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Sports

Assistant Coach Paige Schoolman to take over Minooka Wrestling Program

Schoolman will replace Bernie Ruettiger

The Minooka High School wrestling program has established
itself as one of the best in the state.Advancing to the state championship match the last three years, the Indians won the Class 3A state title in 2010. They were runners-up in 2009 and 2011.

Exit Bernie Ruettiger, who went 425-140 during his career, the last dozen at Minooka. Enter Paige Schoolman.

The Herscher High School graduate has been an assistant at
Minooka the past decade. He also serves as an assistant coach in football.

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Schoolman, a graduate of Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, takes over a program loaded with young talent expected to challenge for another dual-team state championship.

“I look forward the new challenges that being the head coach will entail,” Schoolman said. “The kids have set a new standard of excellence during Bernie’s tenure. Our seniors want to bring home another state championship.”

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Although Schoolman is a new head coach, not much will change with the Indians’ program.

“There are a lot of things that will not change,” Schoolman said of the changes fans can expect. “We continue to look forward to great relationships with our feeder programs as well as the other sports programs at Minooka. We want to give as many kids as possible the opportunity to experience being part of the Indian Wrestling Family.”

Schoolman has many goals as a first-year coach and most of them have nothing to do with the Indians’ record.

“Honestly, we want our kids to learn to love the sport of wrestling,” Schoolman said. “We want them to get the most out of their high school experience and prepare them for bigger things in life. On the mat, we want to put as many kids on the podium as possible and bring back another state trophy to the school. We got some really talented kids that have put the off-season work in. Our goal is to get them to the point where they can realize their dreams the last two weekends
in February.”

As far as team goals, they are well-defined and include challenging for another state championship.

"Three years ago, we were chasing down teams trying to get over the hump of the Elite Eight,” Schoolman said of Minooka’s runner-up finish in 2009. “Those kids got a taste and it was a springboard to a state championship the next year.

Schoolman said the students were the most disappointed.

"From the seniors to the incoming freshmen, the kids expect nothing less than getting to the team state tournament, bringing another state trophy home and hoisting another team banner in the wrestling room," Schoolman said. "That expectation is contagious passes through the whole program and breeds confidence on the mat. The key will be putting in the work in November, December and January so that we are ready to take on the challenges that February brings.”

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