Returning from a one year leave of absence to a program he started four years ago, Powhatan High School Head Coach Lee Richardson doesn’t mince words about the potential of his 2007-8 wrestling squad. “We have the horses to run with,” he said “I look for us to put three wrestlers in the State Meet. More would be a surprise, less would be a disappointment,” he stated.

The three horses Coach Richardson is counting to pull the load are senior Chris Gerardi at 125 pounds, senior Blake Kierson at 215 and senior Stephen Dunbar at 135. Dunbar is one of two top-flight wrestlers who have returned to the program this year. Stephen transferred to Midlothian High School last year where he placed second in the Dominion District. He has returned to Powhatan to wrestle for Coach Richardson. At 130 pounds, senior Rick Alivera, the sensation of the fledgling program as a freshman and an improving sophomore performer, sat out last year. He has returned for this season. “He’s back and as solid as ever,” said Coach Richardson. Junior Winston Hall, at 140, is the other known quantity in this year’s squad. Hall qualified for the Regionals last season and has “really come on this year.” Coach Richardson predicts he will be the Indian’s top performer next year.

Having already competed in three meets, beating Monacan and Spotsylvania handily and losing a close match to Layfayette, coach Richardson has an idea of how the remaining nine weight classes will shake out. At 103 sophomore Joseph Gergente is 2-1. Junior Ruben Fuentes has some experience at 112, but did not wrestle last year and has yet to see action this season. Sophomore Charlie Ayers also sports a 2-1 record at 145. Gary Liptak is pushing him at this weight. The 152-pound class is held down by sophomore Charlie Bennett. Even at 2-1, he is feeling the pressure from Johnny Tillman.

Chris Cart, the Indians’ senior 160-pounder, is also returning after taking last year off. At 171 Vance Hendren has come over from the football team and has already posted a 3-0 record. 189 is an open competition between freshman John Seekins and senior Eric McPherson. This is McPherson’s first year on the mat but he is picking up the fundamentals very quickly and may be another diamond in the rough. He has been injured and has not taken the mat in a meet yet. Heavyweight Ricky Stroud has never wrestled before either, but has posted an early season 2-1 record.

Vaden may be the surprise at 119 and Bennett, even in his loss at Layfayette, showed amazing tenacity. “They really are a great bunch of boys” Coach Richardson said.

Wrestling, like almost every other sport, needs a youth training program and year round competition in order to be competitive. Richardson, with the help of Travis Keely, has put together a youth wrestling club which will use the old National Guard Armory. The initial group of fourth through seventh graders will start this month. Next year the club will expand to include first through seventh grades.

”I’ve taken my guys to every off-season match and tournament I can,” Coach Richardson commented. Plus he has scheduled stiffer competition during the regular season. AAA opponents Thomas Dale, Cosby, Manchester, Dinwiddie and Midlothian will test the Indians. AAA Monacan has already fallen to the new Indians 56-21.

Mike Walter, Ron Dornbush and Keely are invaluable assistants to Richardson and the program.