When Steve Pencek took over Carroll’s wrestling program nine years ago he had a vision. The former Pennsylvania high school wrestling state qualifier and U.S. Marine wanted to create a successful wrestling program at Carroll.

CHS had a reputation for being weak competition with only a handful of serious wrestlers making it to the regional during the past 25 years. Carroll’s wrestling program lacked numbers and a feeder system for the younger kids to learn the basic techniques of wrestling.

Wrestling is a team sport but also enjoys a point system recognizing individual successes. To be competitive and to get to the upper division of wrestling programs, CHS had a goal to fill all weight classes and then create an atmosphere of competition in practice so that individual skills can be improved.

Carroll did not have to look too far to see how to build a successful program. Friendly, arch rival Delphi has a strong program and is noted in the state for a long list of sectional, regional, semi state and state qualifiers. The Oracles have set a great example of creating a wrestling dynasty. This year appears to be no different with various Oracle wrestlers having the potential to reach the state level of competition.

Coach Pencek leads a team of coaches that includes his assistant, Ladd Kitchel, who is also the sixth through eighth grade coach, and volunteer assistants, Vearl Turnpaugh, Cameron Proffitt, and Chad Willis, who help with age 6 and up AAU development teams.

Coach Pencek and his volunteer coaches are finally seeing the fruits of their labor of the past nine years as the younger wrestlers, who have faced regional club competition, feed into the CHS varsity program. Carroll now has a full team of 23 young men and has fielded a full team of 14 varsity wrestlers to fill all weight classes.

Around 400 people were in attendance at the recent Carroll Delphi mat meet where Carroll moved a little closer to the competition level of the Oracles.

Carroll will graduate only Jared Collins (9-4) this year. Montana Gangwer 12-1, Tony Ashenfelter, and Brandon Weber 9-4 represent the junior class. The freshmen and sophomores dominate this young team.

Starting in January, Coach Kitchel will teach wrestling fundamentals to 25 junior high boys. At least eight or more will move up to the high school program next year. And if that happens Coach Pencek will have 30-plus wrestlers competing for 14 varsity weight classes.