BASIC InfoRMATION

COACHING STAFF - 

• Head Men's Coach - Andre Adams, (andre.adams@nhcs.net)

• Head Women's Coach - Lucas Cotto, (cotto.lucas@gmail.com)

• Assistant Coaches

  • Dirk Boersma

  • Earl Horan

  • Will Merritt

  • Jon Mills

  • Caleb Simmons

NEW NCHSAA CLASSIFICATIONS - As of 2025-2026, the NCHSAA has realigned all NC schools across 8 classifications (previously 4). Laney High School is now 8A (previously 4A). There are 32 schools in our classification (Apex, Apex Friendship, Ardrey Kell, Athens Drive, Broughton, Chambers, Corinth Holders, E. Mecklenburg, Enloe, Garinger, Green Hope, Green Level, Hoggard, Hoke Co, Hough, Jordan, Laney, Leesville Road, Mallard Creek, Millbrook, Myers Park, NW Guilford, Palisades, Panther Creek, Pinecrest, Providence, Rolesville, S. Mecklenburg, Wakefield, W. Charlotte, W. Forsyth, & Willow Spring.)

NEW NCHSAA CONFERENCE - As of 2025-2026, our Conference is now called the Carolina Coast Conference and consists of Ashley, Hoggard, Laney, New Hanover, North Brunswick, South Brunswick, Topsail, and West Brunswick.

WOMEN'S WRESTLING – As of 2023-2024, Women’s Wrestling is sanctioned thru the NCHSAA and now recognized as an official sport. Our women’s team is growing by leaps and bounds and we look forward to seeing their progress! As of 2025-2026 Coach Lucas Cotto has been named the Women's Head Coach! We currently operate as one team on many aspects. Women practice with the men. If we make any moves to separate, I will communicate that.

WEIGHT CLASSES – Men and Women have different weight classes. 

·        Men – 106, 113, 120, 126, 132, 138, 144, 150, 157, 165, 175, 190, 215, 285lbs.

·        Women – 100, 107, 114, 120, 126, 132, 138, 145, 152, 165, 185, 235lbs

EMAILS AND COMMUNICATION - Emails sent by Team Mom, Lynette Thomas, are the main form of communication. 

• She sends A LOT OF EMAILS! ...I'm not kidding...

• She sends emails to parents/guardians AND wrestlers (with coaches in copy). 

• If there are other people that you would like to be added, please let her know. 

• Coach Andre' Adams will also communicate with the athletes via Google chat.  

• Be sure to check the "WEEKLY TEAM EMAILS" tab for the latest

ROSTER UPDATES - ** IF AT ANY TIME, YOU OR YOUR STUDENT DECIDES THAT WRESTLING IS NOT FOR THEM, PLEASE EMAIL OR TEXT TEAM MOM, LYNETTE THOMAS, ( thomasbrood4@gmail.com or 910-620-0347 ) AND SHE WILL REMOVE YOU FROM OUR EMAIL COMMUNICATIONS ** 

GOOGLE CHAT - In addition to emails sent to the wrestlers and families, Coach Adams will communicate directly with the wrestlers via Google chat. 

• New wrestlers must download the Google Chat app. 

• If wrestlers are not already in the wrestling Google Chat, they must email Coach Adams directly and he will get you added

FACEBOOK GROUP - We do have a Facebook group for those of you that are active on social media. A private group has been created for us this season ("Laney Wrestling"). If you wish to be invited to the group, please let Lynette Thomas know and she will send you the invitation to the group. 

DRAGONFLY MAX - New Hanover Co Schools utilizes DragonFlyMax for all athletes. If you haven’t already done so, please work with your wrestler to complete ALL paperwork thru the DragonFly system (DragonFly link is below). DON’T WAIT UNTIL THE REGULAR SEASON HAS STARTED!!!!

• YOUR WRESTLER CANNOT PARTICIPATE UNTIL ALL PAPERWORK IS TURNED IN AND APPROVED.

• Unapproved wrestlers cannot even be in the practice room to watch.

• Your progress will show 80% complete until all forms have been reviewed and approved. Once you have completed/uploaded all requirements, please text or email Lynette Thomas!! If you do not reach out to Mrs Thomas, your paperwork will SIT and will NOT be reviewed/approved. 

• THE ATHLETIC TRAINER CANNOT SEE WHEN SUBMISSIONS NEED APPROVAL AND IS RELYING ON COACH ADAMS TO ALERT HER.

