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Andover, KS | |
| Not signed in (Sign In) | September 9, 2010 |
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Andover, KS | |
| Not signed in (Sign In) | September 9, 2010 |
Please don't criticize the poor carpet in the Umscheid household.
The Umscheid boys are constantly practicing their wrestling moves in the living room, giving the rug a lifetime of wear and tear throughout the course of a season. Jake is a junior at Andover Central, and has a lot of memories - and rug burns - from that living room.
He still laughs about the time older brother Josh tried a "spin slop cradle" on him.
"It was this crazy move he saw on TV," Jake said. "It didn't go well for him. He was always trying to do trick stuff, standing there taunting me. But it make me a better wrestler."
Josh is off to college now. But younger brother Joe, a freshman, is there to replace him. They are one of four sets of brothers who wrestle for ACHS, which is ranked third in Class 5A after finishing fifth last year.
Jaguars coach Terry Alley thinks having four sets of brothers have a lot to do with that. Andover Central begins its season tomorrow with a triangular at Augusta.
"It's really going to be a family affair this season," Alley said. "But wrestling has always been a family sport. It's just the nature of the sport, I think. You've got families spending time together during those long Saturdays at the tournaments."
Indeed, all eight of the brothers have been in organized wrestling just about as long as they can remember.
Then of course there's wrestling at home, which isn't quite so organized.
"One thing about having an older brother," Alley said. "He's either going to beat you or make you better."
Jake is a two-time state qualifier who finished fifth in Class 5A at 125 pounds last season. He moves up to 130 this season. His brother is competing for the Jaguars' varsity spot at 112.
"Having a brother right there in the house really helps you," Jake said. "If you're having trouble with a move, all you have to do is ask him. You can push each other, and you can really learn from the older brother's experience."
Another Jake - Jake Gentzler, a 125-pound junior - is a two-time state finalist for the Jaguars. He won the Class 4A title as a freshman (112) and was second in Class 5A last season (119 pounds). His brother Zac just claimed Central's varsity spot at 103.
Alley has known the Gentzlers' father and uncle, both former wrestlers themselves, for decades.
"My dad really got us involved with wrestling when we were really young," Jake Gentzler said. "He coached the club team for my brother and me. We pretty much went all over the nation."
Senior Wesley Duerr, a returning state qualifier, will fill the spot at 215. His brother Justin, a junior, is challenging at 152.
Then finally, there's the Bontz brothers. That's a name that should be familiar to Andover High fans and certainly to Alley, who coached the Trojans from 1977 to 1994. His former wrestlers include the Bontzs' father and uncle.
Their grandfather not only started the Wichita Wrestling Club, he helped Alley start the wrestling program at Andover High.
Alex and Cody Bontz transferred in this year from Wichita Independent. Both have made the state tournament, albeit not at the 5A level. Cody is a 140-pound senior; Alex is a sophomore at 135.
"It's been a great move for us," Alex said. "The workout room is really intense over here. It's kind of a different atmosphere. It's more competitive."
Alley decided to make the Bontz brothers practice partners this season, the first time they've ever been teamed up.
"He's never been my partner before, but we definitely know how to push each other," Alex said. "We can tell when the other one is slacking ... Not that Cody ever slacks, unless he's sick. His tempo drops just a little bit. I can tell."
You won't find the Bontzs wrestling in their living room, though. They have a portion of a wrestling mat - maybe one-fourth the size of a regulation mat - in the basement of their new home.
"They'll be times when I don't feel like doing anything and Cody will say, 'Come on - let's wrestle or go for a run or something,'" Alex said. "It's that rivalry that brothers always have that keeps me going."
This article will be appear in the next issue of VYPE magazine, which hits the stands Dec. 17.
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