The Gatewood wrestling team has had a successful season so far despite a depleted roster.
The Mat Gators have only three grapplers this year — Luca Ciaccio, Hunter Pierce, and Bo Wooten — but head coach Tyler VanDusen thinks highly of this group after seeing them grow and improve together.
“We’ve had some struggles early,” VanDusen said earlier this week. “We’re a small team with just two freshmen and a sophomore, and we’ve battled the flu and injuries. But the three of them have come to practice ready to work. They get better bit by bit every day.”
Ciaccio wrestles in the 106-pound weight class, Pierce competes in the 132-pound group, and Wooten at 138 pounds. Each of the three wrestling Gators has competed and contributed at a high-level this season.
Ciaccio and Pierce are both freshmen and finished third in their respective weight classes at the Odoban Invitational in December at Perry. They also performed well at the Cavalier Clash in Macon last weekend.
Ciaccio finished runner-up at 106 pounds, and Pierce finished third at 132 pounds.
VanDusen said he’s excited about the program’s future with Ciaccio and Pierce leading the charge.
“They have a chance to be special. I think they push each other to be better,” he said of the freshmen duo. “Their styles are so unique and different that they complement each other well. Hunter is methodical in both his approach and his work. Luca lets it fly a little. He works at a quicker pace. It makes for a good room to see how they begin to learn from each other.”
The Gatewood coach said Wooten is coming into his own, too, after battling through injuries this season.
“Bo has less experience than the other two guys, but is learning quickly and is a hard worker,” VanDusen said. “He has worked through an injury and has managed to get some big wins for us in our regular- season duals.”
VanDusen loves that all three wrestlers have shown grit and toughness throughout the regular season, despite a few setbacks, including injuries and illness. He also hopes they can be fully healthy by the end of the year.
“I wasn’t sure what to expect with such a young team, but our guys have gutted out some tough wins this year,” VanDusen said. “Hunter has won multiple matches this year with a last-second takedown. Luca has battled through injuries and has lost 25 pounds. Bo has also battled through some injuries and greatly improved on his feet. He has earned the first takedown in most of his matches this year.”
With only three wrestlers, Gatewood couldn’t qualify for the team duals state meet this week, so VanDusen and his team are now focused on the Jan. 29 region individual tournament. The Mat Gators look to qualify all three wrestlers for state.
“We’re a small group with big expectations,” VanDusen stated. “I think all three guys could be state placers, which would be atremendous accomplishment for this young group.”