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Panthers trying to turn program around
After dwindling in the bottom half of the Marmonte League in recent years, Newbury Park hired former Westlake High assistant coach Gary Murphy to replace Dimitry Tsybulezsky on July 10. Murphy is the Panthers' third head coach in the last three years. Although Murphy has always wanted to be a head coach, he knows his first task won't be an easy one. "To tell you the truth, there wasn't much of a program here when I was hired," Murphy said. "From what I heard, there wasn't any discipline on the team last season. One of the first things I had to do when I took over was set an example. I told my wrestlers that if they don't practice, they don't compete in the matches." The Panthers have many firstyear wrestlers this season, and Murphy has had to start from scratch. "Basically, I've been teaching the kids how to tie their wrestling shoes," Murphy said. "Every wrestler needs to know the fundamentals and basics. If you don't know them, you'll never learn anything else. It's nice to have many moves in your arsenal, but most of the time it's the basic moves you win a match with." Assistant coach Lindley Kistler, who was on the staff last season and was voted, with his three brothers Jackson, Harlan and Marty, into the Riverside Sports Hall of Fame last month, has seen a big difference from last year. "It's been wonderful this season having a nononsense atmosphere," Kistler said. "Last year there was so much tolerance that I almost left. This season, every kid signed a contract that stated they're to be responsible in their code of conduct. We have many new wrestlers that are eager, passionate and dedicated to becoming better." One wrestler who's making an impact for NPHS is senior Christian Stole, who competes in the 171-pound weight division. "Christian does mixed martial arts and jujitsu, so he already had the toughness before he began wrestling," Kistler said. "He's tough as nails, but he relies too much on what he used to have. As he learns more about the sport he's only going to get better and better." Another grappler that looks strong is senior Joey Wolczuk. Wolczuk transferred after his sophomore year from Santa Monica High and has had to adjust to the NPHS program. "It's been tough since I came here," Wolczuk said. "The pace is a little slower in practice and not as intense. The hard part is finding a way to keep your motivation up. "There is a good bunch of guys here, and the firstyear wrestlers are quick learners. Overall, I think we're a good team, but we need all 14 guys to contribute in order to make the playoffs." Kistler said that Wolczuk already knew the fundamentals of wrestling when he transferred; it's confidence that he needs to work on. "He's definitely got the ability, but he needs to believe in himself," Kistler said. "He doesn't see his ability like Murphy, assistant coach Andrew Bowler and myself do. When he starts to gain confidence, he's going to be real tough." Other Panthers that are being counted on to make an impact are junior Travis Flora and senior Justin Edwards. Although the program may be headed in the right direction, the reality is that the Panthers are still a few years away from competing in a tough Marmonte League. "I think we're still three to five years away from being dominant," Murphy said. "I've been very impressed with our freshman/sophomore team that finished in fifth place in the South Hills tournament this week. "This year we'll have an offseason program, so instead of having wrestling from just November to March we'll be going all year, which is what you need to do to compete in this league." |
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