Kennard-Dale wrestling continues to grow every year

FAWN GROVE, Pa. — Led by Coach Andy Reitterer, who is in his third year as coach, the Kennard-Dale High School wrestling team has grown from six athletes in 2020, to nine in 2021 to eighteen for the 2022-2023 season!  Coach Andy explains that while the South Eastern Amateur Athletics Association (SAA) is not technically affiliated with KD, it is certainly a feeder program for Kennard-Dale wrestling.  With KD and SAA working hand in hand together, the KD program is growing by leaps and bounds.

When asked about his background in wrestling, Coach Andy goes on to tell us,  “This is my 3rd year as the head coach of KD, previously I had coached SAA Wrestling from 2011-2019. I started at SAA to help my original coach Don Scarborough with coaching clinic aged wrestlers. I graduated from KD in 2002, I also wrestled for KD. My career record was 66-27, I was also a 3-time District 3 placer, and regional qualifier. I then wrestled at Thaddeus Stevens College for one season after high school.”

He is married to his wife, Becky Reitterer, who is a huge support in his endeavors with the team. His eldest son, Dalton, is 14 years old and a freshman on the KD team while his youngest, Zane, is 6 years old and is currently beginning his wrestling journey with SAA. It is definitely a family affair! Coach Andy is also currently the Vice President of SAA Wrestling.  He says “when I started in SAA I always had the KD head coach job in the back of my mind. In 2019 the job became available and I applied. This time frame worked very well for me, as the majority of the wrestlers I had been with since my start in SAA were beginning to move through our junior high program. I have a love for wrestling, and a love for KD that I feel makes me a very special fit in this position. My goal is to grow this program in a way that has not been done in the past.”

To understand the general background of South Eastern Amatuer Athletics, started in 1985 and whose slogan is “Committed Building Champions on and off the Mat” we turn to a quote from former Coach Don Scarborough’s retirement/honor speech in 2020. “Thirty five years ago Coach Don Scarborough started SAA Wrestling with Bill Males and Maurice Klein. They worked tirelessly to provide kids in this area with the opportunity to wrestle. They started out small practicing at Fawn Area Elementary with about 10 kids but quickly grew over the years to numbers as high as 35-40 kids. SAA competed within the Harford County league and won 10 straight county championships as a team. The SAA Rams were tough, fearless and worked harder than everyone else. The program later joined York County Youth Wrestling League and began to make a name for itself in the area. As SAA grew, a resurrection of the high school program became the obvious next step. Kennard-Dale wrestling had not existed since 1967. It was in 1987 that Don was able to convince the school board to bring wrestling back to Kennard-Dale. Four years later in 1991, the middle school program began. Coach Don spent 19 years working with the middle school team and most recently stepped up when they called on him again to help with coaching. During his time as Coach for the middle school, he led the team to a divisional championship in the 2003-2004 season. Don also spent time coaching at the high school but his love for working with the little ones always was his top priority.”

Kennard-Dale wrestlers volunteer their time both in the SAA practice room, as well as when SAA hosts tournaments and dual meets throughout the season. Many wrestlers from SAA have moved through the program and are now wrestling on the KD team. KD wrestling hosts an annual Youth Night every year. This event is held during one of their home matches. “All of the SAA youth wrestlers are at the match and accompany our team to the mat during warm ups. Those nights are some of the best matches to be at. A packed gym, with a lot of young wrestlers cheering for their home team,” Coach Andy describes to us.

For the coaching team, it all starts in the practice room, they expect our athletes to show up, work hard, and most importantly learn the sport of wrestling. All of the coaches have been involved with SAA and KD in some way, as follows:

• Andy Reitterer- Wrestled for SAA, and KD, now Head Coach at KD
• Brandon Schmit – Coached SAA, now assistant Coach at KD
• Mitch Scarborough – Wrestled for SAA, and KD, now assistant coach of KD
• Tony Ruth – Wrestled for SAA, and KD, now head coach of JH KD team.
• Greg Oberlin – Wrestled for SAA, and KD, now volunteer coach at KD
• Brody Baublitz – Wrestled for SAA, and KD, now volunteer coach at KD

“I feel that having so many coaches that have such a strong connection to KD will help us to build the program in a way that has not been done before. We hope to continue to grow our numbers and become a force in the York Area. Consistency, respect, and drive are three fundamentals we really try to instill in our athletes,” says Coach Andy.

In regards to the team, there are 11 freshmen – the team is very young but very talented. There are 12 wrestlers on the team this year that both Brandon and Andy have coached at the SAA level. He says “It is amazing to see these athletes come full circle from SAA and now to KD. These kids have grown up with us in the room. Their families are all highly supportive and motivated to help grow our program.” This is something that was lacking in previous years. The support the program is beginning to gain is fundamental to its future success. When we asked the team what they most appreciate about their team, they collectively answered how supportive they are of one another and that they are each other’s biggest cheerleaders!

Coach Andy explains “some of our wrestlers have been practicing off season with other great coaches – Steve Fittery (FITS Wrestling Academy), Gary Mayfield (Mayfield Mat Academy), and KD legend Chance Marsteller (Steller Trained). All of the extra work with coaches really helps us, but I must say I love being able to have some our KD guys back in the room with Chance. As a future hall of fame wrestler, Pennsylvania and Kennard-Dale legend it truly helps close the full circle I have been looking for.”

When we inquired about Coach Andy’s overall thoughts on the program, he expressed “I am excited to start this 3rd season, while we are a young team and we will take some bumps along the way we will only get better and more competitive as our athletes get older. My coaches truly love this team, school, and sport. I couldn’t imagine doing any of this without them. We are a unit the communicate daily before, during, and after practice. Kennard-Dale will begin to find its stride on the mat, I can not wait to see how far this program goes!”

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