Wrestlers back on the mat as team prepares for season

Winter sports are just beginning and the Mariposa County High School wrestling team is gearing up for the season.

After coaching high school wrestling for about a decade, Jerry Lura stepped back but couldn’t stay away.

He returned as an assistant coach the last couple of years and now finds himself back in the head coaching role again this season.

“This is such a time commitment but I do it for the kids,” Lura said.

“I want the kids to have a culturally good experience.”

With over 50 kids on the roster this season, the team has grown significantly.

Coaching with Lura this season are Nathan Tomlin, Holly Beaudoin, Jessie Fouch, Scott Seymour and Joe Leonard.

“When we realized how many guys we have we realized we needed some backup,” laughed Lura.

“We have some kids coming and going but the roster is at about 54 kids right now.”

Another way the program continues to evolve is almost half of the roster are girls.

“We’ve got at least 20 girls right now,” Lura said.

“We have about four returning and a lot of freshmen. They’re all pretty serious, it’s great.”

The girls will be coached by Beaudoin and they hope to continue taking the program in a positive direction.

“Jaysea (Whitmire) was a masters qualifier last year and Lillie (Cook) was one match away from going to masters,” Lura explained.

“This is a huge girls team for our league so it should be fun.”

The team has been back on the mats for just under a month as they’re preparing for competition.

“This week we’re doing hydration testing, which gives the kids their official weigh-in and they do a body fat check,” continued Lura.

“Then the section tells them how much they can weigh throughout the year.”

Hydration testing is a safety measure the league has put into place.

“During the old days where kids would cut tons of weight to get down to a lower class — they can’t do that anymore,” the coach said.

“This gives set days and times based on how much body fat you have that shows how much you can lose from each competition and by the end of the year.”

As Lura takes the reins of the program this year, he aims to focus on culture.

“It’s about the culture in the room, our personalities and the way we do it. It’s important to do things right,” Lura said.

“The culture toward winning and achievement hasn’t changed.”

Having a large team with a high number of wrestlers is beneficial.

“Just with our numbers we can fill most weight classes and win the league,” Lura said.

“We have some tough kids who will win matches for sure.”

No matter the outcome, it’s about the kids.

“How you see a kid grow and mature, push their limits and accomplish things they didn’t think they could, it’s like no other,” explained Lura.

“The potential for growth and individual development is priceless.”

The girls team traveled to Central Valley High School on Nov. 21 to compete while the JV team competed at Central Valley High School on Nov. 22.

Results were not available at press time.

Next up, the group will travel to Ripon High School for more action on Dec. 3 with a start time of 4:30 p.m.