Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, April 12, 1993 TAG: 9304120058
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
VIKINGS' COACH SETS SIGHTS ON GRUNDY
Don't ever tell Northside wrestling coach Fred Wagner his team can't beat Grundy.That's Wagner's goal. Improbable perhaps, but not impossible. Wagner has overcome all sorts of obstacles.
At a school that has prided itself on championship boys' basketball teams the past few years, Wagner's wrestling program emerged as a Group AA state runner-up to Grundy this year after winning the Region III and Blue Ridge District titles.
For this, Wagner is Timesland wrestling coach of the year. If the occasion comes when his team beats out seven-time state champion Grundy in wrestling, then Wagner might be national coach of the year given the Golden Wave's reputation.
"Grundy is outstanding, but no one is unbeatable," Wagner said.
When he took over Northside's wrestling program, Wagner was left with a losing team, nine warmups and seven singlets to outfit a 13-man squad. That was four years ago. Wagner's first team went 10-5 and started a streak that has now reached 43 straight dual meet wins.
While Wagner was following the tradition started by former wrestling coaches Ken Shelton and Larry Hall, a break after those two left the Vikings program in shambles. So how can it compete with the likes of Grundy, which has been a state champion longer than Wagner has been coaching?
"I only said it's possible," said Wagner.
This year's team had a good stock of seniors, but Wagner expects to be back in the same position next year. Other Timesland wrestling coaches say Wagner's program is in much the same way that it was for Franklin County's Kris Kahila, William Fleming's George Miller and William Byrd's Barry Trent when they built their schools' wrestling fortunes.
"I hope we stay near the top. We have a lot of good young kids, some who didn't achieve what they could do this year," Wagner said.
"I wasn't surprised at this year. I knew we could do this. I've prescribed this for four years: Being the best you can be which takes care of itself in the win column."
Wagner, 28, wrestled and played football for William Byrd. He says his first love is football and he doesn't rule out a return to that sport if he finds a head coaching job.
Still, Wagner will try anything. This spring he took over as Northside's soccer coach. He admitted knowing little about the game, but Wagner is a coach and is willing to take on any challenge. That's why Grundy really doesn't seem like a big obstacle.