Carroll County football stars change quickly as wrestling grind gains momentum – Baltimore Sun

It's been a busy month and a half for Winters Mill's Victor Tejada.

Coming off a football season in which the sophomore excelled in the Falcons' trenches en route to the program's best record and a trip to the state quarterfinals, Tejada was forced to retire just days after his fall season ended concentrate on his next sport.

“It was difficult after the loss,” he said. “But I knew I could only focus on it for a day or two because it’s wrestling time.”

Tejada is just one of several soccer players across the country making the quick transition from soccer to wrestling as the 2023 winter season begins. While some skills transfer, coaches and players are working hard to reintegrate their athletes physically and mentally as the county's best prepare for the challenge ahead.

“We take these kids who just had a tough football season and do our best to catch up with them,” Liberty wrestling coach Joe Zaccagnini said. “It’s quite a task, but luckily we have the athletes who are cut out for it.”

A big part of the transition: conditioning. When Tejada finally reported to the wrestling room at Winters Mill, coach Lou Orem had him running early and often. A big difference between the two sports is the amount of rest a player is allowed to have.

“In football, there is some time between games to catch your breath and recover,” Tejada said. “In wrestling, you’re full speed ahead from the start. Your fitness must be top notch.”

Zaccagnini and the Lions have been working on the meat of the football season since November. With football players like Kevin Poole and Kevin Kern rejoining the team shortly after the Lions' playoff game, the pair, like many others in the county, have had quite an adjustment. Some went from being hunted running backs and receivers to being hunters looking for takedowns and pins.

“We made it easier for them to get started,” Zaccagnini said. “We had them do more individual work and conditioning to get them up to speed. We wanted to get them ready as quickly as possible.”

Poole has made the quick adjustment with ease so far, going 7-1 with six pins at the Husky Duals last weekend, where the Lions won wins over Dulaney, Winston Churchill, Hammond, Glen Burnie, Bohemia Manor, North East, Dundalk and Broadneck came in to win the team championship.

“He had a total of 11 takedowns,” Zaccagnini said. “Kevin is so athletic and explosive that he uses that to knock down his opponents.”

Westminster vs Liberty Football – Ravens RISE

Thomas Walker/for Carroll County Times

Liberty's Kevin Poole rushed for 438 yards and six touchdowns during the regular season for the Lions. (Thomas Walker/For Carroll County Times)

Kern was also really good for the Lions, outlasting Poole with his own record of 7-1 and winning by pin each time.

The coaches also noted the change in mindset wrestlers go through when transitioning to the sport.

While many consider football to be the ultimate team sport, wrestling is about man-to-man combat where everyone fights for dominance and the ability to bring home a victory in a duel and score points for their team .

“Wrestlers are very hard on themselves,” Zaccagnini said. “If we win a match as a team but they lose their match or get stuck, they might be a little in their own thoughts because they feel like they haven't contributed.”

Despite the differences within the two sports, football coaches want wrestlers and wrestling coaches want football players. Many skills from both sports transfer, and coaches know that mastering certain skills can make a player dangerous in either sport.

“I am in constant communication with [Liberty football coach Larry Luthe] and he has noticed that after a year or two of wrestling, some of the wrestlers have better foot speed and are lighter on their feet,” Zaccagnini said. “We are truly working together to develop a well-rounded athlete who can excel in both sports.”

Athletes like Tejada are using the new season not only as a fresh start to participate in the sport they love, but also as an opportunity to finish even stronger for their school than they did in the fall.

“We didn’t make it in football, but we can be proud of how far we made it,” Tejada said. “Now there is a chance to reach new states in a new sport with a new team. It’s time to wrestle.”