• If your athlete is participating in a fall sport this season (ie football), the paperwork carries over and you should be good to go.  

• If a wrestler does not complete their DragonFly or it is not approved, they will be removed from the roster. 

DragonFly MAX Link:

https://www.dragonflymax.com/#

Some additional Dragonfly notes:

• ALL wrestlers (regardless of age, grade, skill level etc) should choose either “Boy’s Wrestling Varsity” or “Girl’s Wrestling Varsity”. If you have already submitted and chosen something different, it's fine…Coach/Trainer will correct.

• For the Pre-participation Physical Evaluation Forms, there are a total of 4 pages required (HISTORY FORM (2 pgs), PHYSICAL EXAMINATION FORM (1 pg) and the MEDICAL ELIGIBILITY FORM (1 pg). *Note, DragonFly allows you to complete the 2-page HISTORY FORM electronically but just a heads up, your physician will still need to see the first 2 pages during your athlete’s in-person physical.

• Make sure you upload the PHYSICAL EXAMINATION FORM and MEDICAL ELIGIBILITY FORM separately as instructed or your submission will be rejected.

TEAM CONTRACT FORM - All wrestlers are REQUIRED to read and sign a Team Contract form. 

• ALL WRESTLERS AND A PARENT MUST SIGN AND RETURN THIS FORM TO EITHER COACH ADAMS OR COACH COTTO. 

• Wrestlers cannot begin attending regular season practices until their form is signed and turned in. NO EXCEPTIONS!!

TEACHER RECOMMENDATION FORM - All wrestlers are REQUIRED to turn in their Teacher Recommendation form. 

HYDRATION TESTING - All wrestlers are required to take a hydration test (urine test) at the start of the season (Oct 29th). For those new to wrestling, the hydration test measures the athletes body fluid balance and sets their weight benchmark. If your wrestler loses weight during the season, the hydration test will help monitor that they are losing at a healthy rate. If a wrestler does not take the hydration test or does not pass, they cannot compete and will be removed from the roster. WRESTLERS SHOULD ALWAYS BE HYDRATING!!!!! 

PRE-SEASON PRACTICES - Wrestling regular season officially starts ~Oct 29th but if your wrestler has all paperwork approved through DragonFly MAX, they can attend pre-season practices. This is a great opportunity for newcomers to get acclimated, and attendance is HIGHLY ENCOURAGED!  

• Pre-season practice schedule is emailed weekly and can also be found on the "WEEKLY PRACTICE SCHEDULE" tab.

• If you are participating in a Laney Fall sport (football, volleyball, soccer etc) you will finish out the fall sport season before beginning wrestling.

• Wrestling practice room is next to the football field. Go through the gates and it’s the second building on the left.  

• Wrestlers should arrive for practice in gym clothes and bring wrestling shoes if they have a pair. If your wrestler needs shoes for practice before you get a chance to purchase, there are usually some in the room to BORROW but they must be returned after each practice and they are 1st come, 1st served.

• **Veteran wrestlers - If anyone would like to donate shoes to the room, please do!!

• Hydration starts NOW…encourage your wrestler to hydrate often.

• Again, YOUR WRESTLER CANNOT PRACTICE UNTIL ALL PAPERWORK IS TURNED IN AND APPROVED. NO EXCEPTIONS!!  

• ALL ATHLETES MUST BE PICKED UP WITHIN 15 MINUTES OF PRACTICE END TIME. Parents PLEASE be prompt in picking up your athlete!!!  Coaches CANNOT wait around after practice, nor should they have to.

• If anyone needs help with transportation, they can email Coach Adams (andre.adams@nhcs.net) and he will try to coordinate carpools.

REGULAR SEASON PRACTICES - Wrestling is a winter sport and our regular season officially begins this week (Oct 29th)!! Unlike pre-season practices, wrestlers are expected to attend ALL regular season practices. Practice schedule is emailed weekly and can also be found on the "WEEKLY PRACTICE SCHEDULE" tab.

• WRESTLERS CANNOT PRACTICE UNTIL ALL DRAGONFLY PAPERWORK IS APPROVED. NO EXCEPTIONS!!  

• WRESTLERS CANNOT PRACTICE UNTIL THEY HAVE TAKEN AND PASSED THEIR HYDRATION TEST. NO EXCEPTIONS!! 

• WRESTLERS CANNOT PRACTICE UNTIL THEY HAVE TURNED IN THEIR SIGNED TEAM CONTRACT FORM. NO EXCEPTIONS!! 

