Monday, Dec. 17, 2007

Boone County Back On The Mats

By Dan Wright

Wrestling returns to Boone County this winter after what head coach Mick Raney says was an absence of about a decade.

“It took us a few years to get the program approved, but we have a team, some equipment, and a group of about two dozen boys who are working with us,” Raney says.

Raney says the Rebels previous program went away in the mid-90s, but he heard interest from students and decided it was time to bring the program back.  First he had to wait for approval from the school district and then athletic department while Title IX and other issues were ironed out, but he finally got the go-ahead this past May. “We just barely had time to have an informational meeting,” Raney says.

Wrestling is the latest endeavor for Raney, a 1970 Boone County graduate who is now a math teacher at the high school.  While he did not wrestle for the Rebels, he did pick up some experience at West Point, where he also dabbled in boxing and training triathletes.

“The real technician on my team is my assistant coach, Andy Sherlock,” Raney says.  “He’s a Campbell County graduate and went to state with them.”

Together, Raney and Sherlock have been working to get the Rebels ready for their first dual match in late November.  The Rebels schedule also includes one home match, a dual meet with Conner Jan. 9.

With all first-year wrestlers, Raney says the goal this season is just to re-establish the program, but he feels Boone County could become a factor fairly soon.

“I just think they’ll enjoy themselves this year and in the next couple of years we’re going to have someone do well at the regional and maybe even state.”