James shoots for perfection

Thanks to cross country, Wando wrestler on the brink of going undefeated

In a roundabout way, wrestling has already provided one state championship to Will James. In the coming weeks, he's hoping to make it two.

James, a junior wrestler for the Wando Warriors, decided he needed an activity that could provide him with some off-season conditioning. He joined the Warriors' cross country team for the first time this year and found a second sport in which he could excel. He placed 50th overall at the Class AAAA state meet and helped Wando win the team championship as the team's fifth best runner.

"I didn't expect to do as well as I did. I was just trying to stay in shape for wrestling," he said. "(The state title) was pretty cool, but it didn't actually hit me until a week later."

James is on the brink of a perfect season. He's 32-0 and the top-ranked AAAA wrestler at 103 pounds, the sport's lightest weight class. On the whole, his age is an asset as most competitors at that weight are freshmen or sophomores, but he doesn't take that advantage for granted.

"Many of (my opponents) have more experience than me," he said. "Most good wrestlers started much younger than I did. I only started as a freshman."

James loved football and tried out for Wando's team, but his size — or lack of — prompted a coach to steer him toward the wrestling room. He was further sold on the idea when his father told him about his cousin Stryker Huffman, a former state champion at Fort Dorchester. James had never seen a wrestling match until his first day of practice.

"I liked it right off," he said. "I've always liked contact sports and being able to do it with people my size is nice."

James qualified for the state tournament last year but didn't place, and the experience drove him to work harder to prepare for this season.

"When I got out of state, I knew I wasn't where I needed to be. If I could just keep my weight down I knew I would be good this year," he said.

Wando coach Adam Schneider said James has a strong work ethic.

"He's always ready to go because he prepares for each match," he said. "I think a big improvement from last year is just the summer camps he went to and seeing kids from other states. He works so hard and pays attention to his diet. He's smart about it and committed to it."

James was 5-2 last year and grew four inches during the offseason. Most of the wrestlers in his weight class have grown into heavier divisions, but he credits the running during cross country season and a good diet with being able to stay at 103.

He expects however that he will grow out of that division by next year and wrestle at 112 or 119.

Reach Bill Henley at 937-5595 or bhenley@postandcourier.com.