Takedown Report

Wrestling in Mississippi!

Oak Grove High School debuts wrestling team

PINE BELT, Miss. (WDAM) – An old sport has made its debut in Oak Grove.
Thursday night, the high school hosted its first ever wrestling match.
“The kids here are the ones that wanted a wrestling program,” Oak Grove coach Brandon Lozdoski said. “We kind of found each other, in a sense. A group of students wanted a wrestling team. They found me as a coach through the local gym, and I accepted the job.”
Lozdoski moved to the Pine Belt from Detroit and noticed a lack of wrestling programs throughout the state. He gauged enough interest to start the Oak Grove program, but the team’s closest competition is outside of the Pine Belt. “We travel about an hour, hour-and-a-half each time,” Lozdoski said. “We got Mendenhall as the closest to the north. And in the south, you got programs in Ocean Springs and Vancleave. “We are really just trying to build in this community. Mendenhall is the closest I can get.”
The team practices for about two hours each day, and the sport is something senior Jaren Spiers has been missing. “I’m originally from Utah, and I grew up wrestling for about 10 years,” he said. “It’s always been a part of my life, and I’ve really missed it every since.” Spiers says after about five years away from the sport, it didn’t take long for him to get back in the groove. “There’s a few things that I needed to learn, but all of my old techniques came back to me pretty easily.”
With the program still new to the area, Lozdoski says the team is having to adjust its expectations.
“It’s a sport that takes a lot of accountability, and you have to be disciplined,” he said. “These kids aren’t used to holding themselves to a weight limit. You’ve got to know what you’re eating. You’ve got to know what you weigh before you go to bed. You’ve got to know what you’re putting in your body.”
Coaches say they hope the team will inspire other Pine Belt schools to add wrestling. … rest of story and video at … WDAM.com/Oak-grove-high-school-debuts-new-wrestling-team

November 12, 2023 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized