Reclaiming tradition

By Mark O’Connell
Special to the Review

Published: August 14, 2008

Commitment.
It’s what Steve Shifflett and others are looking for in the wrestling community.
The long-time youth wrestling coach and current Vice-President of Sports Operations for the Orange County Boosters Club wants wrestling in Orange to regain what he believes is a lost tradition. With this in mind, he coordinated this week’s technique camp at Orange County High School. Craig Dodson, a former Culpeper wrestler and current Head Coach at Locust Grove Middle School, was selected as the clinic’s director. Matt Epperly, a 2007 graduate of Christiansburg High School, where he won four Group AA state titles, volunteered his services as the clinic’s chief instructor.
During his high school career, Epperly was virtually unbeatable. The clinic’s staff was further solidified by the contributions of former OCHS wrestlers Ben Shifflett and Ryan Goodsell.
When it comes to wrestling clinics, this one hit the proverbial jackpot.
“We talked to Matt last year about coming up to Orange,” Shifflett said. “This is the first clinic here of its kind. We’re trying to revitalize the wrestling program and having Craig and Matt here means a lot.”
Epperly wrestles for Virginia Tech where as a red shirt freshman he won an Atlantic Coast Conference Championship and was named ACC Wrestler of the Year.
“We’re trying to build this clinic with a dry run,” Dodson said. “We hope to have 100 kids here next year. With Matt, it means having a winner. A champion of his level gives the program, the kids, and the camp, credibility. He’s someone who is real and someone who they can watch in competition.”
The clinic, which began on Monday and ran through Friday, witnessed a turnout of twenty area wrestlers on Monday and Tuesday. Albemarle sent Matt Young and Zachary Morris, Covenant provided Kyle Hooper, Brandon Bunce and Matt Lindenbaum, Madison was represented by Tyler Atwell, Jarrett Brumett, Ethan O’Connell and Anthony Jewett, and Orange matched Madison’s contribution and raised it one with Austin Clore, Joe Kaiser, Caleb Wilson, Taylor Reuss and Travis Trucker.
Locust Grove and Prospect Heights Middle Schools provided a total of six wrestlers.
All the wrestlers had a unique opportunity this past week and Shifflett and company know it.
“Matt is the total package,” Shifflett said. “As a high school wrestler he was always basic. He wrestled knowing that you don’t have to be fancy. You just have to be good at what you do. Christiansburg is an example of a program that has commitment. That’s what we need to have here. That’s how you win championships.”
With Epperly’s credentials, it begged the question, what enticed him to come?
It couldn’t have been the money. For five days or twenty hours a week, plus the fact that Epperly came back during the evening hours free of charge, Shifflett asked wrestlers to pay just $40.00 for the week.
“I want every (team) in Virginia to have parity,” Epperly said. “We want to make Virginia tough: not just Christiansburg and Great Bridge.”
Dodson introduced the wrestlers to Epperly on Day 1.
“It’s really cool having him here,” said Atwell, a rising senior at Madison and a state runner up this past season at 135 pounds. “We’re working with one of the best. He helped me with both my double and single-leg takedowns. He showed me how important it is to blast into an opponent. The step-in is the biggest key to that.”
Epperly emphasized a lot of technique, plus he talked about food, nutrition, how to cut weight, and how to prepare both mentally and physically for a match.
He used the evenings to review what the wrestlers had learned and to let them ask questions.
He liked what he saw.
“This has been a good group of kids,” said Epperly. “They listen. And they want to learn.”
Despite Epperly’s glowing credentials, anyone outside of wrestling wouldn’t learn about them just talking to him. He’s that humble.
“He seems like a regular guy,” said O’Connell, soon to be a sophomore at Madison.
He liked Dodson’s approach as well.
“Coach Dodson seems like he really enjoys the sport,” said O’Connell. “He really wants us to get something out of the camp.”
Shifflett and other supporters of wrestling know that the clinic is a good way to get back the tradition that he and other loyalists long for.
“At one time we had one of the biggest youth wrestling programs in the state,” he said. “It’s going to take time to build the program back.”
“Collectively,” said Steve Reuss, whose son Taylor wrestles for Orange, “our efforts will get it done. We’re looking to get back the heritage of the area.”
“The kids are still there,” said Shifflett. “Madison has some excellent young kids coming here and Albemarle brought some kids here. The program has to be there. You have to make the wrestlers hungry to be a part of it.”
Shifflett watched many of Epperly’s state matches in Salem. He saw good wrestlers lose to Epperly who made it all look easy. Having Epperly in Orange is a coach’s and wrestler’s delight.
“This is the kind of camp every kid ought to go to,” said Shifflett.
“Matt is an every-day wrestler. He keeps it simple. His coach is a believer in it. He taught that losing is not an option. A wrestler has to be driven to win. Breaks will come your way if you keep working.”