MOUNT VERNON — Mount Vernon junior Dakota Riley is the 15th wrestler in Yellow Jacket history to place in the Top 8 in the state.
That number could climb by a lot when March 2013 rolls around.
Mount Vernon’s three state participants — Riley, sophomore Matt Lybarger and freshman Lucas Staten — will all return, as will a large group of talented underclassmen.
Mount Vernon head coach John Brown sees an optimistic future.
“I think that, if we stay healthy and we have guys in the right weight classes, we can be one of the top teams in the Central District again,” said Brown during Saturday’s OHSAA state wrestling tournament. “We have a lot of things that are going right. We have some kids that are ready to step in and do the job. I’m excited and confident at how we’ll do next year.”
Not only are the returning Yellow Jackets expected to make an impact, but Brown sees a couple of newcomers making a splash right away with the high school program. Lane Hinkle is a favorite in the 104-pound category at the upcoming state middle school tournament.
Brown credits the coaches at other levels with helping him get talented wrestlers on his roster.
