Grosse Pointe Farms

South wrestling hopes to contend for MAC Silver championship

By Mark Vest
C & G Sports Writer

» click to enlarge « Photo by Sean Work Grosse Pointe South wrestler Joshua Nurullah, top, practices a hold with teammate Martinez Bennerman. South coach Greg Snider would like his team to take a shot at a Macomb Area Conference Silver Division title. Photo by Sean Work Grosse Pointe South wrestler Joshua Nurullah, top, practices a hold with teammate Martinez Bennerman. South coach Greg Snider would like his team to take a shot at a Macomb Area Conference Silver Division title.

A young and inexperienced roster may cause some programs to simply chalk up the season to experience and rebuilding.

But that’s not the case at Grosse Pointe South.

The varsity wrestling team is mostly made up of freshmen, but that isn’t stopping South coach Greg Snider from aiming for a Macomb Area Conference Silver Division title while also building for the future.

“Our goals really are to do well within our division,” Snider said. “When we get in our division, that’s a good gauge of where we’re at, and so far, so good. To win our division would be nice, and I think it’s attainable. It’s going to be tough, but it’s possible.”

Senior Tommy Flynn has given some thought as to what it might take for South to reach its goals.

“Intensity,” he said. “You go to work hard. It pays off.”

Teammate Frank Pangborn, also a senior, has a similar sentiment.

“Just keep working,” he said. “Do what we’re doing. Get better.”

And while South sat atop the MAC Silver with a 3-0 record at press time, Snider understands there are other teams vying for the same thing as his squad.

“It’s definitely a competitive division for us,” Snider said. “(St. Clair Shores) Lakeview probably looks pretty good. “I haven’t seen them this year, but they usually have a full squad and look pretty good. East Detroit has some real good kids. If they have a full lineup, they’re going to be one of the better teams. They have some really good upper weights.”

Aside from a team goal of capturing a MAC Silver championship, Snider had each person on the roster set individual goals. He thinks “a couple” of his more experienced wrestlers may have a shot to make it out of South’s district and earn a trip to regionals.

If things go the way Snider hopes, South will have plenty of other opportunities in the future to achieve success in both the regular and post season. A feeder program has been developed, in which students who may someday wrestle for South receive early training in the sport, beginning at the elementary-school level.

Snider is hopeful that it will pay dividends for South’s program.

“We got a solid kids club going this year,” he said. “If we can get our feeder programs going good, then, I think kids will have more of a vested interest coming through our program, so they’ll stay on longer. … We should see some more success over the next couple years, I think.”

South is next scheduled to be in action at 9 a.m. Jan. 26 at St. Clair Shores Lake Shore.

You can reach C & G Sports Writer Mark Vest at mvest@candgnews.com or at (586)279-1112. Follow Mark on Twitter.