The Edwardsville Tiger wrestling program entered this week with a 17-3 overall record and 5-0 mark in the Southwestern Conference.
They’re on course to win their sixth consecutive SWC crown and looking for a sixth straight regional title in the postseason. That’s not too shabby.
But the foundation for that success was established long before this season. It started when people like current EHS head coach Jon Wagner, Mark Mestemacher, Mike Freitag and the late Jon Davis decided to start the Edwardsville Wrestling Club. The club’s first season was 1993-94 and since then it’s formed a family-style atmosphere with a philosophy instilled in its wrestlers as young as 5 and continuing throughout their prep careers.
“I think the unique blend with our program is the family-style atmosphere we have with the whole program,” Wagner said. “We have one booster club that helps fund and work tournaments for all levels. We’re just one big organization. When they have the youth tournament, the high school kids work the tables. We have the battle of the bones fundraiser and the younger kids’ parents come out and make pork steaks. I think that’s a unique part of it and something we’re very fortunate to have.”
Mestemacher, who now sits on the board for the EWC after coaching for years in the club, said the mindset has never changed since the beginning. It was a family philosophy then, just as it is now.
“That first year we added fifth-graders and the next year we started with basically 5-year-olds and up,” Mestemacher said. “The goal of the club was to be a feeder program for the middle schools, which would be a feeder for the high school. We did it with the mindset that we’re one big happy family, but it had to be in line with the high school coach and the middle school coaches.”
Wagner, who had been coaching at the middle school level, replaced longtime EHS head coach Warren “Babe” Stahlhut during the 1997-98 season and really allowed the EWC to flourish.
Another key addition to the program was the hiring of Pat McNamara as the EWC head wrestling coach. He was hired after resigning as head coach at SIUE in June 2008.
McNamara came with tons of experience. He was a 3-time high school state champion in Minnesota, a 4-time NCAA qualifier and 3-time All-American at Michigan State and coached collegiately at Central Michigan, Virginia and Mizzou before SIUE.
He bought into the EWC system and simply wanted to continue it. He oversees the programs for 6U through eighth grade and personally coaches the 9-14 age group.
“Our No. 1 goal is to have fun and enjoy the sport,” McNamara said.
“I think Mark Mestemacher and Mike Freitag did an unbelievable job of setting the standard for the Edwardsville Wrestling Club and I’ve just tried to continue down that road and follow their lead.”
McNamara said kids will join as young as 4, but most start at 5 or 6. McNamara said it doesn’t matter what age kids join – they can still pick up the sport.
EHS grad Daryl Thomas is the poster child for that. He joined the EWC in the eighth grade, ended up a multiple-time state qualifier for the Tigers, had a successful career on the mat at the University of Illinois and is now the head coach at Lincoln College.
“The neat thing about the sport of wrestling is you can get involved really any time and make gains and catch up,” McNamara said. “Daryl didn’t start until the eighth grade and just had a fantastic career and really grew and prospered during his first year.”
The addition of the 24,000-square foot Jon Davis Wrestling Center in 2009 was a huge shot in the arm for Edwardsville wrestling. The state-of-the-art wrestling center, named for one of the fathers of the EWC, wasn’t part of the original visions of the club but has definitely helped it expand.
Mark and Carol Mestemacher donated $3.5 million for the facility’s construction inside the District 7 Sports Complex. With it, the EWC has seen its numbers rise from 100 to between 150-200 wrestlers.
“We had no vision of the Jon Davis Wrestling Center at any point,” Mestemacher said. “That’s a godsend how that ended up coming to fruition.”
The Davis Center also includes the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Auditorium, which has been used for national coaches’ seminars and been visited by speakers such as Dan Gable.
The building itself may not have been part of that original vision, but it is an extension of it. It promotes wrestling, which was the foundation of the EWC.
“It’s a place where kids can continue to grow for both our school and other schools,” Wagner said. “We feel if everyone in the area is tough, it’s just going to make everybody a little tougher and we also just believe in the sport of wrestling.”
Mestamacher added, “You know that saying, ‘If you build it they will come?’ Man, we went from 100 kids to 175 the first year and consistently in the last five years we’ve been at 200 kids. I think over the last five years we’ve been the largest club in Illinois. If not No. 1, No. 2.
“It gives us a lot of flexibility and affordability that a lot of other clubs don’t have.”
What it all means for the Tigers is having battle-tested kids who grew up with with the philosophy of Edwardsville wrestling. The majority of the EHS’ wrestling program has had some EWC experience.
“We figured it out last year and everyone that was a varsity starter was an EWC wrestler at one time,” McNamara said. “I think that can be said again this year and that’s pretty consistent.”
Wagner said it’s good to see those kids stick with the sport and reap the rewards, but noted those rewards extend outside of the circle.
“The program does benefit and it’s nice to see some of these kids get rewarded for all their efforts along the way with championships, but it’s not just about the championships,” Wagner said. “It’s mature things they catch from the sport. Even the guy who’s .500, he learns how to fight adversity, learns how working hard gets you rewards and all the valuable things that come with wrestling. It’s a very positive thing.”
Mestemacher admitted learning those life lessons was the true vision of the EWC all those years ago and will continue to be for years to come.
“Our goal has not changed over the last 25 years,” Mestemacher said. “Wrestling is a sport we all have a passion for, but it’s just an avenue for us to influence kids in a good manner. Our goal is to truly impact the kids’ characters and how they’re looking at life and the way they treat other people. It’s more than just wrestling.”
Follow AdVantage News Sports on Facebook and #AdVsports on Twitter