| Watauga's Triple Threat talks wrestling with the Scout Report |
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| Written by Ronnie Sigmon -- Top Prospects Editor | |
| Friday, 23 June 2006 | |
Recently, I got to chat with the three state champions from Watauga High School. Individually, any of the three are great
wrestlers; but collectively, they work together like a finely tuned
machine. If anyone wants to see how wrestlers are supposed to
drill, then they need to watch these three together at a
practice. They execute their moves with the quickness and
precision that all coaches dream of seeing. On the mat they are
aggressive and always trying to score, no matter what position they are
in. Off the mat, two-time state champion and rising senior Travis
Coffey seems to be the quiet leader of the group while fellow rising
senior Matt Moretz is a joker, providing laughs and breaking tension
with his numerous one liners and comedy routines. Rising junior
Jacob Earp is the most laid back, and during the interview he just sat back and took in the words of whit from his older teammates.
Read on to see what the "Three Musketeers" from Watauga high have to say about their careers, goals, and coaching situation in Boone, N.C. A - TC: I started in the 3rd grade wrestling freestyle with Coach John Grasinger. My older brother Sheldon wrestled, so I just followed him into the sport. Q - RS: Sheldon went on to win a high school state championship, didn't he? A - TC: Yes, sir. He won it as a senior. Q- RS: How about you guys? A - MM: I started wrestling in the 7th grade in middle school under Coach Tommy Reece. My dad got me to wrestle; he was a wrestler in high school. A - JE: I started when I was in middle school under Coach Reece too. I had two older brothers that wrestled. Q - RS: Do you guys play any other sport? A - TC: I played football in middle school and I am planning on playing again this fall. A - MM: In middle school I played football, baseball, and soccer, but I do not play any other sports now. A - JE: Same as Matt. Q - RS: What clubs and community activities are you guys active in? A - TC: I am active with my church youth group. I like to speak with younger wrestlers at club practices and wrestling tournaments about how it is important to set good examples to others, and I like to express my feelings with them about God. A - MM: I also am active in a youth group. I have gone to Washington, D.C. to a Christian camp a couple of times. A - JE: I have been a volunteer for the hunger coalition. Q - RS: Who has been your biggest supporters in wrestling and who have helped you become the wrestlers you are today? A - TC: My family has been very supportive and I would have to give credit to Coach Bentley and Coach Reece. A - MM: My dad, my family, and all of the coaches we have had. A - JE: I have to say the same as Travis and Matt. We also have had a lot of wrestlers and coaches to come from Appalachian State over the years to help us out. Q - RS: What are your short term and long term goals for wrestling? A - TC: We all want to place at Fargo this year. I want to end my senior year in high school as an undefeated state champion. A - MM: Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. As for Fargo, we have all been a match or two from placing in the past. It would be nice if we can all place this year. Q - RS: All of you went to Fargo last year. Travis, didn't you go there in 2004 also? A - TC: Yes, I went 4-2 as a cadet in 2004. Q - RS: What have you been doing to achieve these goals? A - JE: We practice on the average of three times a week, and we are at the developmental camp this week. A - MM: We are going to go to the ASU camp in July and work there with Coach Bentley. Q - RS: What wrestling clubs have you been working with? A - TC: We practice with the Blue Ridge Wrestling Club in Boone, and the Strong and Courageous Club at West Henderson with Coach Osteen. Q - RS: Jacob, you won the NHSCA sophomore nationals last march. What was that like? A - JE: It was fun and good, but I look at that as something to build upon. What good is winning sophomore nationals if I can't do the same at junior nationals and later on senior nationals? A - MM: Yeah, college coaches want to see you to continue to improve and get better. Q - RS: As for college, Travis and Matt, what are your plans and how is your recruitment going? A - TC: I have gotten letters from Duke, Missouri, Ohio State, Lehigh, VMI, and Bucknell. As for college, I am still open, but I want to major in engineering. A - MM: I have gotten about the same letters as Travis. I want to major in small business. A - JE: I am a couple of years away but I think I want to major in accounting. Q - RS: Are your grades and SAT scores good? A - TC: Yes, my GPA is about 3.4. I took the SAT this spring but haven't got the score back yet. A - MM: I haven't taken the SAT yet and I am not sure of my GPA. Q - RS: What are your wrestling accomplishments? A - TC: I placed 4th as a freshman in high school and I won state championships the last two years. I was the NHSCA Pre-Season National Champion last fall and the USA Central Regional Champion in freestyle this spring. I am a three-time national team member for North Carolina. A - MM: I was a state runner-up as a sophomore and a state champion last year. Last fall, I placed 3rd in the Pre-Season nationals. I placed 3rd at the Central regional, and I am a two-time national team member. A - JE: I was a state qualifier as a freshman and a state champion this year. I placed 2nd at the Ohio Tournament of Champions in 2004 and 5th in 2005. This spring, I won the Sophomore Nationals and the Central Regionals. This will be my second year being on North Carolina's national team. Q - RS: Why have you guys been going to all of these out of state competition the last few years? A - TC: To test ourselves against the better competition in other states. It helps us to improve our wrestling skills. A - MM: It is better than just wrestling the same competition, week after week, in local tournaments. We like to see tough competition. A - JE: When North Carolina wrestlers go to other states and do well it shows that wrestling in North Carolina is getting better. Q - RS: What is your most memorable wrestling match? A - TC: For me, it was winning the state championship this year. A - MM: Mine was placing second last year. I didn't like placing second and that made me work harder this year for my state championship. A - JE: Mine was beating Thomas Dixon of Millbrook in the state championship this year. Dixon pinned me last year at the state tournament. Q - RS: What is your best move in wrestling? A - TC: My single leg. A - MM: I think my double leg is my best. A - JE: My high crouch. Q - RS: Coach Bentley has recently been named as coach at Appalachian State. What do you think about that and how will this affect your team at Watauga? A - TC: We are happy for Coach Bentley. We have a good asst. coach in James Eichmiller, and we hope he gets the head coaching job. Coach Bentley has taught us how to drill, condition, and wrestle his style of wrestling. I think our team will be fine. A - MM: We have three state champions returning, along with two state qualifiers. I think we have a couple other guys that can be state qualifiers next season, too. We will do well. Q - RS: When you are not wrestling, what other activities do you enjoy? A - MM: We all like fly fishing, camping, hunting, and just about doing anything around a lake in the summer. RS: Thanks, guys. Good luck in Fargo! TC - MM - JE: Thanks, coach. |
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