Freedom’s new head coach is in attack mode

Anthony Marino walked into Stroudsburg’s season-opening practice seven years ago one semester shy of his college degree, and still in the competitive mindset.

“In my head,” he said, “I was thinking that I’m one of the guys. I was going to hang out, play video games with the kids at away tournaments.”

Stroudsburg head coach Sean Richmond pulled his new assistant coach aside and let him know that at some point in the near future, he would want to lay the hammer down on a wrestler and that wrestler wasn’t going to take him seriously.

“Sure enough,” Marino said, “two or three years later, I was pointing out little things and they laughed me off. They were used to me being a jokester.

“I said to Sean, ‘OK, how do we fix this?’ ”

Richmond made sure the wrestlers understood everyone’s roles. Marino understood, too.

Two things that were always clear to Marino: He wanted to coach, and his style as a wrestler was the style he would teach: attack mode.

“Score as many points as possible,” he said. “I tell these guys: ‘Nobody wants to watch two guys dance around, watch two guys tie up like ballroom dancing. They want to see you scoring points.’ ”

These guys are now Freedom Patriots. Marino spent five years as Richmond’s assistant at Stroudsburg, then last year with Dante Terenzio before taking over this season.

The Liberty graduate always wanted to coach after his competitive days ended. Once he started coaching, he knew he wanted to coach at the high school level.

There were no surprises when practice started. There was only one acceptable pace from the firstyear wrestler to those who expect to end this season with a state medal in Hershey.

“Anthony was very, very capable of running a clinic, a practice, teaching technique, preaching a concept of wrestling,” Richmond said. “It was about looking to score points. It meshed very well with how I believe things need to be done. He was able to convey that to the kids.”

The challenge is getting wrestlers of all skill sets to buy into that demanding approach, of getting them to push themselves beyond their limits.

Every program has that. Freedom is no different.

Senior C.J. Horvath is among those with golden aspirations. He got a taste of Marino’s approach last season when he sparred with the Patriots’ assistant.

The three-time District 11 medalist welcomed the work.

“Trust was a really big thing,” Horvath said. “All the summer workouts and being with us last year, we knew he was there. He lights up the whole room. He pushed me every single day until I felt I was going to break.

“He wouldn’t let me go. He knows every position. I’ve never seen anyone so smart about wrestling. It feels like every position we’re in, he has an answer. It’s great for my teammates to experience what I did last year.”

Sophomore Noah MacIlroy burst onto the scene last season with his aggressive approach. His fearlessness feeds into Marino’s style. His willingness to push himself every second gives Marino another natural leader.

“The kids know [MacIlroy] know he’s a goer,” Marino said. “They feed off him. They try to match it. And C.J. is one of most hardest working kids I’ve ever met. I use him as an example. Kids look to him. He’s really good about encouraging them.

“He’s come into his own as a leader.”

So, too, has Marino.

1. He’s no David Taylor, but

Marino started wrestling with Red Hawk Wrestling Club, which became known as a defensive-minded group that specialized in wrestling on top.

That’s when Marino as a third grader told his dad he didn’t like that approach, so his dad found Jack Cuvo, Easton’s three-time state champion who preached a fast pace.

Freedom junior Joey Bodnar enjoys watching matches on FloWrestling. He took what he saw from the likes of Olympic and World Champion David Taylor and three-time NCAA champion Yianni Diakomihalis and tried to bring that to his game. … until Marino talked to him.

“He wanted to emulate one of the best in the world,” Marino said, “someone who was put on this Earth to wrestle. I told [Bodnar] that he needed to find common ground.

“I told him that he has the ability to score points by doing things I’m showing him. I said that if someone gets in on your leg, you don’t have to go into a funk roll. You can sprawl and spin and still score points.

“He’s buying into what I’m telling him.”

2. Patriots’ lineup

Marino, who competed at 112 and 119 at Liberty, is looking to develop a couple of wrestlers in the first two weight classes.

Senior Evan Moretz will be at 121 and Horvath at 127. Bodnar, junior Alex Salim and senior Cam Wickemeyer will be among the middle weights.

MacIlroy should be at 172. Senior Miles Turner will be getting a shot in the upper weights along with junior Jared Karabinus, a regional third-place finisher, and senior Nick Farrel (285).

Marino is bringing in a few football players, including freshman 285-pounder Dan Schiffert.