Despite the fact that they are starting from scratch, co-coaches Chuck Yarnall and John duPont feel that Villanova's new wrestling program can compete for a national championship within a decade.
Well, at least you can't accuse them of thinking small.
"It's not going to be easy at all, but I feel it's a realistic goal," said Yarnall, who has spent the past 12 years as an assistant to the highly successful Neil Buckley at Haverford School. "At this point it's more of a
gut instinct, but I've always believed there's more quality high school wrestlers around than there are schools to take them. I'm talking about kids who are maybe a move or two away from being good college-type material."
Although the program will start giving out some scholarships in the future, this inaugural team, which faces a 16-opponent schedule beginning in November, will be an all-walk-on group. About 70 people expressed interest in trying out for the squad, and Yarnall and duPont have since whittled that list in half.
Among the more notable talents are Chris Scott, a two-time Illinois high school champion who wrestled for the University of Illinois for a year before transferring to Villanova, and Pat Lucy, who twice placed at the Massachusetts state meet.
"I think it's quite an undertaking, but certainly not an impossible one," said duPont, the man for whom Villanova's new athletic pavilion is named. ''This will mostly be a year of organization. But this area is a hotbed for the sport. Last year, nine of the 22 winners at the NCAA championships were from either Pennsylvania or New Jersey. And that's probably where we're going to be drawing from, especially early on.
"I'm looking at it as a 10-year project."
SMASHING PERFORMANCE
* Stewart Granger set a United States Basketball League record with 51 points last night as the Wildwood Aces defeated the Jersey Jammers, 148-124, at the Wildwood Convention Center.
Granger, an All-Star guard from Villanova, shot 10-for-10 from the floor in his 32-point second half. For the game, he shot 16-for-25 from the field and 19-for-23 from the foul line to break the league record of 50 points set by Rhode Island's Martin Clark last season.
Granger Hall and Ralph Lewis (12 rebounds) each added 25 points for the second-place Aces (8-4), who are 6-0 at home this season. Marty Embry led Jersey with 27 points and 14 rebounds.
TAKING A SHOT