• If a wrestler misses multiple practices without communication to Coach Adams or Coach Cotto, they may be removed from the roster. 

• Typically practices are every day of the week (including Saturdays). If we are not at a scheduled event, we are practicing. 

• If you are participating in a Laney Fall sport (football, volleyball, soccer etc) you will finish out the fall sport season before beginning wrestling.

• ALL ATHLETES MUST BE PICKED UP WITHIN 15 MINUTES OF PRACTICE END TIME. Parents PLEASE be prompt in picking up your athlete!!! Coaches CANNOT wait around after practice, nor should they have to.

• If anyone needs help with transportation, they can email Coach Adams (andre.adams@nhcs.net) and he will try to coordinate carpools.

WRESTLING GEAR - Click on the "GEAR INFO, TIPS & TRICKS" section below to learn more!!

HYGIENE - Let's keep our wrestlers healthy!

• Skin - It is VERY easy for wrestlers to get skin-related infections such as ringworm, impetigo, staph infection etc. and we have already seen it several times this pre-season. IT IS VITALLY IMPORTANT THAT WRESTLERS WASH THEIR HANDS OR USE WIPES AFTER WRESTLING. Wrestlers should SHOWER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AFTER PRACTICE AND/OR COMPETITIONS. Practice mats are cleaned/disinfected daily and there are wipes in the practice room, but WIPES DO NOT REPLACE BATHING!! For your wrestler’s personal use, there are brands of body wash, antibacterial soaps and wipes available…just google!

Several families have donated already Defense Wipes for the teams this season (which we truly appreciate) but these wipes won't go bad and we ALWAYS need them so we are still accepting donations (especially the canisters). The 6-pack of 40-count canisters is $50 or the 2pack of 40-count canisters is only $20 and these are great for when we travel during the season! All the wrestlers can use them and Coach will accept whatever he can get and donations can be dropped off in the practice room. Link to purchase is below if anyone is able to donate:

Defense Wipe Link:

https://www.defensesoap.com/product/defense-body-wipes/

• Nails - Wrestlers should also keep their fingernails clipped! Long nails will scratch the skin and increase the risk of infection. Ladies, save your $$ for salon nails until after the season is over. 

ACADEMICS AND UNEXCUSED ABSENCES - ALL wrestlers must keep their grades up! If students are not academically eligible, they CANNOT WRESTLE. Additionally, if a wrestler accumulates more than ten (10) unexcused absences, they become ineligible and CANNOT WRESTLE. GO TO CLASS, get your work done, don't fall behind, and keep those grades up, ladies and gentlemen! 

SEASON COMPETITION SCHEDULE - Our season competition schedule is emailed regularly and can also be found on the "SEASON COMPETITION SCHEDULE" tab with ANY changes (all noted in RED FONT). Folks, unlike most other sports, the wrestling schedule is always changing. If we don't have funds, we will drop events. If Coaches identify an event that they feel we can work in, we will add it. Yes, its busy through the holidays…welcome to wrestling!! Lynette Thomas will update and share with the team as soon as she has the information. Just know that it WILL change....

SNACK/WATER TEAM DONATIONS - See the "SNACKS & MEALS" tab for details. A Sign-Up Genius has been created for everyone to grab a slot and help by donating HEALTHY assorted snacks and/or cases of water. If our schedule changes, the Sign-Up Genius will be updated as needed. Post-season events will be added later. PLEASE, PLEASE share the load! We have a roster of 66 kids and we don't want the same 5 families donating over and over all season long. Sign-up Genius link is below:

2025-2026 Snack/Water Sign-Up Genius Link:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E084DA4A62AA6FB6-54178179-20252026

FUNDRAISING - I know no one likes to use the "F" word but....fundraising is a HUGE component to the Laney Wrestling Program. ALL wrestlers are encouraged and expected to participate in any team fundraising initiatives. YOU CAN DONATE MONEY, YOUR TIME, OR BOTH!!!  This year we will have MULTIPLE opportunities to raise needed funds. Click on the "FUNDRAISING" tab to learn more!!

Individual Tournaments - these are tournaments where teams attend with individual representatives for each weight class (Like Homer Spring Bulldog last weekend and King of Wake this upcoming weekend). Individual tournaments can either have strict weight classes or you may see the term “Madison Weights”. 

