We enter into a new era of Wawasee Wrestling this season with first-year head coach Jamie Salazar now in command.

With that out of the way, the actual competition season is here, starting this Saturday with our girls opening at the East Noble Invite and the boys prepping for a Nov. 17 visit from state power Bellmont.

Taking a look ahead, coach Salazar lent his thoughts on the open to the campaign and how he hopes to settle in as the boss.

What alterations do you see needing attention as we get going?

We have to set the tone off the bat, not just with the wrestlers, but with the parents, POW WOW, all of the support systems. It will be a little bit of a change this year when you lose someone like Frank (Bumgardner) who was here for a long time. He helped change the culture here and now we have to find a little bit of that identity with the shoes he left to fill.

We have a game plan in place, a plan of attack. Stepping into the head coaching role at the high school level for the first time, I just need to get it set so we can keep doing the things we do well.

Where is our girls program at right now, and where should they be?

We are getting close to 20 female participants, and we had double figures up in the room training before the season. We have been pretty consistent with them in the preseason as far as numbers go. And given we only had seven last year, to more than double that is really exciting for the program and getting that part of our sport growing. They are working on some of the basics, getting the principles of wrestling down like footwork, hand placement, things of that nature.

Some of these newbies, especially with the girls, it’s the first time they have ever wrestled. It’s been a fun experience meeting and working with some of these new athletes. It’s real now. Some of these kids are in a sport they may have never thought they would be in. College programs, college scholarships, NIL, there’s a whole different view on what can come as far as opportunities go.

Farm system seems strong, and you have had hands in that for years. What’s your status report on the up-and-comers?

Right now we are changing the mindset with some of the younger kids that it’s not about the unknown of just going into a match, we are going into a match with a game plan. Sometimes that’s half of the battle. We have a lot of great seniors who have been through the battles before that I will rely on.

We had a big year in 2022-23, and bring some key cogs back to the varsity mats. Who are some of our key returners?

Titus Taylor, obviously he’s a comical guy, but he’s influential and is a clutch dude. He is learning how to win.

Donovan Blair coming back, made the trip last year and got a taste of state. We expect him to make that trip back, hopefully make the podium. A lot of big expectations for him. He’s got actual desire and motivation to get back there and take that next step.

Ethan Rodriguez, another one of those kids who has put in a lot of time and has wrestled all over the place. He’s seeing top talent and that will only make him better in pressure situations.

Kaleb Salazar comes back as a senior. He’s been putting in work all summer, wrestled in some national tournaments and did well. It was good to see him competing in some of these bigger tournaments, see him engaging in tournaments like Disney Duals and IPO. He’s definitely putting in a lot of work.

We have another state qualifier in Cam Senter coming back and doing big things. His first year he was kind of feeling it out. Big sophomore year, step in and do more big things. We expect to see him continue on with that process and sustain more success.

Why invest in Wawasee Wrestling, whether for one night or to join the family for the long haul?

If you’re a wrestling fan and you’ve been a part of this program, those people have been around for years. It’s a generational thing, that’s for certain. It’s something that’s in the air with this program. It’s in our blood. You’ve got to be a little crazy to be a wrestler, but even crazier to be a wrestling fan. But the great thing about it, it’s one of the oldest sports in the history of existence. And it’s pretty cut and dry, two on the mat, one will win, one will lose. That’s an easy thing to see as a fan, you know there’s a winner at the end. In football, you can run the ball hiding behind lineman, quarterbacks have blockers and need someone else to catch the ball. Volleyball has six people on the court, you can hide people on serves. Baseball has nine people on defense. Wrestling it’s just you out there. No excuses. And that’s an easy thing for fans to see.

We invite you to come out and see these kids on the mats. They are putting in the work. There’s a vibe here. Since we’ve had this program start in the 70s, it’s something magical. To be part of a movement with the girls start up, develop and grow into a sanctioned sport. This is the second year for them, and we know the history with the guys. We can pack gyms just like basketball, too. It’s just a different feeling, a different vibe.

You’ll hear our fans. They are definitely loud, definitely rowdy. Once you taste it, you’ll get it. One experience, you’ll be itching to go back.