Taking charge

By Christian Davis
C & G Sports Writer

LATHRUP VILLAGE — The wrestlers sat anxiously against all four walls in the wrestling room Dec. 3 in Southfield-Lathrup.

First-year coach Jimmy Henry paced the mat, randomly calling out pairs to wrestle an impromptu minute, all the while he offered instruction and motivation.

“I like it. I like it a lot,” Henry yelled as senior heavyweight Malcolm Rutledge battled sophomore David Veasley.

Then, turning his attention to another practice match, he reminded the wrestlers to “believe in yourself.”

“This is your time to shine,” Henry yelled to the wrestlers.

It’s a typical afternoon in the Lathrup wrestling room, where the belief is that the future is bright.

“Right now, Rockford is No. 1 (in the state), and we have a steep hill to climb,” Henry said following practice. “So what we’re going to do is continue to press our guys and just work them in as they come along, and hopefully, we have enough guys to build a championship — that’s definitely the goal.”

Mentioning perennial power Rockford shows Henry has his sights set high, but he also realizes that for the Chargers to make an impact in the Oakland Activities Association Blue Division, let alone the state, it’s going to take hard work.

“In my mind, I see a legitimate group of guys that really want to work hard, so after that, we’ll just continue to work them and see their progress,” Henry said. “They’re eager to learn, eager to work, but more importantly, it’s a disciplined group. If you tell them one thing, they’ll get it. If they don’t get it, they’ll definitely work hard to try and get it.”

Senior leaders Jalen Slater (205 pounds) and Brandon Petty (171 pounds) believe future victories are being earned at practice.

“We have intense practices because it makes us better,” Petty said.

“Petty is my best friend, but in the wrestling room, we’re not friends. It’s about business and getting him and me better,” Slater said.

Lathrup finished 7-11 last season. Before that, the program had gone three straight seasons without a dual-meet victory.

“My goals for the first season is to get the guys acclimated to who I am,” said Henry, who took over the squad from Frank Czapski.  “The second is to build off the tradition that we already have here. Coach (Czapski) talked about building bricks (for the foundation of the program). We want to continue to build those bricks, get those pins and have the guys compete at a high level.”

Catch the Chargers when they take on Inkster High at 6 p.m. Dec. 15 at Inkster.

You can reach Sports Writer Christian Davis at cdavis@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1062.