Greenwood High School wrestling is less than 10 years old, founded in 2012 by Head Coach John Kincade, but has already reached the pinnacle of statewide success by winning the 5A state championship early this year before the coronavirus pandemic closed schools and athletics nationwide. Returning a large number of wrestlers from that team, Kincade and his revamped staff hope to defend that championship in 2021.
Actually, the Bulldogs have claimed three state titles over the past two seasons, though only one is recognized by the Arkansas Activities Association (AAA) which governs high school athletics in the state. In addition to their 5A championship, the GHS squad has also won the dual state championship each of the past two years. According to Coach Kincade, the AAA will begin sanctioning the dual state title next February.
While some of last season’s champions have graduated, such as seniors Sam Johnson and Colton Tuck, the Bulldogs have more than enough talent and experience returning to make a strong defense of their state crown, according to their coach. Giving up his junior high football duties this fall to concentrate more fully on wrestling, Kincade is rested and ready to begin his ninth tour at the helm of the GHS wrestling program.
“I’m doing a lot better,” said the longtime coach who had a brief health scare last year. “I was able to get plenty of rest and recuperate. I’ve been going for years from one sport to the next and I haven’t had any down time.”
Asked if he missed not being on the gridiron this fall, Kincade admitted that he did. “Football is in your blood. It’s something I’ve done for 32 years and it’s hard to turn it off. [I miss] the camaraderie and being with the coaches.”
He did have a couple of opportunities to scout opposing teams this past football season, a special one in which both the junior high (10-0) and varsity (14-0) teams went undefeated, a combined 24-0, including a pair of conference championships and the 6A state title, the tenth in school history since winning its first state crown at the end of the 2000 season.
Assisting Kincade this season will be Austin Moreton, also the offensive line coach for the football Bulldogs, along with several volunteer coaches. The hope is that the youthful Moreton will bring some of his linemen with him to wrestling to help the squad at the higher weight levels.
“I think I’ve got a couple other kids that will come in,” Kincade said. “[Coach Moreton] was the assistant wrestling coach at Little Rock Central before he came here, and he’s going to be an influence to get those big guys out, because he sees how well it helps football players. That’s what we’re trying to encourage. It’s kind of been a struggle with the upper guys.”
Among Kincade’s invaluable volunteer coaches is Robert Moore, returning from last season’s staff, along with Caleb and Ashley Erskine, both former GHS athletes. New to the volunteer staff this season will be Matthew Gibson, recruited to replace the departed David Tuck.
“He’s helped Van Buren the last couple of years,” said Kincade of Gibson. “He graduated from Southside. He left on good terms with Van Buren and he wanted to come and be a part of this program. He’s a bigger guy and will be able to work with my heavyweights. He was a wrestler himself, so I’m excited about him coming over. I can’t do this without those guys.”
Regarding Moore, Kincade said, “He used to help with [Ft. Smith] Southside’s program, and he’s been a great asset working with our bigger guys. He’s a tremendous help and an encourager, and that’s what I love.” The heavyweight category will be a point of emphasis this season for the Bulldogs with the departure of senior Kevin Douglas.
The Erskines are in their early twenties and bring a lot of energy and youth to the staff, particularly working with the younger athletes. Caleb wrestled for Coach Kincade in the early days of the GHS program, and Ashley played basketball for the Lady Bulldogs. “They not only work with the high school kids, but are involved with my youth program,” said Kincade. “They go to [youth] tournaments. It’s a great advantage having those two aboard. We won the state championship last year with the youth kids.
“Ashley has been around the program quite a bit and picked up a tremendous amount of knowledge. With the start of women’s wrestling, she is very helpful in that area. It’s good she’s around.” The 2020-21 season will be the second year of AAA sanctioned girls’ wrestling, and Greenwood is among the state’s pioneers in the sport. Kincade has two female wrestlers this season, juniors Skylar Belin and Lola Culverson.
“Girls [wrestling] is the fastest growing sport in our state, and not just in Arkansas,” offered Kincade. “It’s the fastest growing women’s sport [period]. It’s exploding here in Arkansas in high school and at the college level. Both [GHS] girls are around 100 pounds and they are tough. I’m excited about both of them, [and] I have several girls in my youth [program]. I’ve got some seventh and eighth grade girls coming out every day learning about wrestling. I’m excited about that and want to see them do really well. I’m going to try to build that program just like I did with the boys.”
Kincade knows that the success of his program has many parts, starting with his strong leadership and commitment to a winning program, plus the efforts of his assistant coaches, the student-athletes who put in the time and work required to win championships, and their parents. The coach also talked about the amazing administrative support he receives.
“Our administration is second to none,” he said. “From our athletic director to the superintendent to our principals, they are all supportive of what we do, and we couldn’t be successful without them.” Of course, that thread runs throughout the GHS athletic system, evidenced by the nearly three dozen state championships won over the past two decades.
Asked about last year’s departed wrestlers, the coach said, “We lost four seniors and two state placers. Colton Tuck was a state runner-up and Sam Johnson was a state champion. [But] we have four state champions coming back, and one that didn’t wrestle last year because he got hurt, Hayden Rofkahr. He won [a state title] at 106 pounds as a freshman, and he got hurt last year. He was a defending state champion, [and] he will probably wrestle at 126 pounds this year.
