BEGGS, Okla. — For the first time in school history, Beggs High School has a wrestling team.
The team says that's all thanks to English teacher Catherine Warner.
“We wouldn’t have any of this, we wouldn’t even be here right now," said team captain Dustin Fonte.
After it was announced last year that there was enough interest in bringing the sport to Beggs, they were left waiting for a coach.
In the meantime, Warner, a mother to two wrestlers, offered to fill in until the full-time coach was ready.
"I said, 'whatever I can do to help, I’ve been around the sport, at least have a clue,'" said Warner.
That was in October.
A short-term gig quickly turned into Warner being given the head coach title for the team's very first season.
“I really wasn’t sure if they were going to listen to me," she said. "Or if they were going to be like ‘oh my god we have a girl who’s our coach, I don’t want to do this.”
However, Warner has been met with quite the opposite.
“Ms. Warner’s really awesome," said Fonte. "I mean at this point she’s just one of the guys on the team.”
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Many on the team have never stepped foot on a mat before. For others, this sport means everything to them.
Coach Warner has helped re-instill some guarantees in their futures.
"I have a chance to go to college," said senior Andrew Hayes. "I’m not that good at other sports, and this is one I’m really good at I think I can go to state and everything.”
With a mix of experience levels, the team is learning together and taking it one match at a time.
Sophomore Dean Richardson has been out of the sport for years, because it hasn't been offered since he transferred to Beggs from Sapulpa.
He's eager to return to competing and thinks he'll do well, thanks to the support he'll receive from Warner and the team.
“That comes from their ability to help build me up and help me relearn everything,” said Richardson.
Warner said she stepped in to ensure these kids had opportunities just like that — to learn the sport if they wanted to.
And without her, wrestlers like Hayes would have lost out on their last year of eligibility.
“I don’t like that recognition or notoriety," said Warner. "I don’t want it attributed to me, except... this might not have been a great year getting started if someone hadn’t taken it, so I’m proud of that fact.”
With three tournaments under their belts so far, the team is looking forward to a strong wrestling future at Beggs in the years to come.
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