ROCKINGHAM — When the high school wrestling season began in November, Richmond Raider head coach Earl Nicholson knew it would be his last. But he held onto that secret until the team’s senior night in late January.
But his 24th and final season as the head of the Raider program has come and gone, and the man known affectionately as “Coach Nic” for the last two and a half decades believes now is the right time to pass the torch.
The Raiders’ season drew to a close late in February when seniors Austin Gallops and Joey Nicholson battled to fourth-place finishes in the regional round and both competed in the NCHSAA 4A state championships.
Despite seeing either wrestler place at the state level, Coach Nicholson’s team finished the 2019-2020 season with a 20-10 team record. It was also a year of filling gaps in several weight classes after several veteran wrestlers didn’t return.
“I was hoping to have a stronger season this year, but we had to depend on freshmen and sophomores to fill our upper weights,” Nicholson said. “Even with the setbacks, I feel the season was a success.
“From week to week, certain parts of our lineup were never the same, but the kids that I moved up a weight class didn’t complain and they just gave it their all for the team,” he added. “Considering we had such a young lineup, I think the guys did an outstanding job this year.”
Coach Nic added that a “really successful” part of the season was seeing Gallops and his son, Joey Nicholson, perform well at the regional and state tournaments.
Starting coaching at his alma mater in 1994, with a two-year break, Nicholson said the “brightest moment” in his swan song season was senior night, which he and Joey Nicholson were recognized together for their final competition in their home gym.
Another defining moment was when the Raiders went 4-0 in the Raider Rumble 2 tournament and took share of first place with Seventy-First High School.
“This is the perfect time for me to leave because my son is graduating and plans to wrestle in college,” Nicholson explained. “In order for me to follow him in his college career, I had to step down as the college and high school seasons run at the same time.
“The other reason is that it was ‘just time’,” he added. “I still love the sport like the first day I started, but I don’t have the same energy level I had when I was younger. I think that the kids need young, hungry coaches to come in to continue the success of the program.”
Next season, even without Nicholson guiding the Raiders, he believes the talent level will keep the wins rolling. Only graduating two seniors, Richmond will have several key wrestlers return.
Among them will be Andres Sanchez, Christian Sanchez, Hector Castro, Bryant Coll, Dante Baldwin, Mikey Baldwin, Carson Jordan, Ethan Owens, Josh Wallace, Ahmad Shelton and many others.
This past winter, Nicholson was pleased with the team’s development and thinks the Raiders really “improved on top control.” He added that in the past the program was known for hip tosses and pancake moves from the feet, but now “teams fear our tilts and crossface series.”
“I love to hear the other coaches say ‘watch out for the crossface cradle’,” Nicholson said. “That lets me know we are doing something right when they worry about our technique.”
As he heads off into his coaching career twilight to continue his career as an educator and a hopeful administrator, Nicholson feels good about where he leaves the program. Part of that is seeing the continued success of Richmond competing well and producing state qualifiers from a “really tough” 4A Midwest region.
In who he’d like to see take his place, Nicholson pointed to Andre Ellerbe and Richard Kerekes, the two coaches of the Richmond County Schools’ middle school wrestling program.
“They do a great job with the young guys and they run a system similar to mine, but they add their own expertise which makes for a much-improved wrestler,” Nicholson said.
“The thing I like most about Richard and Andre is that they listen to the advice I give and they take it to heart,” he closed. “I really appreciate the fact that they come to me when they need help and aren’t offended when I make suggestions.”
No decision has been made at this time as to who will fill Nicholson’s coaching vacancy.
