Sussex Academy middle school wrestling program takes flight
The popularity of wrestling in Sussex County is on the rise.
“There's a lot of interest just around this community with wrestling, and I think that we have a lot of great, supportive people ... who jumped in when a couple of kids started asking, ‘Hey, can we add wrestling in middle school?’” said Sussex Academy Athletic Director R.J. Dina. “Wrestling is huge down here in Sussex County.”
Last year, the Seahawks’ high school program competed in the Henlopen South division for the first time. The middle school program now adds a feeder program for the varsity squad.
“My focus when I started here many years ago [with soccer] is the same thing with wrestling; if you can start these kids early, then the first time they start wrestling isn’t in ninth grade, now it's in sixth grade,” Dina said. “You're getting an extra three years of development where the kids are learning to win that individual battle and how to manage different moments.”
Capturing his second consecutive soccer state title this past fall, Dina understands what it takes to build a program and thinks the new middle school team is in good hands.
“We’ve got a guy in the building in Deon Brunskill who is a certified wrestling legend in Sussex County, and when you put his name associated to this – he cares so much about the students here – it's exciting,” Dina said “It's exciting to see what he can bring to the table and then what kind of community involvement comes with him, and the interest that people have to see him involved with wrestling again coming from what he did in high school.”
Hailing from the school of legendary Sussex Central coach Phil Shultie, like varsity coach Justin Bennett, Brunskill captured a state title at 160 pounds in 1999.
“I'm just introducing them to wrestling, so I want them to have fun and don't take it too seriously,” Brunskill said. “We're on the ground floor of a new program, so we're gonna make mistakes, but they just need to have fun.”
With three matches under their belt – Laurel, Beacon, and Selbyville – the grapplers are learning on the fly, with some tasting sweet victory already. Eighth-grader Ryan Pena started the first home match in program history against Beacon Dec. 9, with an early pin.
“It was quick because he was open, and so I took the shot and I took him down,” Pena said.
Pena said he was happy his mom and grandmother got to witness his first pin.
Charlie Bowman also collected a half-dozen points for his team in the home opener.
“I think the key to the match was staying on top. I was trying to keep all my weight on him so he couldn't get up, especially once he started on the bottom,” Bowman said. “I was just trying to not let him get up the whole time.”
Beacon headed back east with a 62-21 victory in hand when all was said and done. Vikings coach Sean Sheehan commended Sussex Academy for putting up a fight and noted the performance of Beacon 185-pounder Cole Goodsell, who earned a pin in the heavyweight bout.
“He just wants to go out there and fight and wrestle; last week against Seaford, we had to bump him for heavyweight again,” Sheehan said. “Cole weighed in at 185 and Seaford's heavyweight was 246, and Cole got the pin.”
Despite the loss, Brunskill likes the team's direction and is proud of his wrestlers.
“They're picking up super fast, they're super dedicated, and they're harder on themselves than when I'm on them,” Brunskill said.
Prior to the varsity tri-meet Dec. 11, the middle school squad hosted Selbyville, losing 60-36.
