By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

It’s all about growth.

When LaGrange wrestling coach Scooter Weathers looks around the practice room, he sees a bunch of men who are new to varsity wrestling.

While Weathers knows it won’t be all smooth sailing, he does want to see his inexperienced wrestlers develop and continue to improve, and he feels that’s been the case.

At last weekend’s Chattahoochee River Wrestling Association tournament, LaGrange had six placers in the varsity portion of the event.

LaGrange also had seven wrestlers place in the junior-varsity event.

“I gave us early in the year a grade of C,” Weathers said. “After this tournament, there were definitely a lot of improvements. We’re starting to find where we need to go.”

LaGrange’s top finisher in the varsity event was Colin Cavender, who finished second and lost to an elite wrestler in the championship match.

Cavender, who was in a weight class with seven state placers from last season, lost 13-8 in the finals.

“He has made drastic improvement this year,” Weathers said.

Cavender, one of the few Grangers who got significant mat time as a varsity wrestler last season, said “every match, I’m practicing my moves. I’m doing what coach tells me, and just working hard in here.”

Also at the CRWA tournament, Christian Whaley earned a third-place finish, Isaiah Coleman and Matt Callaway were fifth, and Hunter Brooks and Jacob Anderson placed sixth.

LaGrange placed in half of the weight classes in the junior-varsity competition.

Colton Klines and RJ Haley finished first, Austin Crow was third, and Austin Skiff, Jaden McCurty and Julian Santiago placed fourth.

Weathers said one of the highlights of the tournament was seeing Skiff get a breakthrough victory.

“He’d never won a wrestling match before, and he got his first win,” Weathers said. “He was excited. I’m hoping that’s something he can build on.”

Beyond what’s happening on the mat, Weathers is pleased with the way the wrestlers are supporting each other.

“This bunch, they understand family, and brotherhood, and what it means to be a family,” Weathers said. “That’s what this is. We’ve got some folks who aren’t with us anymore. Sometimes it’s got to be that way. Overall what we have, it fits us really, really good. They’ve worked hard. That’s all you can ask.”

Cavender, echoing that theme of brotherhood, said “it’s like hanging out with family at practice. It just makes us that much better.”