Plymouth newcomers featured

  (EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the first of several articles introducing  wrestlers new to our area whose coaches believe will have a significant impact on their team either this year or next. Most will be freshmen, but efforts will be made to introduce transfer students and/or first-year varsity wrestlers.)

 
BY CHARLES ROTHWELL
Dec. 12, 2009, 12:30 a.m.

  Trey Berry was a seventh grader at Plymouth's Central Middle School when he got involved in wrestling. Although he had uncles that wrestled in Roscommon, it was Central's gym teacher, Mark Lapointe that got Trey started.

  Berry immediately liked the one-on-one physicality of the sport and signed up with the Canton Wrestling Club to improve his skills. Trey's Short-term goal is to steadily improve to where he can make the varsity line-up. By the end of high school, he hopes to become a state qualifier. Trey plans on becoming a computer engineer and wouldn't mind wrestling in college if the opportunity arises.

  Alec Breckenridge was introduced to wrestling in the third grade by an acquaintance, Rusty Fowler, who happened to be an assist to Plymouth's first coach, Sam Amine. After a couple years with the Plymouth Wrestling Club, Alec switched tot he Canton club to have more highly skilled work-out partners.

  Breckenridge improved rapidly and participated in a couple MYWA National teams. Alec has set some lofty goals for himself; to not be pinned this year and place to 5 in the individual state tournament, and to be a multiple state champion by time his high school career is over. He would love to wrestle for the University of Iowa.

  Discovery Middle School wrestling coach, Mike Pantaleo, introduced Chase Kallil to the sport in seventh grade. Chase soon joined the Canton Wrestling Club. Chase has won a spot in Plymouth's starting line-up at 130 pounds. He hopes to be a regional qualifier this year, and an all-state wrestler by his senior year.

  Perhaps the most impressive thing about these three freshmen is that their wrestling goals go beyond personal ones. All three want to serve as a nucleus for bringing Plymouth wrestling to prominence. By the time they graduate, they want their Wildcat team to compete in the team state championships in Battle Creek.