.
How will the Clovers stack up against county foes this season?
Byrns said he has only seen South Putnam so far, but Cloverdale will quickly find out at the upcoming Greencastle Holiday Classic.
"I firmly believe when all the Putnam County teams are better, it's better for everyone. The Clovers are young, but they are hungry and working hard to get better every single day. We aren't afraid to wrestle anyone. The team and the Clover community is fired up, excited and eager to build something special that will last for years to come," Byrns said.
