Making a home for wrestling at Freeman

As far as Danny Mathews is concerned, the more the merrier.

Mathews, the defending state Class 1A/B wrestling champion at 112 pounds, was Freeman’s bright spot a year ago, a state champion from a team that finished the season with just eight wrestlers on varsity.

“It was tough last year,” the senior admitted. “There wasn’t anyone else in my weight class – not even close. I had to wrestle our 145-pounder or our 152-pounder every day in practice. Don’t get me wrong. It was a good challenge, but it’s better to have more people in the wrestling room.”

This year, under first-year coach Chad Ripke, the Scotties have 18 athletes in their wrestling room

“The coach last year, Jim Straw, did a good job, but he wasn’t working in the school,” Ripke said. “He teaches in the middle school. In a sport like wrestling, you really need to be in the school to help recruit kids to at least try the sport out. I have a handful of kids in here now that I got in here like that.”

Mathews said he’s helped with recruitment.

“We still don’t have anyone to wrestle at 103,” he said. “Any time I see some little kid wandering through the halls I stop and ask them how much they weigh and if they want to come out and wrestle.”

For Mathews, it’s about spreading the joy.

“I started wrestling when I was in the fourth grade, and I’ve loved it ever since,” he said. “I just love being in the wrestling room. I work hard, and I have fun.”

The senior has been a state-caliber wrestler from the start of his high school career.

Wrestling behind 103-pounder Penn Brownlee as a freshman, Mathews qualified for the state tournament, where he watched his teammate lose a heartbreaking semifinal.

“Penn got called for stalling a couple times late and lost a match I don’t think he should have lost,” he said. “Actually, I was more angry about it than he was at the time.”

As sophomores, it was Mathews who lost in the semifinals while Brownlee won a state championship.

Mathews is a rarity in the high school wrestling world: a state champion who doesn’t wrestle over the summer.

“I’ve never been to a wrestling camp,” he said. “My family isn’t rich, and I have always hated to ask for money to do things like that. So, instead, I go to church camp and hang out during the summer.”

Wrestling will likely pay Mathews’ way to college. He’s busily pursued an appointment to the Air Force Academy, lining up recommendations and submitting the necessary paperwork to the academy and the offices of Sen. Patty Murray and Rep. Cathy McMorris.

“I’ve been told that I’m in by the wrestling coach,” Mathews said. “He said that if I don’t get a direct appointment, he can still get me in as a blue chip athlete. I hope that’s the case, but I’m not taking any chances. I’m looking at the University of Great Falls and Dana College. I’ll take a recruiting trip there.

“It just seems like such a cool thing: to do something I totally love doing, and it pays for my college education.”

Mathews would have to bulk up to 125 pounds, the starting weight for collegiate wrestling – a daunting task.

“I’m never going to be all that big, and I’m going to have to really hit the weight room if I’m going to bulk up to 125,” he said. “My parents were both jockeys, so I’m genetically predisposed to being small.”

But first, Mathews has a tough challenge in front of him: repeating as state champion – not an easy task. The entire state awards platform at 112 pounds returns this year, including runner-up Eric Moody from Northeast A League rival Newport, whom Mathews pinned in the second round to win the state title.

At the same time, Mathews is leading the rebuilding effort at Freeman – a top 10 finisher at state in each of the seniors’ first two seasons.

It’s a little bit frustrating,” Ripke said. “We’re spending a little more time going over some things than I would like to at this point, but we’re getting there. The guys who played football were a little late coming out, so we had to go over some things a second time.

“We’re getting there. It’s going to take some time, but we’re going to rebuild the program. Freeman is still a basketball school, but we’re going to make a place for wrestling here, too.”

Mathews agrees.

“It’s a little frustrating to see the gym packed for basketball and only get a handful of people out to watch a wrestling match,” he said. “I can’t blame them. Basketball looks like a fun sport. If it was in a different season, I might even play it myself.”