• Strict Weights - If the tournament has strict weight classes, it will most likely be double-elimination. Brackets are formed with each competitor for each weight class. Winners move through the championship side of the bracket, while if you have a loss you will move to the consolation side of the bracket (Usually referred to as “consi’s”). Wrestling is an individual sport with a team score atmosphere. Therefore, the individual wrestler collects wins and losses on their personal record, and moves through their individual bracket, but they also earn team points which accumulate with each win. So even wrestlers in the consi’s can earn team points and help boost the team score.

• Madison weights - are where the wrestlers will weigh in and be grouped based on the closest weights of other wrestlers and then usually proceed in a Round Robin. This format is in an effort to garner a quality number of matches for the wrestlers in weight classes that may not otherwise have enough wrestlers. A Round Robin is where the individual wrestles all other wrestlers in the bracket in a series of rounds.

Team Duals - Team duals are a head-to-head competition between 2 teams where each team fields a wrestler at each weight class to compete individually against the opposing team’s wrestler at the same weight class. Each team puts together a lineup of the best wrestlers for each weight class and the winner of each bout (or match) will earn team points. The overall team score is determined by the outcome and total score of all the individual matches. (Team point values are below.) In basic terms, a dual is a wrestling match between 2 teams only, as opposed to an individual tournament where wrestlers can face multiple opponents from different teams per weight class. As an FYI, sometimes we may have multiple duals in one day as opposed to conference matchups. 

*JV – During Conference duals, Coaches from both teams make every effort to arrange JV matches when possible, Sometimes JV matches are held BEFORE Varsity and sometimes AFTER. A conference JV match is not guaranteed for every wrestler. It depends heavily on who the opposing team brings to compete. Again, every effort is made to give the wrestlers live matches whenever possible.

Tri-Meet - A Tri-Meet is essentially a dual with 3 teams. Each team wrestles one another in a dual format and all teams face one another one (1) time. 

Quad Meet – A Quad-Meet would be a dual with 4 teams. Each team wrestles one another in a dual format and all teams face one another one (1) time.

Dual Tournaments or Dual Team Tournaments - these are tournaments where there are brackets set up of teams, not individuals. Teams compete in duals and advance through the bracket when they win. Team tournaments can be either double elimination (meaning you lose 2x) or single elimination. 

TEAM POINTS:

• 3 points = Minor Decision (win by 7 or less) If the time completely expires and you win by less than 8 points. Usually shortened to “decision” or “minor”

• 4 points = Major Decision (win by 8-14) If the match ends and you score more than 8 points over your opponent. Usually shortened to “major”

• 5 points = Technical Fall (win by 15+) At any point in the match, if the wrestler scores more than 15 points over their opponent and the match ends immediately. Also called a “tech”.

• 6 points = Pin Holding your opponent’s back to the mat for 2 seconds. Also called a “Fall” or “getting stuck”

• 6 points = Forfeit 

We have some great wrestling clubs in the area. PREPARING FOR YOUR SEASON STARTS NOW!! Pick a club...ANY CLUB...ALL are great. Find the one that best suits your needs.

Brunson's MMA & Fitness
(910) 782-8212
brunsonsmmaandfitness@gmail.com
(Inside Independence Mall), 3500 Oleander Dr, Wilmington
https://brunsonsmmaandfitness.com/

Peak Wrestling
Contact: Trent Allen
(910) 368-7095
tallen@umo.edu
Blue Phoenix Academy, 4956-3 Old Long Beach Rd, Southport, NC 28461

Port City Pirates Wrestling (separate from Brunson's)
Contact: Dan Willis
(910) 232-2297
matmandan@aol.com
Brunson's MMA & Fitness (inside Independence Mall, 3500 Oleander Dr, Wilmington)
 
Sly Fox Wrestling Club
Contact: Willie Hilton
(803) 409-8079
williehilton@gmail.com
4710 N. College Rd, Castle Hayne, NC

As many of you may already know, one of our staunchest and most steadfast supporters of Laney Wrestling is Mr. Mike Valentino. Mr. Valentino has routinely helped fund and support our sport for YEARS. Mr. Valentino is owner of TruFit (Porter's Neck location) so if anyone is looking for a gym, check out TruFit!! If the gym suits your needs, it would be a great way to return some support to this very amazing gentleman. 

TruFit Gym (Porter's Neck)
(910) 821-0500
trufitgym.com or zachary.h@trufitgym.com
7979 Market Street, Wilmington, NC

YOUR LANEY COACHES DON'T CARE WHERE YOU GO ...THEY JUST WANT YOU TO STAY ON THE MATS AND IN THE GYMS!