Thomas McLoughlin, Martin Luther School’s wrestling team captain, wrestles assistant coach Kenneth McLoughlin. Michael Florio/The Forum Newsgroup
Martin Luther School’s wrestling coach Matt Moran has high hopes heading into his first year on the job.
Moran, who has served as the assistant coach for years at the Maspeth school, has replaced the institution’s principal and athletic director, and longtime wrestling coach James Regan.
The Cougars – Martin Luther’s wrestling team – finished fifth at states last year and will look to improve on that this season. Moran hopes that his team can build off of previous success and finish in the top three this season.
“That would be a great accomplishment for us,” he said.
Martin Luther is at a disadvantage being such a small school; they do not have a full roster and are forced to sit out certain weight classes.
Head coach Matt Moran oversees two of his wrestlers.
Moran and the Cougars will rely heavily on their senior captain, Thomas McLoughlin. He was the team’s Most Valuable Player last season and made it all the way to nationals, where he went 2-2. If he won two more matches he would have placed in the top eight and qualified as an All-American, which his coach believes he will accomplish this season.
“A goal of mine as a coach is to have an All-American on one of my teams,” Moran said. “Luckily I have that opportunity in my first season with Tommy [McLoughlin].”
Moran will also rely on senior Kyle Morrissey and junior Nate Glosson. He also is expecting to get contributions from the team’s underclassmen, who have gained valuable experience.
The Cougars also hope to snap the trend of losing the Private School Athletic Association (PSAA) to Long Island Lutheran High School. Moran says that in recent history the league has always come down to these two schools. The Cougars have seen Long Island Lutheran take home the title every year since 2011. Moran admits that it will be very challenging for his team to beat the talented Long Island Lutheran team.
“Kyle [Morrissey] has a nemesis on Lu High [Long Island Lutheran]. That one’s tough,” he said. “Tommy [McLoughlin] will destroy anyone they throw at him.”
Moran is not the only one that thinks the Cougars wrestling team will improve from last season.
“We have a lot of potential,” said assistant coach Kenneth McLoughlin. “I think we have a good chance to perform really well in the city this year. We are expecting a lot of good things.”
“One hundred percent I think we will do better then last season,” he continued.
One goal for the Cougars is to make sure that no team outworks them. This is evident by the team’s practice regiments. Moran makes his wrestlers push themselves, and the teammates do the same, providing encouragement whenever someone thinks they have to stop.
“People tell you that you can’t teach heart. I don’t believe that,” said Moran. “I honestly believe that if you find a kid and people say he has no heart, if you keep pressing and you keep telling him, he will fight and show heart.”
The team makes this clear by ending practice by screaming ‘hard work.’
By Michael Florio
