There’s No Quit In Bulldogs Sandpoint Coach Taylor Instills Winning Attitude

Tuesday, 5:15 p.m., Sandpoint High School wrestling practice: “There’s not going to be any more easy days,” barks Bulldogs coach Dan Taylor.

The 22-man team is paired up, preparing to defend its team championship at the A-1 Region I Tournament this weekend at Coeur d’Alene High School. Sandpoint is the defending state champ, too.

The Bulldogs work nonstop during a no-nonsense practice, which started at 3. They are simulating a 1-minute overtime match. The score is 2-2, Taylor says, and a takedown wins.

Next, the Bulldogs are in doubleovertime. The best bottom wrestler takes top position. “One minute,” shouts Taylor. “You’ve got to go hard. Win or lose, this is it.”

5:20 p.m.: Jog. “Focus on everything you’re doing really, really well on top,” Taylor instructs. “Focus, and see it. Now, focus on everything from underneath. Visualize it. See it. Good job. Find a partner, go to the circle.”

The Bulldogs switch, jam, and go out the back door to Taylor’s whistle; switch, grandby on the whistle; stand up, grandby; heel block, switch…

One wrestler stops and starts to rub a cramping calf muscle, but doesn’t sit for long. At 5:37 p.m., he asks, “When do we stretch out cramps?” Taylor’s response, “Tonight, when we get home.”

It’s time for match simulation, 6 full minutes. “Don’t mess around,” Taylor cautions.

“What’s it take to be a state champion? Hard work. Keep it up.

“Come on, you’re starting to let me down.

“The whole season is right here in a couple more days. Want to go to state? Work hard. Work smart. Let’s go.

“Let’s go, 3 minutes. You guys are trying to let me down. Let’s go. Let’s go.

“Now is when the match is really won. Are you going to go slow and be like everyone else - you want to be average? You want to be a champion, you’ve got to go harder.”

5:40 p.m.: “Don’t be average. Step it up. Anyone can go through the motions.”

One-and-a-half minutes remain. “This is where it’s won, those tough matches. How deep can you go? Go hard, go hard. Come on.

Thirty seconds. “How many matches are won at 30 seconds? A ton of them. Go hard - yah, yah, yah. Let’s go Dogs, hard.”

5:45 p.m.: “Great workout tonight.”

5:50 p.m.: A brief team meeting ends, the Bulldogs surround Taylor. In unison, they shout, “Why not me?!” The Lawrence brothers, Brett and

Jared, are a perfect fit for Taylor’s program.

“Those kids have a burning desire to be the best,” Taylor explained. “Jared wants to be better than Brett. I can see him being undefeated for four years.”

And that could possibly be the only way Jared, a freshman, could better his brother’s record. Brett, a junior, has already won two state titles and is on track for a third with a 26-0 record at 119 pounds. Jared is 23-0 at 103.

Brett has only lost four matches in his Bulldogs career, including one last year. “I didn’t listen to my coach and lost 2-0,” Brett said. “Coach said the match would be won by the first takedown.”

Jared won his first Tri-State Tournament title in December with a 7-5 decision. “That’s where my match was won, the last 30 seconds - mental attitude,” Jared said. “You go out there and wrestle your hardest, don’t ever stop or give up.”

Taylor likens the Lawrences to robots, starting at the push of a button and not stopping until someone shuts them off.

“Brett is very, very much fast-paced, a very offensive style. There is no defense, all offense,” Taylor said. “It’s the only thing I want - the offense from the start to the end.

“Jared’s style is the same. That’s why he’s successful, too.”

The brothers, both 4.0 students, use Taylor’s son, Zac, as an inspiration. The University of Minnesota wrestler is ranked No. 1 among NCAA 167-pounders, and a former three-time state champ for Sandpoint.

“We always look up to Zac,” Brett said. “He’s had so much success through his hard work.”

“Brett’s a definite role model,” coach Taylor observes. “He’s taking Zac’s spot. He’s a backup. If I was to have a son, he’d be the kind of kid you’d want.

“I always kind of laugh at Jared,” Taylor added. “He reminds me of my Labrador (retriever) dog. You can work him all day and he comes back with his bag, then he goes after the stick and keeps coming back for more.

“They’ve got such a good attitude, you can’t help but love them.”