ROCKINGHAM — It’s a dream that may have taken “probably more than 18 years” to come true, but Earl Nicholson can finally say that Richmond County has its own official middle school wrestling team.

The process wasn’t an easy one, but Nicholson — longtime head wrestling coach at Richmond Senior High School — believes this is a huge step towards developing the area’s talent, bringing in more scholarship opportunities, and competing with the surrounding counties (Anson, Hoke, Moore, and Scotland) who already have youth teams.

“I think the pressure from some of the other middle schools getting teams showed us that we need to get on board with it,” he said. “There’s seven Division I wrestling schools in the state, and about three of four other Division II schools, and we’re not getting any of those scholarships in Richmond County. I’ve probably had about four scholarships in my 20-something years of coaching wrestling, and that’s not good with the athletes we have here.”

It was “a group effort” that helped the idea come to life, as Nicholson was able to collaborate with all of the middle school athletic directors — especially Ellerbe’s Allen Adeimy — throughout the process. He also met with Dennis Quick, the Executive Director of Auxiliary Services of Richmond County Schools, to talk about the benefits of the team.

Once all of the details were hashed out, and everything was deemed feasible, Nicholson and his counterparts were given the OK to start out with one team. If the sport begins to grow at this level, then they will be able to expand to two teams.

But for right now, wrestlers from Cordova, Ellerbe, Hamlet, and Rockingham Middle Schools will all band together to form the Richmond County Middle School wrestling team — which will hold its practices at the Ninth-Grade Academy.

“I just can’t wait to see the results,” Nicholson said. “We’ve got two pretty experienced guys (to coach the team).”

Andre Ellerbe and Richard Kerekes have been tabbed as the duo who will lead the middle school team.

Ellerbe is an Exceptional Children’s teacher at East Rockingham Elementary who was a four-year wrestler while attending St. Andrew’s University. Kerekes is a Physical Education teacher at Cordova who was No. 3 in the state during his junior and senior years at Maiden HS and wrestled during his freshman year at UNC Pembroke.

An organizational meeting was held on Monday, Oct. 29, but the two coaches won’t be able to get their hands dirty until the team’s wrestling mat — which Nicholson says should be in soon — arrives.

The middle school team’s first match is scheduled for a date later this month.

“My son is graduating in a couple of years and I was thinking maybe in the next four to five years, I would like to retire. But now I’m thinking different. I might want to hang around,” Nicholson said. “Pinecrest (High School) has had the advantage on us for years because their kids come in with six years of experience, while our kids are just learning in the ninth grade.

“I mean, we do good. We catch up with them somewhat,” he continued, “but I’m just imagining what we could do with guys coming in with two to three years of experience already.”

Now that the dream has come true, Nicholson said he doesn’t need his AAU wrestling program (Richmond Amateur Wrestling Club) anymore — seeing that the focus was on, and most of the kids were from, the middle school ranks.

From here on out, he can train his high school athletes while also keeping track of the middle school team’s progress.

“Our high school move is called the cradle, so I can’t wait to see a bunch of middle school kids already knowing the cradle before they get to me,” Nicholson added. “I think it’s going to be great for us.”

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By Leon Hargrove Jr.

Sports Editor

Reach sports editor Leon Hargrove Jr. by phone at 910-817-2673 or by email at [email protected]. For stories, scores and updates, follow the Daily Journal’s sports section on Twitter @RCDailySports.