By Mike Whaley
mwhaley@fosters.com |
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
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SOUTH BERWICK, Maine — It was the summer before his sophomore year, and Cody Hughes was looking for a place to work out while he was competing in the NHSCA High School National Wrestling Championships in Virginia Beach, Va.
There was a camp at nearby Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. Hughes went, liked it, and has continued to return.
On Tuesday, the Marshwood High School senior’s affinity for the Virginia school took a significant turn when he signed a National Letter of Intent to attend Virginia Tech on a partial scholarship to wrestle.
The Hokies are coming off a season in which they placed eighth in the NCAA Division I tournament, the program’s highest finish ever.
“They saw my work ethic, we talked and got to know each other,” said Hughes, who has since been down two or three times a year. “The first time I went, I didn’t miss home. It felt right.”
Hughes recalls that first summer he went to Virginia Tech, “I wanted to go to a camp close to the nationals to keep me in shape. I really loved it.”
Hughes is a three-time state champ for Marshwood, which is Maine’s Class A team champ three years running. He went 54-1 this past season and has a career record of 142-5. If he stays healthy he has a shot at the school record for career wins (194), held by 2007 grad Jon Hussey, and an outside shot at 200 wins.
“It’s nice to see everything working out for him,” said Marshwood coach Matt Rix. “You get out of it what you put into it. It’s where he wanted to go. It was really special to see him sit down and sign the paper.”
“It’s been a long process,” Hughes said of the college search. “I’ve been to a lot of national tournaments, trying to expose myself to as many colleges as possible.”
Wrestling has had a recent resurgence at Tech, finishing eighth this past year, after placing 10th and 11th, respectively, in 2003 and 2012. Previous to that, the Hokies had never finished better than 19th.
“It’s been down for a long time, but it’s looking up,” Hughes said. “They were eighth last year, and they’re looking better this year. They definitely know what they are doing.”
Hughes will receive athletic financial aid covering approximately 40 percent of his college bill in the first year.
“I can get more if I put the time in and good results come (coach Kevin Dresser) will help us out,” Hughes said. “That’s how he put it.”
Hughes is the second Marshwood wrestler to receive a scholarship to wrestle at the Division I level. Abel Schultze is the other, earning a full ride to Appalachian (N.C.) State in early 1990s. Schultze was a teammate of Todd Hughes, Cody’s dad.
“I’m going to do the same thing I’ve been doing the last three years,” Hughes said. “Improving every single day. If you improve every single day you’re going to get better.”
He will need to do that in making the transition to college wrestling where he mentioned he could be on a five-year plan if he has to redshirt.
“The first few years will be a learning experience,” Rix said. “They’ve got some top-caliber kids. It will be a little different ballgame for him. But I think he’s prepared himself for it.”
Hughes, for now, can focus on high school and the matter at hand — helping the Hawks win a fourth straight state title. Hughes is one of fourth returning state champs with classmates Jackson Howarth and Brett Gerry, and sophomore Bradley Beaulieu.
“I’m really excited for this season,” he said. “We have a great group of kids. The program is the best around here. You’ll not find a better high school team in Maine.”
Hughes added, “Coach Rix makes the high school season grind like the college season. You have to be mentally tough to prepare for that. I know (when I got to Tech) I’ll be at the bottom of the food chain. The Marshwood program has helped to prepare me for the next level.”
There was a camp at nearby Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. Hughes went, liked it, and has continued to return.
On Tuesday, the Marshwood High School senior’s affinity for the Virginia school took a significant turn when he signed a National Letter of Intent to attend Virginia Tech on a partial scholarship to wrestle.
The Hokies are coming off a season in which they placed eighth in the NCAA Division I tournament, the program’s highest finish ever.
“They saw my work ethic, we talked and got to know each other,” said Hughes, who has since been down two or three times a year. “The first time I went, I didn’t miss home. It felt right.”
Hughes recalls that first summer he went to Virginia Tech, “I wanted to go to a camp close to the nationals to keep me in shape. I really loved it.”
Marshwood senior Cody Hughes signed a national letter of intent Tuesday to attend Virgina Tech on a partial wrestling scholarship. Pictured, from left, are sister Saige Hughes, mother Hillary Hughes, father Todd Hughes, Cody , coach Matt Rix, asst. coach Pat Howard, and, standing in back, Athletic Director Rich Buzzell. (Courtesy photo)
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“It’s nice to see everything working out for him,” said Marshwood coach Matt Rix. “You get out of it what you put into it. It’s where he wanted to go. It was really special to see him sit down and sign the paper.”
“It’s been a long process,” Hughes said of the college search. “I’ve been to a lot of national tournaments, trying to expose myself to as many colleges as possible.”
Wrestling has had a recent resurgence at Tech, finishing eighth this past year, after placing 10th and 11th, respectively, in 2003 and 2012. Previous to that, the Hokies had never finished better than 19th.
“It’s been down for a long time, but it’s looking up,” Hughes said. “They were eighth last year, and they’re looking better this year. They definitely know what they are doing.”
Hughes will receive athletic financial aid covering approximately 40 percent of his college bill in the first year.
“I can get more if I put the time in and good results come (coach Kevin Dresser) will help us out,” Hughes said. “That’s how he put it.”
Hughes is the second Marshwood wrestler to receive a scholarship to wrestle at the Division I level. Abel Schultze is the other, earning a full ride to Appalachian (N.C.) State in early 1990s. Schultze was a teammate of Todd Hughes, Cody’s dad.
“I’m going to do the same thing I’ve been doing the last three years,” Hughes said. “Improving every single day. If you improve every single day you’re going to get better.”
He will need to do that in making the transition to college wrestling where he mentioned he could be on a five-year plan if he has to redshirt.
“The first few years will be a learning experience,” Rix said. “They’ve got some top-caliber kids. It will be a little different ballgame for him. But I think he’s prepared himself for it.”
Hughes, for now, can focus on high school and the matter at hand — helping the Hawks win a fourth straight state title. Hughes is one of fourth returning state champs with classmates Jackson Howarth and Brett Gerry, and sophomore Bradley Beaulieu.
“I’m really excited for this season,” he said. “We have a great group of kids. The program is the best around here. You’ll not find a better high school team in Maine.”
Hughes added, “Coach Rix makes the high school season grind like the college season. You have to be mentally tough to prepare for that. I know (when I got to Tech) I’ll be at the bottom of the food chain. The Marshwood program has helped to prepare me for the next level.”