Eagles set standard for each other, opponents
Under coach Scott Jones, the Lakeside High School wrestling program established itself as a state power. After last season, the longtime coach retired. Enter former assistant Troy Hughes to take over this year, and one constant has remained: The Eagles continue to win on the mat and they enter next week’s district meet as the team to beat.
“It’s been a great season, not only the guys, but also the team overall,” said Hughes, whose brother Travis is the head coach at Mt. Spokane. “Our numbers are a little lower than we wanted, but the 35 guys are committed and working. We couldn’t ask for anything more.”
A trio of senior captains leads Lakeside’s success this year. Kyle Johnson, Wes McAdam and Dustin Baldwin have carried forward to this year their triumphs on the mat from previous seasons. Johnson, who has finished second at state three straight years, is wrestling at 135 pounds and is favored to make his way back to Tacoma after a strong season that saw him win at the prestigious Tri-State meet earlier this year.
“It’s been kind of the same thing for me,” said Johnson, who wrestled at 103, 119 and 130 pounds at his previous state tournaments. “My freshman year I got second. My sophomore year I got second. It’s the same feeling of coming so close but not quite making it. I just have the feeling that this year wasn’t going to be the same. I’ve made sure anytime I’ve had an opportunity to learn anything, I was going to take it.”
McAdam, who also started at linebacker on the Eagles football team that made the state playoffs this year, is wrestling at 171 pounds this winter. McAdam finished fourth at state his sophomore year before taking second last season.
“When I was a freshman, there was a group of seniors that won state,” said McAdam. “I saw what the bar was then. When we wrestle with the younger guys, if they’re having any trouble, we’re always there to coach them. We’ve learned to give them a few fixes, and then you give them a positive. We make sure we include them in all the team stuff we do.”
Baldwin was a fifth-place finisher at state his sophomore season before taking second last year. Baldwin goes into the district tournament as one of the favorites at 215 pounds.
“We’ve always had a pretty good wrestling program, and it feels good to go out there and wrestling for a team that’s used to being one of the best,” said Baldwin. “It just makes me happy to be part of a team where everyone is good on it and proud to be on it.”
Much of the team pride and work ethic of the Eagles can be traced to a summer camp run by their former coach.
“It’s tremendous for all the guys that come to camp,” said Johnson. “They learn a whole lot from that and not just about wrestling, but about yourself. How far you can push yourself and what you can do. We get to know each other, and it’s like an extra part of the season we get to spend together and bond. Once the season starts, we know we pushed it hard during the summer, while other teams didn’t. We have an advantage, and we’re going to keep on pushing.”
“I can’t really imagine not going there for at least a couple of days,” said McAdam. “I feel like it prepares you. Even though it’s in the summer, and you go through football and wrestling, I feel like I’ve gone through the toughest conditioning I can ever go through in that weeklong camp. It allows you to be prepared mentally to push yourself harder than you ever would have before. You meet a lot of guys from other schools throughout the state and meet other coaches, some of the best in the state, and you grow just a ton in just a week.”
All three captains look to continue wrestling in college, but first it’s the matter of finishing on top at the conclusion of their high school careers. Their coach knows the results on the mat don’t always show the winning they’ve accomplished.
“I’ve formed a real good relationship with these kids over the past three years,” said Hughes. “These guys have been leading this team. As an assistant, it’s real easy to form a tight relationship with these kids because you’re working with them one on one. They’re real givers to the program. Anything I’ve asked, they’ve been willing to give. Not only are they chasing their own goals, but also they’re givers at heart to do that for the cause of our team. I’m going to miss these kids. It’s going to be a hard year at the end of the year banquets and saying goodbye to the kids on this team.”