2002-03 SCHEDULE

Dec. 4 -- John F. Kennedy at Girard Dec. 11 -- Pymatuning Valley Dec. 16 -- at South Range Dec. 20-21 -- at Richmond Heights tourney Dec. 27 -- at Pymatuning Valley tourney Dec. 28 -- at Girard tourney Jan. 8 -- Jackson Milton Jan. 18 -- at Howland Invitational Jan. 25 -- at Middlefield-Cardinal triangular Jan. 31 -- Eastern Ohio Wrestling League championships Feb. 1 -- Eastern Ohio Wrestling League championships Feb. 5 -- Hubbard at South Range Feb. 8 -- at Burton-Berkshire triangular

By The Herald Sports Staff

Veteran coach Jim Hennessy has seen ups and downs in his 18 years as head coach of the Warriors (over separate stints of 10 and eight years), but he definitely would call this season an upward spurt.

"I think we're going to be pretty decent," said Hennessy, "We're a little weak (numbers-wise) in the bottom of the order, with numbers in the upper weights. We have a lot of underclassmen pushing pretty good this year.

"I think the program has really turned around and is headed in the right direction. It's nice to have kids pushing other kids, making each other better. We have a lot of kids in the seventh- and eighth-grade and our youth program.

"We went to a 13-team scrimmage in Alliance and we looked pretty decent."

Hennessy is expecting some big things from senior letterman Joe McFarland, 140, and junior letterman Ed Thompson, 145. McFarland, a district qualifer last season who just missed out on a trip to state, is currently ranked fourth in OHSAA's Eastern Wrestling League, Division III.

Freshman Justin Miller will fill the 103 slot for the Warriors, followed by sophomore letterman Randy Murray at 112. Sophomore letter-winners Mike Cryster and Nick Policastro will be at 119 and 125.

Freshman Kenny Puhak is at 130, followed by sophomore letterman Dave Dillon at 135. McFarland and Thompson fill the next two slots, with senior letterman Ryan Tice at 152. Freshman Josh Matthews is at 160, with junior letterman J.D. Underwood and senior letterman Mike Miller battling for the 171 starting role. Junior Sean Wilster is at 189, while freshman Aaron Prskay is at 215. Junior letterman Richard Baum rounds out the lineup at 275.

Some others who could crack the lineup are: Lonnie Kolat, 135, freshman; Raymond Baum, 145, freshman; Anthony Policastro, 152, sophmore; Richard Malcomson, 145-152, sophomore; Greg Moy, 215 freshman; Jesse Moy, 275, junior, and Jeff Price, 145, junior.

Two key losses to graduation were David Bell and Cliff Greggs.

Brookfield competes in Division III of the Eastern Ohio Wrestling League, which also includes Girard, Warren-JFK, Jackson-Milton and Pymatuning Valley. The Warriors open Wednesday at Girard in a double-dual against Girard and JFK. Hennessy picks Jackson-Milton as the team to beat. The sectional tournament has been moved to Cleveland-area Richmond Heights High, with districts at Elyria Catholic.