NHSCA Preseason Tournament

The National High School Coaches Association will hold their 12th annual Pre-Season Wrestling Championships, Nov. 14 at Pleasant Valley High School in Monroe County, Pennsylvania.

The event attracts wrestlers from 18 different states with the results heavily influencing national wrestling polls for their pre-season national rankings. It is also an opportunity for the high school wrestlers to showcase their talent for college recruiting.

Blair Academy in Blairstown, NJ dominated the event last year crowning eight champions. Blair Academy Head Coach, Jeffrey Buxton says, “Last year was the first time we attended the NHSCA Preseason Nationals as we brought our entire team. It was a valuable experience for all of our wrestlers as the competition was extremely good helping our kids prepare for the upcoming season. The NHSCA continue to support High School wrestling giving wrestlers the opportunity to improve and wrestle against the very best.”

Top wrestlers from across the nation use the NHSCA National Pre-Season Wrestling Championships as a final preparation for the beginning of the wrestling season. The top six finishers in each weight class automatically qualify for the NHSCA’s 14th Annual U.S. Open and the National Beach Wrestling Championships.


Athletes must be enrolled in high school for eligibility. All wrestlers must register online by November 11th at the NHSCA website, www.nhsca.com. Wrestlers may change weight classes without penalty until Nov. 12.

Burgettstown hires 2 head coaches

Burgettstown High School's wrestling program will have two head coaches next season. With the wrestling season just five weeks away and the district struggling to find a replacement for Chris Day, the school board decided to hire Terry Havelka and Jon Vallina, the school's athletic director, as co-coaches for this season.
Havelka took last season off to watch his son, Jeff, wrestle for the University of Findlay. Day took the position on an interim basis because Havelka wanted to return for the 2009-10 season. When Jeff Havelka received an extra year of eligibility because of a shoulder injury that wiped out most of the 2007 season, Terry Havelka wanted to postpone his return.
So the board attempted to fill the position and thought it had a candidate ready at the September meeting. But that hire fell through, leaving the school district with little time to find another coach.
Terry Havelka has been in the program for 30 years and Vallina has coached for a dozen seasons. They know their stuff. Each had problems with taking the position on a full-time basis so making them co-coaches was a good idea. Vallina said he wants to bring in three or four assistants to give the program more flexibility.
Gary Havelka and Kent Vallina will coach the junior high program.