The first time you step into the jungle to wrestle with the Panthers, you are part of a family that strives for excellence.
“We have a great tradition of quality wrestling in Washougal, and the coaches want that tradition to continue,” said head coach John Carver. “We believe the development of work ethic, confidence, self-discipline and training are great motivators for life after high school. We want these kids to come back here as adults and say ‘wrestling for Washougal got me where I am today.'”
Carver could go on and on about the leadership provided by seniors Chism King, Brendan Casey, Michael Huck, John Barrette, Taylor Neu and Zac Schepp. Instead, he pointed out freshman Matt Leifson’s determination to follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather.
“Not only did Matt’s dad wrestle for Washougal, but so did his father before that,” Carver said. “It’s great to have kids out here like Matt who are able to say, ‘my dad wrestled for Washougal, I wrestle for Washougal, and my kids are going to wrestle for Washougal.’
“The prime reasons we win is because of our sportsmanship, the integrity of our athletes and their coachable spirt,” he added. “Once you’re a part of the wrestling family in Washougal, you are always a part of the wrestling family. That’s our tradition.”