CMB turns to an alum to head up wrestling program

MAXWELL – Mike Leslie hasn’t even been a head coach for a month. And he has already put an immense amount of pressure on himself.

The 1998 Collins-Maxwell graduate knows he has a tough job ahead, but also doesn’t want to let down the juniors and seniors who are heading toward the end of their high school careers.

Leslie won’t have any returning state qualifiers in the room. He doesn’t have district qualifier either.

But that doesn’t mean he is already looking ahead to next year.

Nobody had the year they wanted last year. We need to have some better luck this year,” said Leslie, who spent last year as a CMB assistant and the past five years coaching the Collins-Maxwell youth wrestling club. “I put a lot of pressure on myself. I want to do well because I don’t want to cheat any of these guys who don’t have a lot of time left.”

Leslie and his coaching staff have been working hard on improving the squad’s positioning this preseason. The former Raider grappler said most of the losses individuals from CMB suffered last year came from simply being out of position.

“We are working on that. That has been our focus early in the season,” said Leslie.

Leslie will have the services of two seniors – Jake Hennick and Beau Iske.

Hennick struggled finding a weight last year and he essentially bounced around from 113 to 120 all season. This year, he is up to 126 and Leslie hopes he will have a better experience.

“I am hoping they both have better seasons this year,” said Leslie of both of his seniors. “I think things are starting to click with (Beau) and I think he can have a good year.”

Iske wrestled at 132 last year, but will be around 138 or 145 in his final season at CMB.

Leslie said a pair of sophomores got valuable experience as freshmen last year and should be able to use a year of varsity mat time as an advantage.

That pair is Evan Bianchi, who had a good year at 138 a year ago, and Archer McFadden, who was third at sectionals last year at 220. He will be the Raiders’ heavyweight this year.

Blake Coughenour is another sophomore who Leslie feels could have an improved year. Leslie said he looks better so far and is expecting Coughenour to hold down the 160 pound weight in the lineup.

The Raiders will welcome a new face into the room this season. Logan Mitchell transferred in from Bondurant-Farrar and Leslie feels like Mitchell will make some serious noise come posteason time.

“He came from a bigger school last year. I think he’ll have a big year,” said Leslie.

The other two grapplers who are expected to have good seasons are freshmen Tate Ewing and Frank Sposeto.

Just being able to field most of their weights is a step in the right direction for the program. Leslie anticipates only two weights being open to start the year, but that’s much better than having to give up 36 points at the start of every dual because they couldn’t fill six different weights.

The Raiders will open the season at home against Nevada on Dec. 2 and they head to the Bondurant-Farrar Tournament a few days later on Dec. 5.