“Antonio Martinez at 106 [pounds] is coming back,” he continued. “Ty Moose is at 132, Jason Arnold at 160, and Tyler Crossno at 220. Those are my four defending state champions. Then at 113 Hayden Allen was a state runner-up. So I have five state finalists coming back. [Then] at 120 Gestavo Martinez took fourth at state and at 126 Garret Harelson took third. At 152 Tatum Sadler took fifth.” Allen, Arnold, Moose, Sadler, and Gestavo Martinez are all seniors this season.
Other seniors Kincade hopes to have back include Jordan Hanna, Charlie Nena, Dylan Dominguez, Beau Asher, and newcomer Will Harrel. Hanna and Asher played football, and both were defensive starters for the championship Bulldogs, though Asher missed several games with injuries. Hanna has drawn a lot of interest from college recruiters and may decide to focus on his future on the gridiron.
“Jordan’s been with me for a long time, since elementary school, but he got hurt and had to miss last season. I’ve already talked to Jordan and we’re going to play it by ear. We want to do what’s best for him. But he’s a good one,” said Kincade. “I’m not sure if [Jeremiah Presson] is coming out. He would be a great addition if he did. He’s a tough kid and I would love to have him.” Presson is a junior offensive lineman for the Bulldogs.
“Will Harrel didn’t play football, but he’s a bigger kid and he’s a heavyweight for me right now,” said the coach. “It’s hard to come out for wrestling in your junior or senior year, but at the same time it’s very helpful when [football] guys come out. [But] some of those guys just get tired and worn out.
Kincade acknowledged that the higher weights often present the greatest challenge for wrestling coaches. “At 120 pounds there’s only been one year that we didn’t place at state in 6A or 5A,” said Kincade. “But in the bigger weights we’ve kind of struggled.”
The heavyweight division is any weight over 220 pounds but less than 285. The Bulldogs are well represented in the 220-pound class by state champion Tyler Crossno, and have excelled at the lower weight classes as well, even though “it’s hard to find those little 106-pounders,” said the coach. There are 14 total weight classes.
Jackson Weatherington and Jarod Pace have wrestled for me for [several] years,” said the coach of his two promising freshmen. “Jackson will probably be at 106 [pounds] and Jarod will be around 120. Jackson is a quality wrestler as a ninth-grader. A lot of people don’t have that luxury. A lot of [teams] are just trying to fill the slot.
“At 113 [pounds] we’re going to have Antonio [Martinez] or Hayden Allen. One is a state champ [Martinez] and the other is a state runner-up [Allen]. Then at 120 there’s Gastavo [Martinez] and Hayden Rofkahr is coming back, but it’s a good problem to have. We’ll be strong all the way through [and] we should be able to fill every weight class.
“Last year Searcy did not have a 113 pounder, and it hurts if you can’t score any points [there]. Russellville didn’t have a 106 or 113 pounder, and [didn’t] score any points at those weights. Antonio [Martinez] scored like 26 points, and that’s the difference in winning the state championship. Searcy had three state champions and a state runner-up in their upper four weight classes, yet we still beat them by 18 points or whatever it was. So it’s important to have a full lineup and have a decent kid that can place. Those are big points,” explained the coach.
Addressing the wealth of talent available to him in the lower weights, Kincade said, “At my lighter weights it’s going to be tough. There may be a state placer who won’t be able to make the lineup, and that’s crazy. At 113, 120, 126, to 132, we’ve probably got five studs, and there are only four places for them.”
Continuing to survey his roster, the coach mentioned another promising freshman. “Bryce Williams is a bigger kid, probably around 180 [pounds], and he’s going to be a good one. He’s a ninth-grader and I’m excited about him. He wrestled before in Oklahoma with Poteau’s youth club, so he was a nice addition, he and his younger brother. His brother is going to be tough next year, about 175 to 180 pounds, and a good athlete that knows how to wrestle.
“Gestavo []Martinez took fourth in state last year, and he’s been real solid for us all four years,” added Kincade. “Garrett Haralson took third in state last year and was an all-stater. He did a great job for us. We [also] have the Dominguez brothers, Marco and Dylan. Marco wrestled at 138 [pounds] last year and he’s a returning junior. Dylan is a senior and he may be able to work into the lineup.
“Tatum Sadler has gotten bigger and put on more weight and took fifth at state last year,” he continued. “Charlie Nena wrestled at 182 [pounds] and he’s going to be back. Ty Moose is going for his third straight [state] title. Those guys have been with me since junior high.
“Riley White is another good ninth grader that’s coming out who plays football. His brother Gunner wrestled for me and [also] played football. Colton Castillow is a football player who has really taken to wrestling too. He’s a little athlete and he’s going to get better, somewhere around 145 pounds. Lucas Honkala is another tough one. He may fit in my lineup somewhere. He’s gotten stronger and he’s a smart kid.
“We’ve been able to work out for a couple of months now,” said the coach. “And It’s going to be exciting to get the football players out this week. We’ll have a target on our back [this season] with what we have coming back. We’ve got the majority of the kids back to win it all again, [but] we’ve got to work twice as hard.”
The 2020-21 high school wrestling season is now under way and the Bulldogs are primed and ready to defend their Class 5A state championship and to win a third consecutive dual state title as well. Follow the Bulldogs all season on the Greenwood Dog Pound website updated with regular articles and great sports photography.