Calhoun High School Wrestling Season Begins Friday in Roane County

Whitney Butler, Writer

Calhoun begins the season with 21 Wrestlers on the roster with the Gary Bender Raider Cup in Roane County this weekend. And long time head coach Mike Stump is back in the mat room to lend a hand to Head Coach Andrew Cummings. With several first year high school wrestlers, Cummings hopes to build a strong team and continue rebuilding the program to its former glory. Stump, whose portrait can be seen in the Wall of Fame hallway at CMHS, has many accolades under his belt. Including having coached numerous state champions. Stump brings many years of experience to the table and along with it the unwavering respect of current and former athletes.

As seen by the schedule below, CHS Mat Men have their work cut out for them this season. But one thing the fans will not see is the dedication it takes to make it through each and every sporting event. Unlike any other sport, wrestling is an individual team sport. Meaning you may wrestle under the Calhoun name but when it’s your turn on that mat you can only rely on the skills you’ve learned and the grit to push through. These boys will also have to maintain a certain weight throughout the next 4 months, which you can probably guess is no easy feat especially during the holidays. Now while that may seem cruel to some, it actually teaches these young men the meaning of self control, dedication and gives them an understanding that while the Christmas pie may seem appealing today, if they want to enjoy their holiday meals they’ll have to put in extra work tomorrow. So if you see a wrestler not digging into to the holiday spread this year, be sure to tell them that you’re proud of their dedication to their sport and that come April you’ll make them a special Not-Quite-Christmas Pie just for them.

• Head Coach: Andrew Cummings 
• Assistant Coaches: Mike Stump, Dalton McCune