1A-9 Preview: Dunedin prepped to make run at back-to-back titles

Notable losses (Graduation/Transfer): Elijah Willis, 41-9, S7, R2, DC; Tyler Kupsch, 37-14, SQ, R4, DC; Thomas Kupsch, 41-7, RQ, DC; Thomas Mendez, 32-13, RQ, DC; Joel Vences, 24-27, RQ, DC; Stanley Whitted, 22-18, RQ, D2; Malachi Hughes, 14-8, RQ, D3; Seth Varty, 23-19, RQ, D3; Jayden Curran, 10-25, RQ, D3.

Notable returning wrestlers: Lance Snell, Sr., 14-15, RQ, D2; Gage Leonard, Sr., 24-21, RQ, D2; Christian Perez Cruz, So., 13-18, RQ, D3; Giancarlo Reyes, Sr., 4-13, RQ, D3.

What they’re saying: "Unfortunately we graduated 15 kids this year, I don't think we have anybody that's more than a second or third year kid. Obviously we lost our state placer and our state qualifier. It's going to be a bit of a rebuilding year, but something I'm definitely going to take forward is realizing just sticking with the basics and just hammering those. I was talking to one of the other coaches in our area today that just if you can keep kids in good shape, keep them healthy, and just keep things single simple, you'll be successful at the high school level. So just trying to keep that in mind and staying patient, letting the kids develop on their own speed."

On guys giving back: "We have a couple of the kids that are going to be staying local so they'll be in and helping. They'll be in there drilling with the kids coming up and it'll kind of be not losing them in the practice room sense but like I said I'm just trying to keep things simple with the kids that we do have coming in and just trying to refine the basics so that way when we get into the season we kind of hit the ground rolling. Definitely we have a bunch of kids this year like that are going to be first year."

On building culture: "This year is something I'm definitely going to be doing differently. And I think it's going to be an interesting change, but I'm going to be actually holding a legit try out and trying to recruit the right personality of a team, the right intangibles, because everybody knows you can be very talented, but if you don't have any grit, if you don't have the work ethic, if you're not willing to do the things that other people aren't, you're going to get average results. I always tell them, if you're going to put in minimal work, you're not going to get extraordinary results. You're going to get a minimum outcome."

Outlook: The Sharks graduated 15 wrestlers from last year’s team so this group is almost starting fresh for Pope’s second season. The group they do have is moldable and Anclote has goals of a second place finish in the district and sending two kids to Kissimmee.