The Wrestling Team of 2017/2018
December 6, 2017
Bronco Wrestling
This years wrestling team consists of six people, five of which are first time wrestlers and one returning wrestler. This team of six may seem very small but it is much better than last year’s team of two. The team is still small but hopefully the team will continue to grow over the years to come. The current head coach, Mark Hodges, is happy with the current team and is excited to watch them develop and grow.
Interview questions with Coach Mark Hodges:
1. How long have you been a wrestling coach at Bishop High?
“I started as an assistant coach in 2002 under head coach Kevin Bigham and then was assistant coach under Shaun Joseph. In 2016 I took over as head coach.”
2. What is your favorite thing about coaching wrestling?
“I enjoy seeing the progression the wrestlers make and seeing them meet their goals. At the beginning of the season, I ask each wrestler to set a goal. For a beginning wrestler, that goal might be to simply win a match. For a more advanced wrestler it might be to become league champion or to place at CIF.”
3. How many kids are on the wrestling team this year?
“There are six wrestlers on the team, five of which are first-year wrestlers and one, Mark Mayhugh, is starting his third year.”
4. What are your expectations of this years team?
“Four of the wrestlers are within eight pounds of each other, which is good for them as they will have workout partners close to their weight, but bad for the team. I say bad for the team because there are 14 weight classes and with four wrestlers so close in weight, one or two may not be able to wrestle in dual meets. This means that we have to forfeit so many weight classes that we will probably not win any dual meets this year. Wrestling is both an individual and a team sport, so this year most of our emphasis will be on individual achievement.”
5. When will the first wrestling match be and where?
“Our first scheduled tournament is at Rim of the World High School on December 2nd. We are working on the league scheduling and hope to have one home meet. We will be hosting the High Desert League Individual Finals in Bishop on February 8th, which is the first step towards the state championships.”
6. Do you feel this team has a lot of potential?
“With five of the six wrestlers on the team being first-year wrestlers, we will not be competitive as a team. Individually, I think most of the wrestlers will meet their goals and in that regard, I will consider the team very successful.”
