The Williamstown High School wrestling team, pictured here earlier this month after winning the Cameron Alumni Invitational championship for the first time, will return to the mats Saturday for the Bob Zide Rumble. (Photo courtesy WHS Wrestling)

WILLIAMSTOWN — Things are most definitely on the upswing for the Williamstown High School wrestling program of head man Tyler George, whose Yellowjackets will be part of the 21-team field for Saturday’s Bob Zide Rumble.

Although Mother Nature has been rough on the Mountain State thus far in 2025, it appears this year’s tournament should go on as scheduled.

“Last year got canceled. We’re fortunate, knock on wood, nothing happens next 48 hours,” coach George quipped of the 10 a.m. start time that will feature five mats with three in the high school gym.

Leading the way in the field, which will have both the Yellowjackets’ and Warren’s junior varsity competing, is defending Class AA state champion Point Pleasant.

The Big Blacks of head coach John Bonecutter, who had previously captured four consecutive double-A state crowns before tying Independence for runner-up honors in 2023 behind Fairmont Senior, currently has three top-ranked grapplers by wvmat.com in Carter Price (132), Gunner Andrick (138) and 175-pounder Josh Woyan.

Independence, which was ranked eighth in the latest poll and has an expected state champ in 190-pounder Jesse Adams, is in the field along with 10th-ranked East Fairmont.

Bees Blake Ringer at 144 and 165-pounder Tony Preolitti are currently ranked atop their respective weight classes.

“I don’t really have any team expectations for the weekend,” admitted coach George. “I mean we’ve been wrestling great as a team. We’ve won two tournaments this year. The Tom Lewis Classic at East Fairmont and the next week at Cameron. We won both those. I mean we haven’t won a tournament outright, it’s been 20-some, maybe 30 years.

“We tied at the single-A challenge last year, but not an outright win. We got some guys beat up and a couple guys sick. Dutch (Sandy) is hurt now. We’re trying some guys at different places, looking ahead to regionals. This is tough competition. I’ve been begging teams the last couple of years. I got Independence on board and Point is showing up this year.”

Williamstown, which is No. 4 in double-A, will field a full roster on Saturday, but it won’t be the regular lineup.

The freshman Sandy, who is ranked second at 120, “busted his shoulder up pretty good at Braxton County so we’re going to sit him for a couple weeks,” said George, who will start Colbin Smith. “He’s filled in here and there throughout the year.”

Freshman Nick Ellison, who is ranked sixth at 106, “he’s our JV this weekend. We’re starting our other guy Seth Sams, who started last year for us,” added George, who will have Aiden Meeks at 113, Cole Smith at 126, Wesley Freed at 132 and Dylan Pucella at 138.

Tyler Newlon, who was most recently ranked 10th at 150, is now at 144.

“We had a wrestle-off earlier in the week,” George noted. “(Holden) McComas and him have been kind of battling and McComas has done better in some tournament than Newlon has so he wanted to challenge. He lost a wrestle-off, but those two are darn near interchangeable at (1)44 and (1)50.”

Kipp Freed, who entered the week ranked third at 157, won’t be followed by 165-pounder Evan Turner.

“This weekend we’re going to switch things up a little bit,” coach George continued. “We’re going to put Hunter Haddox as our starting 165 and Evan Turner is going to take 175.

“He’s been battling an infection on his knee for a couple weeks now and we’re hoping he’ll get cleared by Saturday, but that will help with him not having to cut weight and not practicing all week.”

Tyler Coleman, Thad Trent and Christian Lockhart are expected to occupy 190, 215 and heavyweight, respectively, for WHS, which has finished fourth place at the last two Rumbles.

Defending Rumble champion Braxton County, which is ranked second, will be joined by fellow Class A ranked squads in No. 5 Wirt County, No. 7 St. Marys and No. 10 Ritchie County.

Bridgeport, the only 3A team competing, will comprise the rest of the field along with Fort Frye, Calhoun County, Tyler Consolidated, Doddridge County, South Harrison, North Marion, Chapmanville, Shady Spring, Robert C. Byrd and Elkins.

“As far as the team goes as long as we are out there and we’re being competitive and we’re battling, we’re going to take the small victories anywhere we can,” stressed coach George. “Whether it’s a match win or not, but if we don’t finish in the top four this year I’m not going to be super discouraged because of how tough the tournament, I think, will be.

“Really, we’ve got our sights looking at February – LKC, region and state. If we can keep everybody healthy and good to go until then, you know, whatever happens, happens. It’d be great to walk out with some hardware at our own home tournament, but sometimes it’s just not our weekend like this past weekend at Braxton and we just started focusing on individual goals.”

Coach George added the annual breakfast in the cafeteria will run from 8-11 a.m. Cost is $10.

“It’s usually the Sons of the American Legion that do it, but my aunt is now the head of the women’s auxiliary through the Legion (Post 159),” said the coach. “They had a Toys for Tots fundraiser before Christmas challenging all the sports teams at Williamstown.

“Whoever brought in the most toys gets the breakfast or dinner in benefit of them and we won that. We’re doing a breakfast, but it’s like biscuits and gravy, sausage links, scrambled eggs, muffins, coffee, juice. All that good stuff.”

Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com