Coaches Corner for March 3rd: Jesse Sundell, Ogden Wrestling

with us on Coach's Corner here on KWBG. Going to put a wrap on the Ogden Boys Wrestling season. Jesse Sundell joining us as coach and I were just kind of visiting about off air.

And it was one of those seasons that I think when I look back and we'll probably work our way backward and start at state and kind of work our way back to the season, but Jesse, I thought this was a number one, a pretty good learning season.

And two, man, I think there's some real nice building blocks for the future with this year's squad. Yeah.

You know, we kind of, the, the kids that we end up taking down there, you know, we had the one senior kennick, you know, kind of like I said, mentioned before, kind of bookmarking his, his career.

You know, so, but everyone else going down there, two sophomores, two juniors in the sophomore, you know, and knowing at home we've left behind two other kids that had been down at the state tournament.

So you already kind of look in there, you knew what we were going to be bringing back some good, some good kids for next year, but you know, they got a lot of good experience.

You know, Ryder, he ended up got a little bit of kind of taste in it just right there on that edge, had a heartbreaker match and that blood round that we felt that could have gone either way.

But that there in itself is going to motivate him and he's, you know, he's already, you know, he already went down there last year, oh, and two, went two and two this year and he's, and he's still hungry.

So, you know, no doubt he's already putting a little hurricane already this year. Right now for next year and no doubt he'll have a good shot to be in that placing rounds next year. Well, and that's a kid too.

And that's actually a good start to start at state and kind of work our way back. But I mean, 40 wins on the season for Ryder.

And like you said, here's a kid in that, that match that I'm sure he's probably watched way too many times, but it's not a bad motivational thing and he's got a chance to really come back and Jesse, he could be kind of special here this next season for you. Yeah.

You, you, you look from last year to this year, you know, last year he was 29. I want to say 29 16 or something like that, you know, and ended up going 40 and six this year. So just looking at that itself is just a huge flip there.

Um, and then going two and two, um, had opportunity to place, um, you know, and then you start looking at his losses. I think the three, three losses were all place winners in one a, um, you lost a Braddock and three, Hey, that was a place winner.

Um, and then a blood blood ground, uh, finisher and two way. So, you know, every loss, you know, is, is to place winners guys that are, are there, so, you know, he's, he's making the steps.

Um, he keeps the right mindset, just like he does and putting that work in the soft season, you know, the next two years he could, uh, he could do some special stuff. Well, and I think you can almost use that same exact stuff with Ryder.

When we talk about Dylan Moe and then also Lucas Pelleman or with just being a, that opportunity to be on that stage. What does that stage feel like? What does it look like? And then B I want to get back here. I want to win some more matches.

Jesse, that always seems like that's the case after these kids get down there that first time. Yeah.

What with Dylan, you know, his, his, his record, like, you know, we're talking going into it as record might not have shown like the, the improvement from last year, just cause this year he seemed like he drew every single tough kid, uh, from every team.

Um, but, uh, you know, and he ended up late at a lead, um, that first round match had an opportunity there and got kind of put in a tough spot. Um, you know, and then dropped one on the backside to a kid that we had beaten.

Um, you know, right there in itself was that learning experience of, of how to go out, what, you know, he kind of changed his. Hey, change kind of his aggression in that last match, um, different from how we rough that district finals.

So there in itself was that learning experience. Okay. Yeah. I gotta be ready to go every single match and not take anything for granted. Don't be passive, open it up.

Um, you know, and he's another one that looked at to be kind of one of them leaders for next year and just kind of really start opening things up. You know, he had that opportunity. You know, he's been, been good at every position almost.

So, um, just really starting to kind of open that gap between, uh, him and the other kids, you know, Lucas.

Um, and he just kind of has been consistent the last two years, you know, kind of just maybe flown under the radar for the most part, you know, he always had some other kids that maybe we've gotten some attention. So he just kind of is there doing what he does.

Um, I think the biggest thing he's going to gain from this is hopefully his confidence, you know, knowing, you know, I can wrestle with the best kids in the state, um, you know, and just wrestle six minutes and he can compete.

And, uh, you know, he's another one next year, you know, um, gain that confidence that he's had and then just start opening that gap. Well, and the last one to talk about is, uh, he was behind AJ Braddock from Boone, I told you this off air.

So I'll tell you it during now, but I thought AJ was probably the MVP in the county, but man, if Kenneth Munson isn't right behind him, I don't know who else. Well, I mean, what Kenneth was able to do at state, he was a flurry of, I am down here.

I am not going to, I'm not going to give up, uh, for a, for a second, a moment, uh, you know, a minute, I'm going to do everything I can to get as many points as I can, as fast as I can. He was a ton of fun to watch down there, Jesse. Yeah. Yeah.

Opening around has a rematch with the kid that, um, that got up at districts and, you know, he was hungry right off the bat and ended up just taking them down, letting them up, taking them down, let them up. I text all that kid just, it wasn't even close.

Um, you know, it turned around right away that next match and is doing the same thing on that kid, just taking them down, letting them up, taking them down, letting them up, you know, and, and really in the third match was doing the same thing in both matches, you know, it was just about a five second, five seconds in that match, get in a position and kind of get caught, let up or whatever it is.

