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If there’s anything Issac Coup is not a big fan of when it comes to wrestling, it would be duals.
The team aspect is probably something the Lakeside sophomore enjoys, but the fact that the opposing team typically tries to avoid him in the lineup is something he doesn’t.
“I really prefer the individual tournaments,” he said. “You get to wrestle more matches and you’re bound to wrestle the best kid there.”
Coup will most definitely have that kind of opportunity he relishes during the Division II Kenston District Tournament Friday and Saturday at Kenston High School.
A year ago as a freshman, he took sixth at Kenston in the 150-pound bracket. This year, Coup enters as a top seed at 165 after winning the sectional title at Northwest High School last weekend.
First-year Lakeside coach Corbin Post said Coup, along with another sophomore, Alex Rodriguez wrestling in the 175 bracket, are wrestlers he hope will reenergize a Dragons mat program that has not had a state qualifier since 2020, the year the tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The last time the Dragons had wrestlers in Columbus was in 2018, when Parker Meaney and Lucianno Cunningham both placed.
“It’s been over five years since we’ve had a qualifier,” Post said. “Not having one has been tough. If it does happen, being able to say it, would be a program-changer.
“That’s what I’m looking here to do, consistently bring kids to the state level, and he was one of the first kids last summer, when we started training that adapted to what we wanted to do.”
Coup enters the district tournament with a 36-3 season record. He took second at the Chagrin Valley Conference Tournament, while winning championships at the Ashtabula County, Riverside Rumble and Lorain Titan Classic events.
Coup is a little taller than a conventional wrestler.
This season, though, he said he’s been able to add some weight and a lot more strength that has helped him overcome a frame probably better suited for basketball than wrestling.
“It was a lot of trouble for me in the earlier years,” Coup said. “It’s gotten easier though. Coach Corbin, he’s really helped me with using my reach and using my height to my advantage.”
Post wants Post to use his frame to his advantage.
“Cradles, ankle picks, anything that uses his length, we’ve hammered on that,” Post said. “We always talk about what God gave you and God gave him some length and some tallness. I adapted my coaching to that and I think it’s really worked out so far.”
Coup will face Norton’s Hunter Ule, who enters the district tournament with a 32-9 mark, in the first round. The two have not gone each other.
With a win, Coup meet the winner of the match between Youngstown Chaney senior Jaden Marsh and Akron Hoban sophomore Donald Davis.
Coup has a history with at least one wrestler in the bracket — Canfield senior Tristan Miller, who was ranked ninth in the state at the time they met. Coup pinned him for the win.
Post said they’re feeling pretty good about his chances this weekend to wrestle one more week.
“We’re real confident and he’s real confident about this weekend,” Post said. “We believe he has a chance to go on a great run. I think he has a great chance to get to the semi-finals and anything can happen in the semi finals. I’m really excited for him.”
Rodriguez will compete in the 175 bracket, one of three wrestlers from Ashtabula County in the weight class.
Rodriguez enters the tournament with a 30-13 record. He finished fourth at the Northwest Sectional.
“This is his first full year of wrestling,” Post said about Rodriguez. “He had a great [sectional] tournament. He found his groove in his third and fourth matches. I think this is a big deal for him to get to districts and I think he has a great shot of getting out to. I really do.”
But whether they advance to the state tournament or not, Post believes Coup and Rodriguez can be the catalysts to lead a transition of the Lakeside program.
“Our team is young, but we’re making great strides,’ Post said. “We’re really geared up to make a program change with these guys.”
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The team aspect is probably something the Lakeside sophomore enjoys, but the fact that the opposing team typically tries to avoid him in the lineup is something he doesn’t.
“I really prefer the individual tournaments,” he said. “You get to wrestle more matches and you’re bound to wrestle the best kid there.”
Coup will most definitely have that kind of opportunity he relishes during the Division II Kenston District Tournament Friday and Saturday at Kenston High School.
A year ago as a freshman, he took sixth at Kenston in the 150-pound bracket. This year, Coup enters as a top seed at 165 after winning the sectional title at Northwest High School last weekend.
First-year Lakeside coach Corbin Post said Coup, along with another sophomore, Alex Rodriguez wrestling in the 175 bracket, are wrestlers he hope will reenergize a Dragons mat program that has not had a state qualifier since 2020, the year the tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The last time the Dragons had wrestlers in Columbus was in 2018, when Parker Meaney and Lucianno Cunningham both placed.
“It’s been over five years since we’ve had a qualifier,” Post said. “Not having one has been tough. If it does happen, being able to say it, would be a program-changer.
“That’s what I’m looking here to do, consistently bring kids to the state level, and he was one of the first kids last summer, when we started training that adapted to what we wanted to do.”
Coup enters the district tournament with a 36-3 season record. He took second at the Chagrin Valley Conference Tournament, while winning championships at the Ashtabula County, Riverside Rumble and Lorain Titan Classic events.
Coup is a little taller than a conventional wrestler.
This season, though, he said he’s been able to add some weight and a lot more strength that has helped him overcome a frame probably better suited for basketball than wrestling.
“It was a lot of trouble for me in the earlier years,” Coup said. “It’s gotten easier though. Coach Corbin, he’s really helped me with using my reach and using my height to my advantage.”
Post wants Post to use his frame to his advantage.
“Cradles, ankle picks, anything that uses his length, we’ve hammered on that,” Post said. “We always talk about what God gave you and God gave him some length and some tallness. I adapted my coaching to that and I think it’s really worked out so far.”
Coup will face Norton’s Hunter Ule, who enters the district tournament with a 32-9 mark, in the first round. The two have not gone each other.
With a win, Coup meet the winner of the match between Youngstown Chaney senior Jaden Marsh and Akron Hoban sophomore Donald Davis.
Coup has a history with at least one wrestler in the bracket — Canfield senior Tristan Miller, who was ranked ninth in the state at the time they met. Coup pinned him for the win.
Post said they’re feeling pretty good about his chances this weekend to wrestle one more week.
“We’re real confident and he’s real confident about this weekend,” Post said. “We believe he has a chance to go on a great run. I think he has a great chance to get to the semi-finals and anything can happen in the semi finals. I’m really excited for him.”
Rodriguez will compete in the 175 bracket, one of three wrestlers from Ashtabula County in the weight class.
Rodriguez enters the tournament with a 30-13 record. He finished fourth at the Northwest Sectional.
“This is his first full year of wrestling,” Post said about Rodriguez. “He had a great [sectional] tournament. He found his groove in his third and fourth matches. I think this is a big deal for him to get to districts and I think he has a great shot of getting out to. I really do.”
But whether they advance to the state tournament or not, Post believes Coup and Rodriguez can be the catalysts to lead a transition of the Lakeside program.
“Our team is young, but we’re making great strides,’ Post said. “We’re really geared up to make a program change with these guys.”
Continue reading...
