The Redbank Valley Wrestling Tournament was canceled during the interview.

“I literally just got an email from Redbank … that the tournament is canceled,” said Youngsville wrestling coach Paul Clough. “Unfortunately, like everything else in this COVID climate, it changes almost daily.

And that was indeed the case when Gov. Tom Wolf announced earlier this week there would be a three-week stoppage of all high school sports.

“Nobody is excited about the COVID restrictions, but we all understand we have to do what we need to in order to try to see that this wrestling season happens,” Clough said. “We had a few kids who were wrestling last year that weren’t able to compete this year due to concerns with the coronavirus. We’ve got one that isn’t allowed to practice right now because of motherly virus concerns, and another one that had to quit because of concerns from the home front.”

That doesn’t mean there isn’t any excitement brewing.

“I’m excited for this season,” said Clough. “This will be the first time in quite a few years Youngsville will be able to put a full team on the mat. Most of the kids who wrestled last year are back. We have a good freshmen class; combining them with a few new faces should allow us to have every weight class filled.”

Last year’s regional-qualifying heavyweight, Jake DeSimone, graduated.

Coach Clough’s son, Collin, also qualified for regions and returns as a senior.

“Collin has some high hopes,” said Coach Clough. “Qualifying for regions and picking up a win there let him see what he’s capable of when he’s ‘on.’ He’s been working since last season ended to try to earn a trip to states. If he consistently wrestles to his ability, I think he’s got a good chance. He’s continued to improve his strengths while shoring up some of his weaknesses. He’s been very driven by the realization that this is his last chance at making it to the big show.”

Sophomore Alan McAllister will fill the role of heavyweight this year.

“Alan was an Area 8 champion and junior high state qualifier in eighth grade and we’re expecting him to step up to the challenge this year,” said Clough.

“Damon Reece is our other senior,” said Clough. “He’s incredibly strong and has improved quite a bit in the practice room. This is his third and final year wrestling, and I’m looking forward to seeing some good things for him this season.

“We also lost Deven Morris, but with the changes to the upper weight classes PIAA made, we’ve been able to juggle kids around to fill the spots,” he said. “Sawyer Lawson was a district qualifier last season. Cody Jespersen is an incoming freshman that qualified for junior high states last year in his first year of wrestling. Matt DeSimone is a very experienced incoming freshman that’s been to youth states more than once. Logan McDonald has taken some huge steps in the offseason since his first year last season. I think he’s going to surprise a lot of people this year. Caden McCune has also been putting in a lot of offseason work and could turn some heads.

There are five upperclassmen in seniors Collin Clough, Reece, and juniors Lawson, Michael Crane and Colton Garris.

McCallister leads the underclassmen with other sophomores McCune, Logan McDonald, Ian Mancuso and Allyson Henry. The freshmen include Matt DeSimone, Jesperson, Gavin Bundy, Mason Henry and Aidan Mancuso.

Second-year assistant coach is Wyatt Scott.