Adding an impact freshman to a varsity lineup is a bonus for any high school wrestling coach.
Tom Whitcomb is doubly blessed in that regard.
Twins Evan and Rob Henderson have had a tremendous impact on Whitcomb’s United wrestling team, as they are a combined 35-0 this season, with each getting six points almost every time they step on the mat for the Lions.
“They’re unbelievable, the talent they have and the experience they have already as freshmen,” Whitcomb said. “To move in and wrestle varsity the way they have, I mean they’ve been tested a couple times, but not much. They’re able.”
The twins each went 7-0 during the weekend at the Richland Duals, with Rob putting in a rare six minutes in a 1-0 win over Northern Cambria’s Scott Knarr. Rob had pinned Knarr, who went 36-5 a year ago, in the Cambria Heights tournament, but got a better challenge from the Colts junior on Saturday.
“He’s gunning for me now, but I still beat him,” said Rob, who is two minutes older than his brother and wrestles at 130.
The possibility of some other intriguing matchups existed for the brothers during the weekend, but they’ve already established such a reputation that opposing coaches often bump their top wrestlers away from the twins in order to help the team in a dual meet.
“The kids that are good want to wrestle good kids,” Rob said. “The coaches can mess you up with that a little bit.”
The whole team concept is a bit new to the Hendersons. They didn’t wrestle for United’s junior high teams during their seventh- and eighth-grade seasons, opting instead to wrestle independently in open tournaments.
“The number of matches is down from last year because last year we went all over the place wrestling,” Rob said. “Other than that, nothing has really changed.”
The other big change for most wrestlers moving up to the varsity level is the longer periods. Junior high matches are only four-and-a-half minutes, compared with the six-minute varsity bouts. Of course, Evan still doesn’t know what it’s like to go a full six minutes. He has 13 pins in 17 matches with the other four wins coming via forfeit.
“I haven’t gone the full six minutes, but in practice I go grind matches where I go 10 or 12 minutes,” said Evan, a 112-pounder. “I just haven’t gotten the chance to show it in a match.”
In fact, he hasn’t come anywhere close to wrestling six minutes in a match.
“Two matches, I went into the second period because I made them go into the second period,” he said.
But the brothers aren’t exactly anxious to go deep into matches.
“Our whole mentality is to get on and off the mat as quickly as possible,” Rob said.
Well, at least in matches. The Hendersons put in plenty of mat time in the United practice room – as well as others.
“They get a workout in our room and they work elsewhere with clubs,” Whitcomb said. “Any work they can get, they go.”
Whitcomb said that the Hendersons’ impact on his team extends beyond the points they put on the scoreboard, as they’ve helped others on the 5-10 United squad improve.
“You always notice that when you have really good wrestlers, the weight classes next to them are also good,” Whitcomb said. “You can see the improvement in our wrestling team from wrestling them and having them in the room.”
High School Sports
Related Photos
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United 112-pounder Evan Henderson (top) works toward a first-period fall over Ligonier Valley’s Tyler Gross on Saturday at the Richland Duals. John Tanish
Discussion
With twins in lineup, United opponents face ... Double trouble
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