Murphy – Though Bulldogs freshman Luke Hyde had been wrestling for four years before starting his high school career this fall, he got some advice from assistant coach Darren Cook about what it would take to succeed at the varsity level.
“He pretty much told me to take what I learned in middle school, and then treat it as if I never learned it before,” Hyde said.
The theory was that if Hyde practiced and wrestled like everything was brand new, he would be more willing to improve what he was relearning and polish it to get better. Hyde continued to work throughout the season and it paid off, as he qualified for this year’s N.C. High School Athletic Association 1A State Championship in Greensboro in the 126-pound weight class.
“When I knew I qualified for state, I had a feeling of I did what I needed to do the way I needed to do it,” Hyde said.
Hyde said he was never uncomfortable this year, but had to work on his confidence. An appearance in the finals tournament at King of the Mountain at Towns County, Ga., on Dec. 3 showed him the transition to varsity was doable.
At the varsity level, Hyde said, wrestlers are a lot less sloppy with their technique. Certain moves can work in middle school, but wrestling juniors and seniors is different. They have a lot more experience, can defend moves and make you pay for being too aggressive.
Hyde had to learn how to tailor his strategy at the varsity level, improving his moves and fine-tuning techniques throughout the season. At regionals he said he wrestled carefully, making sure he wasn’t putting himself in bad positions on the mat.
During the state meet, Hyde fell to undefeated and eventual state champion Carlos Vasquez from
Thomasville in the first round, then to eventual third-place finisher Adrian Lopez from Eastern Randolph in the consolation bracket. However, that doesn’t dampen a solid season for the freshman.
“His toughness and grit is superior to some his age,” head coach Mike Catuto said. “I always have to remember that he’s freshman, and he kind of has the wrestling and mental maturity of at least a junior or a sophomore. He’s already above that as far as his wrestling maturity level and his wrestling IQ.”