Courtesy photo Warren’s Peyten Kellar competes in a high school wrestling match at last year’s state tournament in Columbus.

VINCENT — Jeff Parsons is Warren High’s new varsity wrestling boss — and a familiar face in the program.

He is succeeding Jim Rhodes at the helm.

Last winter, Parsons assisted Rhodes.

“This is my first year as the head coach of the team but I have been around Warren wrestling for a very long time,” Parsons said. “I have been a volunteer coach at Warren since 1994 starting with high school with Marty Santini.

“Then I coached the youth team for several years while my two sons wrestled. I then moved to junior high and then back to high school. This year I will be doing double duty as my grandson will be wrestling for the youth team, so (son) Cory and I are going to help out with the youth program as much as possible.”

The varsity numbers are good as Warren’s roster will feature 23 grapplers. Most of the weight classes should be filled. “We are going to have a young team this year, but as the year goes on we are expecting good things from our guys,” Parsons said. “With 23 kids, it will help create some competition in the practice room.

“The kids know that they will have to win there in a wrestle-off to be a starter for us, so they are working hard in the room every day.”

WHS graduated six quality Warrior wrestlers from last season’s team in Liam Kellar, Tristan Duffey, Ben Goedel, Dylan Anderson, Landon Hanes, and Trent Sayre.

Of the returnees, Brady Oberdier is a captain and one of five seniors and seven letter winners on the squad. The other seniors are Kaleb Tait, Stevie Osborne, John Shoup, and Zach Ochumpaugh.

Last winter, Oberdier finished with a 19-9 record on the mat. A state qualifier as sophomore, he currently owns a 111-32 career mark, and is starting this season off ranked No. 10 in the Ohio Division II 170-pound weight division.

“Brady fell short of getting back to the state tournament again,” Parsons said. “But he is working hard in the room and putting in extra time in the weight room after practice, so he can reach his goal of going back to the state tournament again this year. We are expecting big things from him.”

Tait is expected to compete in the 220-pound weight class again. “Kaleb played football for the Warriors this year which has helped him in his conditioning and balance,” Parsons said. “So, we are looking for him to help lead this younger group of wrestlers.”

Then, there is junior captain Peyten Kellar, a two-time state placer. After becoming the first Warren freshman to qualify and place (fifth) at state, he returned to Columbus last winter and placed seventh.

Going into this season, Kellar is ranked No. 2 in the D2 145-pound weight class.

“Peyten will get a late start this year due to an injury he suffered in training for the Super 32 preseason tournament,” Parsons said. “But we expect him back in December, and when he is back he will be on a mission to make the state finals and win his first state title.”

Only two other Warrior grapplers have been crowned a state champ — Heath Eddleblute and Matt McCoy.

“Peyten also has a goal of hitting 200 wins in his high school career, and he is sitting at 99-10 going into his junior year,” Parsons said. “So, that is a very achievable goal for him.”

Cole Coleman is another junior wrestler to keep an eye on. Last season, he was a district qualifier with a 32-19 mark.

“Cole has been working hard this off season in the weight room and on open mats,” Parsons said. “He was disappointed last year by not making it the state tournament that he is putting in the extra training in the room and in the weight room to try to attain his goal of going to Columbus this year to wrestle at state. He is on pace to join the elite club of 100 win wrestlers from Warren”

Some other Warren wrestlers expected to contribute will be junior Brock Bowen, junior Jake Welch, and sophomore Brodie Tait.

A first-year grappler last season, Bowen posted an 18-21 mark.

“Brock was just athletic and picked up on the sport real quick,” Parsons said. “With a year of experience under his belt, he’s coming off a winning football season which helped him in conditioning and mental toughness.” .

Welch finished 19-25 in the 285-pound weight division a year ago after not competing in his frosh year.

“I think Jake regrets not wrestling as a freshman,” Parsons said. “He has to work a little harder to make up for that. He’s coming off a good year for not wrestling for a few years then coming back and getting thrown into the 285-pound weight class.

“Jake is also a Warrior football player who has kept him in shape and that gives him a head start on the conditioning it takes to be a wrestler. We are expecting Jake to go a lot farther this year and score some wins for the Warriors this year.”

Tait is another returning letter winner, who wrestled at 106 as a freshman last season. He went 13-21.

“Brodie grew a little over the summer,” Parsons said. “He will be somewhere in the 130-pound range this year.

“He has trained and worked out over the summer. So he is a little bigger and stronger, and that will help him on the mat this year.”

Jeff Parsons will be assisted by son Cory Parsons (2-time state qualifier and OVU wrestler), Levi Congleton (2-time state qualifier and OVU wrestler), Jr. Kellar, and Michelle Kellar.

“We also have a great coaching staff that gets right in there and works with the kids,” Jeff Parsons said. “I told my coaches this year that I wanted them doing everything that the kids do, so when they run we run and when they are wrestling and drilling then so are we. The kids seem to love having competition from the coaches during sprints and take-down drills. I believe the respect level is there from doing so.”