Dave Murray is the ultimate optimistic.
Tell him his glass if half empty and he will tell you it is overflowing.
So when his Mifflinburg wrestling team opened the season with a 46-18 loss to Shikellamy, Murray was undeterred. He thought he had a good team and he thought, despite that 0-1 record, it could do good things.
Guess what? Sometimes optimists are rewarded.
Since that loss, the Wildcats, who returned 10 starters from last years' 15-5 squad, have won 10 in a row and are 10-1 overall and 3-1 in the Heartland Athletic Conference Division I.
"Even in the loss (to Shikellamy on Dec. 21), I thought the kids wrestled real well and they also showed areas we needed to improve. We are working on those areas and getting better every match and it's showing," Murray said.
"I always believed in them, that they had this capability," he said.
But winning against the competition in the HAC sometimes takes more than good performances on the mat. It also takes some good fortune.
The Wildcats have had that as well, although they made some of their own good luck with discipline and determination.
Depleted lineups, the result of injuries, illness and academic ineligibility, are the bane of wrestling coaches and, for Murray, that has not been a problem this season.
"They've been doing their part by eating right, studying, keeping everything together," he said.
"I realize it takes everything to go right and fortunately at this point everything is going right for the kids and they are motivated to improve. The practices are great," he said.
The closest meet during the streak came Thursday night as the Wildcats pulled out a 36-28 HAC-I victory Shamokin. Murray said a key was freshman Clark Wagner getting a technical fall with two seconds left at 130 pounds. Also important was freshman 285-pounder Nazar Mironenko hanging tough with state medalist Wes Tillett in a 7-4 loss.
Murray said Wagner's season started out rough, but now he is wrestling like a ball of fire. "I was not really surprised. I knew there was a lot of ability and now he is really wrestling well. If he continues to improve, I see great things," the coach said of Wagner, who is now 9-7.
As for Mironenko (13-7 with 10 falls), Murray said, "At the beginning of the year I said, 'I'm not tapping this kid's ability right now, I'm not putting a top on it. He's getting better every day. He's smart, he's not afraid to fail. He goes after it. He learns from his mistakes. He's a special kid."
Murray said he has not talked to the kids about the winning streak, which will next be put to the test at HAC-II Hughesville on Tuesday night.
"Our main focus is performance and getting better every match and they've been doing it. It is a nice streak, but the past three matches we've seen very good performances from the boys and I'm proud of them."
Murray is also not afraid to get excited about the possibilities for this team, including the upcoming District 4 Class AA Team Duals.
"We've still got teams like Muncy and Line Mountain is flying under the radar, just a lot of solid teams. If we stay healthy and the kids improve I think we're right there competing with any of those teams. But they are solid teams and we need to be just as fortunate and lucky as the other teams," he said.
In his sixth season, Murray admits this is his best team yet as far as talent and depth. He also said the kids have a lot of heart and motivation.
He said his first Mifflinburg team had talent, but was beset with injuries. "As long as a team stays healthy and has quality wrestlers, it will do well. Sometimes the big key is just to stay healthy."
So, if you are a Mifflinburg fan, keep your fingers crossed and enjoy the ride.
n Assistant sports editor Harold Raker covers high school wresting for The Daily Item. E-mail comments to hraker@dailyitem.com.
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