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Eagles expect more this season

November 30, 2007 12:36 am

BY JIM McCONNELL

It took Colonial Forge eight years to reach the pinnacle of Group AAA wrestling, so the Eagles are in no hurry to come back down.

Colonial Forge ended Great Bridge's stranglehold on the state championship in February, using an impressive display of depth to beat the runner-up Wildcats by 171/2 points. After savoring their accomplishment for a couple days, the Eagles went back to work in their offseason program and started laying the foundation for another championship season.

"We've been fortunate that when we set our goals and we accomplish them, we don't go backwards," Colonial Forge coach Bill Swink said. "We set the expectations high and they know that's what we expect. If you're not working to achieve that, you kind of don't fit in."

If complacency isn't an issue, neither is talent.

For most wrestling programs, replacing five state place-winners--including a champion (Matt Reck) and a runner-up (Phillip Chichester)--would prompt a major rebuilding project. For Colonial Forge, it's little more than a historical footnote.

That's because the Eagles, who are ranked 20th nationally by WIN magazine and 26th by Amateur Wrestling News, return a core group of veterans that could be the most skilled in school history.

Senior Joe Pantaleo, state champion at 125 pounds last season, carries a 116-31 career record into his pursuit of the 135-pound title this season.

Juniors Michael Garofalo (119) and Max Huntley (189) both finished second in their respective weight classes at last year's state meet. Classmate Shane Gentry (112) was third.

Senior Oscar Huntley (171) placed fourth in the state last season despite essentially wrestling on one leg. Finally recovered from a torn ACL suffered last fall, Huntley also expects to challenge for a state title.

"Everyone in the room is getting better, so it's easier to push each other," he said. "You always have a good partner to work out with."

Colonial Forge's already-loaded lineup got even better with the addition of two transfers from Group AA powerhouse Christiansburg. When their father accepted a job at the Pentagon, Ian and Drew Squires moved from the New River Valley to Stafford County and traded one state championship team for another.

Drew Squires won a state title last year at 125 pounds. Ian Squires was sixth at 119. The juniors' combined varsity record is 163-41.

"We're probably the closest thing to Christiansburg on this end [of Virginia]," Swink said. "We get a lot of kids that move in from all over the place. Some of them have trouble with the level of competition in the room when they first get here, then they have big trouble with the level of competition in our schedule.

"Those two are used to a competitive room and the same type of schedule. I think it will be an easier adjustment for them."

As usual, Colonial Forge's nondistrict schedule is as demanding as any in Virginia. After opening this weekend at the Nazareth Invitational in Pennsylvania, the Eagles will compete in three of the top high school tournaments on the East coast: the Ironman at Walsh Jesuit in Ohio, the Beast of the East at the University of Delaware and the Powerade Christmas Tournament at Canon McMillan (Pa.).

By the end of December, Colonial Forge will be prepared for anything they might encounter in the postseason.

"It's definitely a high level of competition. You'll wrestle guys better than you'll wrestle at states. You may not always win, but you'll know you've already wrestled somebody at that level," Pantaleo said. "I don't see how there could be a tougher schedule."

Added fellow senior Felton Banks: "Maybe in college."

Banks could be the X-factor for Colonial Forge. A gifted athlete, he backed up Reck at 215 last season and mostly competed for the Eagles' B team, but made a statement in the offseason by beating state champions from Pennsylvania and Delaware en route to a fifth-place finish at the FILA Cadet Nationals.

One of his practice partners, Max Huntley, also fared well in Fargo, N.D. He placed third in Greco-Roman and fourth in freestyle, compiling a 15-3 record against some of the nation's best high school-age wrestlers.

A few days later, Swink saw Huntley looking glum in the Colonial Forge weight room and asked if anything was wrong.

"He said, 'Coach, I'm not very good,'" Swink recalled. "I said, 'Max you just finished third and fourth in the toughest tournament in the country.'"

Huntley's response: "Well, I wanted to win."

"When you get that competitive, it's intrinsic a lot of times. These kids have a desire to win," Swink added. "They want to achieve individually, and they want the team to be successful."

The Eagles don't plan to relinquish the state championship trophy any time soon.

"We're definitely kicking it up a notch," Pantaleo said. "We know what it took to get there, and I think we know what it takes to stay there."