Son of a gun: brothers rule at Waynesburg
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
The Waynesburg high school wrestling team has four sets of brothers on the squad. Shown from left, top row, areJackson Henson, Wyatt Henson, Nate Stephenson and Caleb Stephenson From left, bottom row, Caleb Morris, Colby Morris, Trey Howard and Ryan Howard.
From left: Caleb Morris, Colby Morris, Jackson Henson, Wyatt Henson, Nate Stephenson, Caleb Stephenson, Trey Howard and Ryan Howard.
Observer-Reporter
Waynesburg’s Wyatt Henson has gained eligibility for postseason in wrestling.
Jackson Henson works to takes down Trinity’s D.J. Long in the 152-pound weight class Wednesday. Henson won by technical fall, 20-5.
Joe Throckmorton has always considered himself a coach, motivator, inspirational leader and teacher to the boys in Waynesburg High School’s wrestling room.
Now, maybe he deserves another moniker: father figure.
Throckmorton has a unique family situation with this year’s team. For the first time in his 13-year coaching career, he has four sets of brothers.
That’s right, four.
They include, in no particular order, Caleb and Colby Morris; Nate and Caleb Stephenson; Ryan and Trey Howard; and Wyatt and Jackson Henson.
All will be on display when the varsity portion of the Powerade Christmas Wrestling Tournament gets underway Friday. The two-day tournament will be held at Canon-McMillan High School.
First-round action begins at 8 a.m. Friday and quarterfinals cap the day with a 7:30 p.m. start. Semifinals are at 11 a.m. Saturday and finals wrap up this event at 7 p.m.
The most intriguing brother combination is the Hensons. Wyatt and Jackson are the sons of one of the most famous wrestlers in the sport, Sammy Henson, an NCAA champion, gold medalist in the 1998 World Championships and silver medalist in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
The Henson brothers spent the past few years at University High School in Morgantown, where their father serves as head coach of West Virginia University’s wrestling program. The Hensons liked Morgantown, but wanted a smaller school atmosphere. University High School has an enrollment of a little more than 1,200, about twice the size of Waynesburg.
Here’s the best part for Throckmorton and the rest of the Raiders.
Jackson Henson is a two-time West Virginia Class AAA champion.
“I don’t think there is anyone who can go with me,” said Jackson Henson, a 138-pound senior who won at 126 last season and 113 the year before, both times in Huntington. “I think I can do pretty well.”
Interestingly, Jackson began wrestling at age 8 and his father did not want him to wrestle.
“I guess it made him nervous like a father who doesn’t like to see his son lose,” said Jackson. “It was hard for him to watch. When I got better, it was easier for him.”
Jackson Henson was born in Norman, Okla., one of the numerous cities the family lived in while Sammy Henson chased better job opportunities and training facilities. His brother, Wyatt, was born in State College and lived in a number of different states.
“We were looking for a smaller school and we knew about Waynesburg,” said Wyatt, who played running back for the Raiders’ football team. “I came here for the academics.”
Both Hensons said their dad was not only an influence but allowed them to be themselves.
“He used to work out with me,” Wyatt said, “but I wanted to do this on my own.”
Throckmorton said it’s not unusual to have brothers on the team but four sets at the same time are rare.
“Usually, there is a large gap between brothers and sometimes there is a sister in there,” said Throckmorton. “My brother John was on the team when I was a senior but couldn’t make the lineup. The next year, he was third in the state. That’s how good we were. I do treat brothers different. Some get along great. Others battle like brothers. You know what it’s like with brothers. They fight each other but they’ll fight for each other against anyone else.”
While the Hensons might have the more impressive background, the other sets of brothers at Waynesburg have more county-rooted ties.
Nate and Caleb Stephenson are the sons of Bob Stephenson, a talented athlete for the Raiders in the early 1990s. Bob Stephenson earned a scholarship to Penn State and was involved in one of the most violent hits in college football history. In a game against Michigan, cornerback Daydrion Taylor made a helmet-to-helmet hit on Stephenson after a catch. Both were knocked unconscious and neither played again.
Caleb Stephenson amassed a 15-10 record as a sophomore last season and finished fifth in the Section 4 Tournament. Nate is a freshman with potential.
“I’ve known Bob for a number of years and he coached our junior high, so he has a wrestling background,” said Throckmorton. “His boys are good wrestlers. Nate has a great workout partner with Wyatt. They just get better and better.”
Last season, Colby and Caleb Morris wrestled in back-to-back weight classes, 132 and 138, and Caleb, now a senior, was a state qualifier. His 35-6 record pushed his career mark to 105-24. Brother Colby, a junior now, went 22-16 and started the season needing 53 wins to also join the Century Club.
“The Morrises are polar opposites as far as brothers go,” said Throckmorton. “I know the mom and father very well and one (has the personality of the mother) and one has the father’s. They’re both great kids. They battle each other in the room and there can be some trying times because they work out with each other. … It’s making them better.”
Ryan and Trey Howard are the sons of Jim Howard, who is an assistant coach with the Raiders. Jim Howard wrestled on the same Jefferson-Morgan teams that included four-time undefeated state champion Cary Kolat. Howard placed sixth at 189 pounds in the 1991 tournament.
“Ryan is a young freshman, barely turning 14,” Throckmorton. “Trey is very talented. He’s matured a lot and just took seventh in the (Beast of the East).”
Waynesburg finished an impressive 14th out of 120 teams at last week’s Beast of the East Tournament. Jackson Henson (138) and Kyle Homet (170) each finished fourth. Trey Howard (152) was seventh and Caleb Morris (132) was eighth.
“There are three very elite tournaments at this time of the season,” Throckmorton said. “Ironman, Beast and Powerade. They are all very close.”