By Dean Criddle--BND
Belleville - - Involved in the sport of wrestling since the early 1970's, Belleville West coach Al Sears was ready to call it quits four years ago.
Tired of the nonstop concerns of weight control of his wrestlers and sometimes poor work ethics and lackadaisical attitudes, Sears was ready to trade in his whistle for a hunting rifle.
But then came the competiitiveness of Dustin Ventimiglia and Dylon Viglasky, followeed two years later by the talent of Mech Spraggins and a junior high feeder program that can now rival any in Southern Illinois.
Suddenly, the competitive fires were back for Sears.
And so were the Maroons.
"I was thinking very seriously about resigning. I'm not going to deny that," Sears said. "Now they;ll have to kick me out. I'm in it for the long haul."
With one of the nation's best in Spraggins returning to go along with a young program on the rise, the Maroons appear to be here to stay as one of the top team in Southern Illinois.
Heading into the 20011-12 season with a squad that could exceed last season's 18-3 dual match team that came within 1 1/2 points from winning the Class 3A Regional championship, the Maroons figure to be tough to beat.
"There is no doubt we've got the program headed in the right direction, " Sears said. "Could this be my best team? Ask me that next year"
"All I know is that we've got a quality kid back at almost every wight class and we are young. Almost everybody we've got this year will be back next year"
Including Spraggins, a two-time Class 3A state tournament runner-up who enters his junior season ranked seventh in the nation in the 126 pound class.
A three sport athlete his first two years at West, Spraggins has given up both football and baseball to concentrate on his specialty - - wrestling.
"Meche looks good. He had a great summer, wrestled and beat a lot of quality kids from all over the country and I'm expecting him to have a big year for us, " Sears said. "Talent wise, he's the best high school wrestler i've ever been around. And I've been in the sport since the 70's".
But Spraggins is just one of a group of outstanding wrestlers that also includes highly touted Nate Higgins (145-152 and Lonnie Cleveland (145-152).
The Maroons are loaded in the lower weight classes where freshman John Bass is battling sophmore Titus Taylor Jr. for the 106 pound spot.
Taylor and another top wrestler-- Nate Smalling 00 will be the men at 113.
Senior Cole Kuhn could get the nod at 120, while Spraggins is simply the best in the state at 126.
Senior Dustin Byrne is the frontrunner at 138. Higgins and Cleveland make the Maroons among the best around in the 145 and 152 weight classes.
"Nate also had a great summer and like Mech, he did well in several national caliber tournaments" Sears said "I look for him and Lonnie to be very good for us in the middle weight classes."
Junior DeAngelo Johnson and sophmore Claude Shelby are in the hunt for the 160 pound job, while juniors John Meng and John Kieser are in the hunt at 171.
Senior Mitch Etling is a quality wrestler at 182, while junior Taron Johnson, junior Tremont Davis and Junior Marquis Cherry are all tope of the line upper class wrestlers.
