Exciting day for DN newcomers

Perform well at annual tradition

Del Norte Warrior sophomore Vincent Dutton holds down his opponent during his first match ever on Saturday at Del Norte High School. Dutton finished the day with a 2-2 record at the Battle at the Border Tournament, which began the season for the Warriors. Del Norte Triplicate/Bryant Anderson

“This was the first time I had wrestled in a match before, so I was really nervous,” the Del Norte High sophomore said.

Dutton, who grapples in the 220-pound division, recently decided to take up the sport for the first time.

It turned out he had nothing to be nervous about as he looked like an old pro out on the mat. He won by pin in the second period as teammates, relatives and friends applauded.

“It was spectacular,” a beaming Dutton said after the match. “I was just doing what the coaches taught me.”

After Dutton finished his first match, senior heavyweight Isaac Terry took his young teammate aside and showed him a few moves that might help next time.

“You keep it right there,” Terry said, referring to maintaining a wrestling hold as he showed him step-by-step what to do. “When you sink it you’ve really got to sink it. Other than that you did great. Good job.”

As Dutton made his way back to his teammates, Del Norte assistant coach Clinton Schaad asked, “Did you have fun?” With the big smile flashing on Dutton’s face, the answer was obvious.

An annual tradition at Del Norte High School for 29 years, the tournament opens the season for the Warriors wrestling squad.

This year the event featured 217 wrestlers from 17 teams throughout Oregon and California, with an estimated 1,000 people attending the all-day event at the high school.

“It’s just a really great way to start the season off,” Schaad said. “We’ve been doing this for a long time. It brings a lot of people to the community, which is nice.”

Chuck Schaad has been part of the tournament from the start, even helping come up with the Battle at the Border name. He is the father of head coach Aaron Schaad and assistant Clinton Schaad.

When the earliest tournaments were held, just a few teams took part.

Working the t-shirt booth Saturday in front of the gym, Chuck Schaad smiled as he saw large groups of wrestlers move through the halls.

“When we started it was pretty small and now look at it,” he said. “They must have gotten up pretty early to get here.”

Late Saturday morning the hallways were filled with anxious grapplers who gathered around the lockers looking at the pieces of paper that told them when and whom they were wrestling.

Fraternal twins Marcus and Adrian Henderson, freshmen at Del Norte High, anxiously looked over the list with their father, Mike Henderson.

Like their teammate Dutton, this would be their first time competing in a live match.

Marcus, who participated in cross country in the fall, anxiously awaited his match.

“I’m really nervous but excited,” he said. “I’m just going to go out and try to win.”

While he never attempted wrestling before, he and his brother thought it would be something fun to do.

“I wanted to try a new sport,” he said. “I think it will help make me stronger.”

Both boys wrestle in the lightest weight division at 106 pounds.

Mike Henderson believes that’s why this sport is so perfect for them.

“They’re not the biggest kids, so it’s nice that wrestling is the one sport that they get to wrestle kids their own size,” he said.

Their small stature has not stopped them from competing against much larger opponents in other sports. For instance, Adrian was a member of the high school junior varsity football team this season.

Mike Henderson is proud of his sons for taking part in wrestling and said he loves being at all their events cheering them on.

“I’m there for them, definitely,” he said. “I think they’ll do very well.”

As the matches went on, Joey Kravitz watched things intently. Only a few short years ago Kravitz was out on the mat competing.

The 2009 Del Norte graduate ended his Warriors career on a high note, earning a berth in the CIF state finals in Bakersfield.

Today, he is on the Del Norte coaching staff.

“I do miss wrestling, but I like helping the team out,” he said, adding he enjoys wrestling with team members at practices to show them what it’s like to wrestle tough competition.

“I like teaching and showing them that no matter what, no matter how tired you are, you don’t quit when you’re wrestling,” he said. “You keep on going.”