Vaughn honored to accept Knights’ mat donation

Come next wrestling season, the West Holmes Knights are going to have a new look for fans to enjoy, and it all comes courtesy of a pair of former Knights wrestlers who want nothing more than to give back to the program that meant so much to them.

On Friday, April 14, wrestling head coach Scott Vaughn and assistant coach Logan Stanley celebrated the arrival with the new wrestling mat donated by Josh and Jesse Etzwiler, owners of J&J Welding and former Knights wrestlers.

For the Etzwiler brothers, giving back to the program was something they were passionate about.

“The wrestling mentality and that commitment to working hard and all of the other great lessons we learned as wrestlers has always been a big part of my life,” Josh Etzwiler said. “When tough times comes, the things we learned in wrestling and the mental toughness that we had to have allows you to better embrace it. So the wrestling program made a big impact on both of us, and we really wanted to find a way to give back to something that meant so much to us.”

The wrestling program creating work ethic and building character played a big role in the Etzwilers wanting to pass along their success to today’s younger wrestlers. Recognizing the program’s need for what is an expensive piece of equipment seemed like the ideal way to give back.

Josh Etzwiler said while they gave this time, it is not uncommon to see former Knights and area businesses give back to various programs, and community support and service is something for which Holmes County is well known.

The Etzwilers put in plenty of time on the old mats at WHHS, wrestling for the Woods brothers in the program — Josh graduating in 2008 and Jesse graduating in 2011. Both wrestled at 171, and both could agree on one thing when looking back on their careers.

“I’m a lot stiffer today than I was back then,” Josh Etzwiler said, his brother quickly agreeing with that assessment.

“Josh was a little tough on me growing up,” Jesse Etzwiler said. “But we banged around pretty good back in our younger days.”

“You gave as good as you got,” Josh Etzwiler said. “What I dished out definitely came back around more than once.”

Vaughn said the wrestling community is one that continually shows its support for the program, but this donation is one that is impactful and the team will forever be in debt to the brothers for their gift.

“On top of my gratitude for them for making the donation, it’s exciting to see the work ethic and commitment to community service that are both things we stress a lot in our program shining through,” Vaughn said. “It’s a big expense, and this is a huge benefit for our program, so we are obviously very thankful to the Etzwiler brothers for their gracious gift.”

He said community involvement in the wrestling program and the connection between the close-knit wrestling community members show the type of support West Holmes receives from alumni and fans alike.

“We have a very passionate and educated fan base,” Vaughn said. “They can be tough at times, but they’re very devoted to the program.”

Vaughn said it has been about six years since the program purchased new mats, and in that span, the wear and tear they receive take a major toll.

The new mat was created by Resilite, a company well known in the mat-making industry as creating top-quality product. With the Knights’ logo in the center of a circle of white, surrounded by a dark-blue perimeter, with the words "West Holmes Wrestling" printed in the blue, Vaughn said the mat will jump out at people the first time they see it in person.

Vaughn said he will keep everyone off the mat until they have a chance to officially break it in during next winter’s season home opener. Until then his wrestlers will have to imagine what it’s going to be like.

“I’m excited to present this opportunity to them, and they are going to be pumped to get to wrestle on it,” Vaughn said. “Hopefully, our graduating seniors aren’t too mad that we got it right after they left.”

The Etzwilers were a few years behind Vaughn in high school, but Vaughn said he remembers their competitiveness when they were youngsters.