By BUTCH HARMON
As a high school wrestler, new Perry wrestling coach Tim Ebenhoeh was about as successful as can be. As a head coach, he is looking to bring that type of success to the Perry wrestling program.
A 2004 graduate of New Lothrop High School, Ebenhoeh was a three-time state champion who then wrestled at Central Michigan University. He is now Perry’s wrestling coach, and he is instilling his young wrestlers with the thirst to improve every day as wrestlers. “Our team goal right now is to keep improving every day,” Ebenhoeh said. “To try and do the right things in the wrestling room and keep improving. To keep getting better and better every day and good things will happen.”
Ebenhoeh has already seen results from that work in the early season. Perry opened the season by defeating Fenton. The Ramblers then traveled to the Brooklyn, where they defeated Columbia Central and Coldwater and dropped close matches to Williamston and Sand Creek at the Columbia Central tournament.
Perry has a total of 18 wrestlers on this year’s team but only one senior. Eight wrestlers are sophomores and three are freshmen.
Sophomore Kolten Lauer (171 pounds) started the season with a 5-1 record, as did sophomore Anthony Gallagher (103). Junior Mike Gamza and the team’s lone senior, Tyler Lauer, are also leaders for Perry who will be looking to make a run at the state meet at the end of the season.
“We are an extremely young team, but that is a good thing,” Ebenhoeh said. “There is only one way to go, and that is up. I’ve put together a pretty tough schedule for the guys, because that is the way I believe you get better. You get better by wrestling tough competition and improving every day at practice.
“I’m really excited to be here at Perry and get this program to be one of the top programs in the state. I’m very passionate about high school wrestling and really enjoy working with young athletes to help them be the best they can be.”