With many kids now a days failing and getting in trouble, school wrestling has became a popular outlet. Wrestling is a sport about respect and control. It teaches kids to get back up when they are down. It gives them a new look on life and how to live.

Wrestling at Kent County High is a 35 year old tradition backed by two State Duel titles (2000, 2001), a State Tournament win (2001), thirteen Bayside titles, and seven regional duels.

For 31 years, former head coach Daniel Zotarelli (303-97-4) led the boys to most of the titles and all of the state titles. Zotarelli retired in 2001 after winning states for the second time in a row, getting his 300th win, and being inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Following Zotarelli's legacy, Andy Jones was head coach for three years, then Tom McMatth for a year, and now Andy Jones has returned.

This Year the Trojan Wrestling team ended 10-4; a good season but not great by its standards. The team did show major improvements from last year (8-6), the worst since 1991.

This year the Trojans learned to overcome many obstacles. They overcame not only the young age of the team, but also the size. With only 16 wrestlers by the end of the season, not even half were made up of upperclassmen. The team was anchored by only four Juniors and two Seniors, Matt Jones (152lbs) and James Walters (189lbs).

At the Bayside Tournament, the Trojan wrestling team placed fifth out of fifteen, and placed winners in various weight classes, including Sophomore Clint Wallace (1st), Junior Mark Walls (3rd), Senior Matt Jones (4th), Junior Matthew Walters (3rd), and Senior James Walters (3rd).

Attending the state tournament this weekend are Seniors Matt Jones and James Walters. Jones and Walters are going to have to overcome adversity, where they have challenging first round matches.

Jones, who was in the hospital earlier this year for a staff infection, has shown true ability to overcome the odds. He has all ready done so much this year and is dreaming for much more. At the Bayside Tournament he placed 4th, just two days after getting out of the hospital. When asked what he felt about this year he commented “the hospitalization couldn't have come at a worse time for me- just when I was starting to wrestle good.”

Walters is also going to have to show some heart this weekend after missing two crucial practices in a row due to the flu. He only has one day before states to get back in shape. Walters has proven himself to be a great wrestle in the past. He beat Danny Miller 16-2 in the duel meet with Stephen Decatur (Miller is currently ranked second in the state at 189lbs). When asked about how he feels about this weekend he said “I feel great about it. I think I have a good shot. I just need to take it one match at a time.”

You might ask where these boys learned to become men. They would say it has come from experience that they have had in wrestling and the constant push from their coaches to be more than what they think they could ever be.

Much of the team's inspiration comes from Coach Donnie Yerkie. Yerkie, two time state champion at 119lbs in 1999 and 125lbs in 2000, had 125 career wins with only 6 loses in only three years. Yerkie's wrestling career was tragically cut short by a back breaking fall from a balcony. After one miraculous recovery from a ruptured kidney during a match, doctors told Yerkie that he would never walk again. Once again, Donnie's incredible work ethic gave him the strength to walk. He now participates in practice with the team.

In a sport that is about showing respect and never giving up, Jones and Walters two have shown the underclassmen how to become good people and good wrestlers. “You have to work in practice as hard as you would in a match, so you can never give up or cave in you just have too keep on going no matter how bad it hurts” said Matt Jones.