Wrestlers, coaches and parents from Bolivar-Richburg sported matching t-shirts at Saturday’s Section 5 State Qualifier.

On the front, each read “BR STRONG” in large white print, with “Wolverine wrestling” in red capital letters below. On the opposite side, instead of unique name plates, “Coleman” stretched across each member of the program’s back.

The Wolverines, as they did the Saturday prior, enjoyed a momentous day on the mat. In the midst of one of its most successful postseasons in program history, however, B-R mourned two tragedies that shook its wrestling community.

MOST EVENINGS, if you drive up Salt Rising Road in Bolivar, you’ll find a busy building lined with wrestling mats — the Wolverine Den. Whether it be summer or winter, in-season or out, youth, varsity and collegiate-aged wrestlers spend hard hours drilling at the Bolivar youth program’s popular facility.

Several coaches line the mats, directing athletes of varying skill levels. The group often included Dylan Pesock, a former standout at Oswayo Valley who went on to wrestle two years at Mercyhurst North East.

Pesock, a Shinglehouse native who competed at states for the Green Wave in 2018, turned to coaching to satisfy his passion for wrestling. He had grown up in the Bolivar and Shinglehouse youth programs, and after college, became a regular mentor for B-R’s lightweights.

Eric Coleman, meanwhile, was as consistent a coaching presence as any at the Den. He often worked with B-R’s advanced wrestlers, lacing up his shoes to either teach technique or wrestle live.

On Feb. 1, Pesock passed away from injuries sustained in an automobile accident the night before. He was 21.

A week later, Coleman was involved in an automobile accident in Ohio, and passed away from his injuries Feb. 9. He was 41.

BETWEEN the accidents, B-R claimed its third Section 5 Class B team title in four years. The Wolverines ran through the tournament at Lyndonville, producing five individual champions, 218 team points and both Most Outstanding Wrestler awards.

As they did so, they remembered Pesock. “Tonight, we wrestle for Dylan,” stretched across each Wolverine’s chest in bold, black letters.

Team title in hand, B-R turned its attention to the state qualifier. Nine Wolverines would compete at the tournament at SUNY Brockport, and with Pesock’s memory fresh in their minds, a mix of emotions fueled their practices.

Then, Taylor got a phone call regarding Coleman. Tragedy had struck again.

“The kids were already in an emotional slump from the process of (Pesock’s) passing, and then to get hit with this,” Taylor said. “I had a sit-down talk with them all and told them, there’s a reason why stuff like this happens. I don’t know what the reason is, but let’s do everything we can to show those guys that aren’t with us anymore what we’re capable of.”

Coleman’s son, Ethan, is a sophomore on the B-R wrestling team. At 138 pounds, he was among the favorites for a trip to Albany entering the state qualifier.

Ethan Coleman finished second at Brockport, earning an automatic bid to states. As he defeated his opponent to secure second place, he pointed to the sky.

In a nearby section of bleachers, dozens of fans with his name on their backs were ready to greet him.

“We wanted Ethan to know that we’ve all got his back, we’re all family, and if one of us is going to hurt, we’re all going to hurt,” Taylor said. “I’ve talked to him a little bit, just telling him that we’re all here for him if at any point during the day he needs to call us just to talk. That’s how all the kids are on the team, too.”

Ethan Coleman will be joined by teammate and junior 215-pounder Trent Sibble at the state tournament. In all, B-R placed six wrestlers at the state qualifying meet, and will send its fourth and fifth state representatives since 2018 to Albany.

EACH STATE rep, plus dozens of the program’s sectional champions over the past decade, were touched by Pesock and Eric Coleman.

“(Eric Coleman) was the old-fashioned guy who would take notes,” said Gary McDowell, who runs the Wolverine Den and serves as head coach of Bolivar’s youth program. “He’d carry around index cards before every tournament or match we went to. He’d take notes on those wrestlers, then he and I would have conversations after the tournament. We’d do the pros and cons of every match for every wrestler, then go through what they had to work on.”

Eric Coleman would spearhead much of the teaching at youth practices, using his knowledge of the sport to demonstrate moves and help young wrestlers perfect their positioning. He had been actively involved with the program for nearly seven years, shortly after the inception of the Den.

“Every one of the kids that I have, Eric has been involved with on and off the wrestling mat,” Taylor said. “He was a good leader, and he was one of those guys that, when he spoke, you listened and he was probably right. He was fun and he was hard-nosed. All the kids took very well to that.”

Eric Coleman’s wrestling knowledge was vast, but his attitude was equally contagious.

“He always brought positive energy — it was about lifting kids up,” McDowell said. “His smile, his laugher, his knowledge — he always wanted the best out of the kids. I think that’s why they enjoyed working with him so much.”

Pesock touched the wrestlers in a similar way. Still active in the sport himself, Pesock seamlessly conveyed his college-level craft, and relayed some of his go-to moves into his mentees’ repertoires.

“(Pesock) was always the fun one every time he was around,” Taylor said. “It didn’t matter who you were or where you came from; he was buddies with whoever was around. Every time there was practice, he was there. To say that about a 21-year-old kid that has a bunch of friends, and to see him up there working with these kids and pushing them, that said a lot about the kind of kid he was.”

Pesock competed in an open tournament at Jamestown Community College the day before his accident. There, after taking down an opponent with a slick dump, he immediately requested video footage of the move from his father.

He wanted to show Gary McDowell, Jr.

McDowell, Jr., an 8th-grader wrestling at 102 pounds for the Wolverines, had been working diligently on his dumps with Pesock over the previous three weeks. Now, Pesock had an example to share.

“To me, that was a special moment showing how much love Dylan had for these kids,” McDowell said. “He wanted to take his own matches and show them, look, I’m wrestling in college and this move is working. Trust me, it can work for you, too.”

When sectionals came, Gary McDowell hadn’t yet relayed the footage to his son, and hadn’t told him that Pesock wanted to share his video. In McDowell, Jr.’s first match, however, he proceeded to dump his opponent to his back and stick him. Afterward, he saw Pesock’s version.

Later in the tournament, Teegan Sibble found herself trailing in the third period of her finals match. She had recently been working with Pesock on shot setups and taking opponents down to their backs.

As the third-period clock waned, Teegan Sibble threw her opponent to his back for a four-point move, clinching a 5-3 victory. She became the first female in history to win a Section 5 wrestling title, and also the first to win Most Outstanding Wrestler.

Perhaps her late mentor fueled her offense.

“(Pesock) had a love for the sport that was unlike any other,” Taylor said. “He was at every home match and even traveled to some of the away matches, just to be there for the kids. They all looked up to him.”

Practices at the Wolverine Den will go on — McDowell and a staff of committed coaches including Shane Sibble, Nate Mitchell, Terry Bentley, Tracy Bentley, Randy Cimino and others will see to it. The varsity program will persevere, as well, as Taylor and his staff guide two wrestlers onto the state tournament.

They’ll do so, however, without two significant pieces.

“Eric joined our team and worked with our advanced and older kids in the room, and he called it home and became family,” McDowell said. “He individualized a lot of wrestlers one-on-one before and after practice to really help them with their technique. He was a very knowledgeable wrestler, very positive and always encouraged.”

Pesock was laid to rest Tuesday, four days ahead of the state qualifier. Coleman was laid to rest Monday.

“We have received phone calls from people all over the state of New York and Pennsylvania,” McDowell said. “Not only did they enjoy (Coleman and Pesock) as people, they know the love our team had for them and what they meant to our program and our wrestling room.”

(Jeff Uveino, Bradford Publishing Company assistant group sports editor, can be reached at juveino@bradfordera.com)