Most sports enthusiasts don’t think about wrestling very much during the summer months. However, a dedicated group of local grapplers is working hard, both on the mat and in the weight room, in hopes of producing results this winter.

Under the direction of Dale & Maggie Smith, the Northeast Vipers are growing in size and popularity. The group is based in Honesdale and currently boasts more than 30 scholastic wrestlers of varying ages and abilities.

“Our focus with this program is to give the kids more experience and mat time,” assistant coach Chris Carroll told TWI Sports. “To a large degree, success at this level depends on how many times you get out on the mat. If we want to take the next step as a program, this is where it all starts.”

The Northeast Vipers have been around for three years now. Wrestlers who are a part of this club receive expert instruction from both coaches and active collegians.

Ryan Chulada, Honesdale’s head varsity wrestling coach, is at the forefront of the teaching experience. He is joined in the room by veteran coaches Joe Arnone, Jim Arnone, Josh Arnone and Chris Carroll.

Josh Arnone’s presence in the room is particularly important.

The only state champion in Honesdale’s storied wrestling history, Josh is now a scholarship athlete at Division One Cornell University. Despite an injury-plagued 2007-0’08 campaign, Arnone posted a 6-1 record and earned Second Team All-Ivy League honors.

The Vipers are becoming proficient in three styles of competition: freestyle, folkstyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. The coaching staff is unanimous in its belief that experience in all three of these disciplines is crucial to on-mat success during the regular season.

On the Mat
The Northeast Vipers began meeting informally all the way back in April. Since then, club members have practiced twice a week at Honesdale and competed in tournaments all over the state.

This summer’s off-season schedule culminated in mid-June with trips to both a state and national event. The former took place at Blue Mountain High School and the latter at SUNY Brockport.

“These are the places every top high school wrestler in the state goes,” said Coach Carroll. “The boys who compete at these tournaments are being exposed to new and different styles of wrestling. This is our third year now and we’re just starting to comprehend how we can be competitive at these higher levels.”

The local lads opened their off-season exhibition schedule with several regional events. The Vipers competed at tournaments at Tunkhannock, Saucon Valley, Stroudsburg and Benton before moving on to states and nationals.

Jake Arnone and Peter Mesko led the charge at SUNY Brockport. Arnone, who won 28 bouts last season before succumbing to several nagging injuries, placed third in the freestyle bracket.

Mesko was one of the year’s truly pleasant surprises, Peter came out of nowhere to earn a silver medal at districts and advance to the Northeast Regional tournament.

Mesko brought home a gold medal from Brockport, winning his weight class in the freestyle division. He also took first at a regional event in Saucon Valley.

Conar Carroll enjoyed a stellar off-season slate, placing at four separate events. The young Viper finished third in his bracket at Benton and fourth at Stroudsburg. Conar parlayed that success into a pair of medals at states and nationals.

Aaron & Evan Kennedy also enjoyed consistent success at every level of summer competition. Both wrestlers visited the podium after top four finishes at Tunkhannock, Saucon Valley, Stroudsburg and Blue Mountain.

Matt Evans and Chase Gallik are two more grapplers on the very brink of a break-out scholastic season. Matt and Chase were each placewinners at Tunkhannock. Saucon Valley and Stroudsburg.

Pete Emmett and Blake Rickard chipped in with one medal apiece at Tunkhannock.

“Win, lose or draw, experience is everything,” said Coach Carroll. “Some of these kids will gain an entire year’s worth of experience just by participating in this club. We think it gives them a distinct advantage heading into the regular season.”

In addition to these competitions, many Vipers took part in the Delaware Valley Spring Duals. Ryan Smith and Zach Smith also traveled all the way to Iowa to appear in the Folkstyle National Tournament. The two young Honesdale grapplers battled it out with hundreds of wrestlers from all over the country.

Ryan made it to the dais at Benton and Tunkhannock, while Zach brought home medals from Tunkhannock, Saucon Valley and Benton.

Chris Carroll is a graduate of Honesdale High School where he learned the sport of wrestling under Hall of Famer Rich “Chooch” Chulada. He has coached at the junior high, jayvee and varsity levels.

Four years ago, Chris was named Class AA Coach of the Year after guiding Western Wayne to an astonishing second place finish at the District Two tournament.