2022-2023 Ravenna wrestling preview
Here's a look at the 2022-2023 Ravenna Ravens wrestling team (with all quotes from head coach Eric Kline):
Head Coach: Eric Kline (1st season as Ravenna’s head coach)
Assistant Coaches: Maddison Davis, Shawn Bonfine, Tom Parker, Jeremiah Sanders, Brad Hager, Shane Michael, Spencer Schoepe
2021-2022 Record: 1-7
Returning State Qualifiers (0): None
Returning District Qualifiers (2): Cory Cole, Sean Loucks
Returning Letterwinners (5): Cory Cole, Sean Loucks, David Davis, Donovan Mack, Alex Johnson
Letterwinners Lost (3): Shane Michael, Ayden Falkenberg, Jesse Arthur
Overall: While the Ravens graduated their lone state qualifier from a year ago (Shane Michael), Eric Kline carries big expectations as he takes over the high school wrestling program. Kline noted that “we are focused from the youth program, middle school and high school on changing our culture within the entire program.” Kline noted how much his staff has helped in the process and said that he frequently tells the wrestlers, “You are the ones that will change our wrestling culture now and for the future. So, let's go change it!" Ravenna certainly has the pieces to take steps this season, with a returning district qualifier apiece among its lightweights (Cory Cole) and middleweights (Sean Loucks) while David Davis (190) also has the potential to accomplish big things.
Lightweights: Senior Cory Cole, who qualified for the district tournament last year and won a match at Garfield Heights, returns to lead the lightweights. The Ravens are looking for “big things” from Cole (113), who “brings years of wrestling and varsity experience.” Otherwise, Ravenna will look to a pair of newcomers as freshman Ryder Denning (120) returns to the mat after playing basketball the past few years and Carter Prisby (106) is a first-year wrestler.
Middleweights: The Ravens are “light on numbers” in their middleweights, but while their quantity of middleweight wrestlers is low, their quality is formidable. That is highlighted by senior Sean Loucks (144), who was a district qualifier last season and “has all the tools to make it to the state wrestling tournament this year.” Loucks has “also taken steps forward on being one of our leaders.” Cameron Boykin (157) has “returned to the varsity lineup after injuries the past two years” and has made “big strides since open mats started this year.”
Heavyweights: Junior David Davis (190) has “everything you want in a wrestler, teammate and a leader.” Davis, who finished third at last year's Portage County Tournament, “wrestled quite a bit in the offseason,” and coach Eric Kline has pushed him hard knowing he is capable of big things. Indeed, per Kline, once Davis “finds himself and has fun doing this sport, he can punch his ticket to Columbus as well.” Donovan Mack (175) also “brings experience to our lineup” and has “all the qualities you want on your team.” Heavyweight Alex Johnson “works hard daily” and “can make some noise this year.”
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: 2022-2023 Ravenna wrestling preview