And you know, you get put on your back and then it's over, you know, and it just.

But heartbreaking, you know, knowing how well he had been wrestling and those matches, you know, he was up 12, three on that second match that kid goes on and he's in the state finals, um, you know, and, and just through the, through the tournament, you know, he was kind of falling that guy and you could see, you know, he was kind of, you'd tear up at different times, you know, just watching kind of knowing, you know, that, you know, the opportunity was right there, you know, and, and one moment kind of cost you that chance.

And we had some discussions, you know, like I was telling you, he talked to me about, you know, will this ever go away?

And, uh, I told no, you know, you're going to 40 years from now, you're still going to be thinking about it, you know, but it's like, what are you going to do with it?

You know, use it as a positive, whether it's motivating you in life or work or whatever it may be in that sense, or, or getting back involved, um, with the sport, you know, and that was one thing he kind of talked to Trevor, our assistant coach, um, where he had a long conversation about, you know, looking at maybe doing, you know, getting back involved next year, you know, getting a coaching endorsement, trying to pass along some of the things that he's learned and then hopefully, you know, like change, change some other kids' lives, you know, and then use that to help kind of mask the pain.

Cause they won't go away, but you know, make it something positive. Yeah. Make it something that worthwhile.

And if there's anybody I know has been fun to talk about with you off the air this year and I'll, I'll talk about our conversation, Jesse, but I mean, you told me what can it spend like in the room?

I mean, what he's just been, what he's meant to August and wrestling, not just, you know, qualifying and matches and this and that, but what he's been like as a leader in the room.

And this was the first time really this season that I heard you kind of mentioned that about Kenneth. And you told this to me a lot, Jesse.

So what he did from junior to senior year, boy, if he does that and can give back again, whether it be with you guys or somebody else next year, man, that's a great kid for the sport, isn't it? Yeah.

And, you know, another conversation I had with him, you know, I said, you know, the end results, um, the wins losses or the, the, the podium might, may not have been where you wanted it to be, but I told him, I said, you know, I would rather take the end results and the kid that you've become this year, you know, then you being on the stand and, and, and not being a good kid.

You know, I said, I said, you're a kid. I want to be around. Um, yeah, I said, that's really the ultimate goal. That's where, what you're striving for. You're trying to make the guys, you're trying to make the guys and the men and everything else, Jesse, for sure. All right.

Overall, this season, I'm not going to make you go back and come up with tournaments or losses or wins or anything like that. To me, it feels like you were pretty happy with how the season finished up, but it also feels like Jesse and you need a couple of weeks off.

So don't, don't mistake when I say this for you, but it feels like you're pretty excited for what could happen here next year and maybe even the following year. Yeah. You know, we, we lose K-NEC.

Um, you know, that's going to be a big hole hole to kind of the fill, um, especially what he's done this year.

Uh, you know, but everybody else coming back, um, some freshmen coming in, that'll fill in some weights that, uh, we need guys that there, you know, and as we talked kind of towards the end of the season, um, you know, really it may not have gone quite the way, you know, initially we went in there, you know, with guys fighting sickness or injuries or whatever it was, you know, our dual team just had too many holes at times to really be real competitive.

Still ended up around that 500 range and, and, and, you know, the, the teams they've wrestled, um, as I told them, you know, we could make our schedule easy, pick up teams and just try to pick up wins, but at the end of the day, you know, that's not really helping us, uh, get ready for that state tournament.

Um, but you know, as you said, next year, you know, they, they have a chance to do something special, you know, have a great season. Um, you know, three state qualifiers that were there this year coming back to that have been down there already. Right.

Um, and others that I, you know, I feel that we had a few others that were there this year that had an opportunity to get, but didn't get down there. So, you know, they, hopefully next year could be the year.

We finally kind of cracked that four state qualifier barrier that we've kind of been stuck on and, and, and they could set some records.

Well, I was going to say, Jesse, you told me, and I won't name any names because I don't think we need to, but you told me coming out of districts, you felt like maybe two or three could have also went down.

I mean, Jesse, that's, that's more than crushing that four limit that that's all of a sudden almost doubling it. I mean, you were pretty confident about a couple of kids that you thought should be down there as well. Yeah.

You know, we had to wrestle back that we're winning and then lost a few others that just, um, you know, I didn't feel that wrestled up to their ability there. Um, that let those slip, you know, it's like right there, you said, you know, seven to eight right there, doubles it.

All them kids are coming back next year. So, you know, it's, it's, it's exciting to see, you know, making sure they put the, the work in this off season to start trying to separate themselves. That really gives themselves that best shot to make it back down there. Yeah. No doubt.

Jesse, thanks for all the results. Thanks for all the coaches corners time. I know that you'll be bothering me up in the press box when it comes to a spring track and everything.

So we'll look forward to seeing you there, but thanks for a great wrestling season again, and we always appreciate you. And I appreciate all the, all the coverage you do for us, right? Thank you. You bet. Jesse Sandel again, joining us all been wrestling here on coaches corner.