The key to

a successful season for the McIntosh Chiefs wrestling

team will be patience.

Despite a

preseason ranking of 10th in the state, the Chiefs have

only one senior starting, Jerry Fochtmann (130), and are

a very inexperienced team. It is projected that four

freshmen will be starting every match.

"We

will most likely take a beating early on because of a

brutal schedule," said Coach Marty Hutsell. "By

January, the team should be wrestling good. They won't be

making so many first year mistakes."

The team is

not without its bright spots. Sophomore Carlos Dinkins

(125) and juniors Daniel Graham (119) and Eddie Smith

(135) return this season. Each is a team leader and a top

state wrestler. Dinkins finished fifth in the state last

year in the 103 weight division. The Chiefs also get

leadership and experience from juniors Michael Lee (160)

and Bob Suter (215).

The rest of

the team mainly consists of freshmen or first year

wrestlers. Freshmen Andy Rendal and Ricky Smith will

wrestle at 103 and 112 respectively. Smith is a talented

wrestler, who should come into his own this season.

Junior Brad Luce will wrestle at 140, senior Adam She, a

first year wrestler, is battling freshman Josh Allison to

wrestle at 145. Freshman Garreth Joseph will wrestle at

152, junior Brandon Thompson will wrestle at 171 and

sophomore Phillip Metzger, a first year wrestler, will

wrestle at 189. Erik Walton, a junior wrestling for the

first time, will wrestle at 275.

The Chiefs

competed last Saturday at Pope, taking on teams from

Pope, Etowah and Lithia Springs. McIntosh lost all three

matches, losing to Pope 42-31, Etowah 42-33, and Lithia

Springs 45-27. The Chiefs got wins in all of the matches,

Dinkins won all three on Saturday, but there are just

some weights that will not win consistently for a while.

McIntosh

will head to Cartersville Friday to face Woodland,

Ringgold and Calhoun. Saturday, they will compete in the

Northwest Invitational in Dalton. It will not be an easy

season for the Chiefs, but sometimes those seasons can be

the most fun.