By Ben Shanahan

Special to the Sentinel-Tribune

PEMBERVILLE — Eastwood first-year wrestling coach Drew Lashaway plans to build the program from top to bottom by creating a new culture.

With the season about to get off the ground, the foundation has been laid.

“It has been all development, starting with the youth and all the way up to the varsity program. Good people are in place to do great things for the Eagle wrestling club and the district,” said Lashaway, who took over for longtime coach Joe Wyant.

“My main goal is to get the community on board with my mission to make it the best experience for the kids. The opportunities have been remarkable. People are really buying in, in a very positive way.”

One of the ways Lashaway hopes to improve the culture is through a mentorship program, where the varsity Eagles play a role in teaching the program’s youth in biddy activities.

“We have a mentorship program developed through the whole program, from varsity to middle school to the youth kids,” Lashaway said. “They all work together.”

Before taking the helm of the entire program, Lashaway was already involved in the biddy program at Eastwood.

As a youth volunteer coach at Eastwood, he saw the Eagles win a league championship in 2023 and finish as runner-up in 2022. Lashaway was also an Ohio National Freestyle assistant coach two years. He will still continue dedicating his time to the youth in the program.

“For example, some of the time the youth has practice at night. I am involved in all of those, with my son being in the youth program, as well as my other buddies, kids that I wrestled with when I was in high school.

“The high school guys step up, stay after, help coach, and lead by example. That is my main thing.

“Last weekend, I told the varsity team that it means a lot for the program to show face, tell them you have their back, you are an Eastwood wrestler, and we are together, which helps numbers retain and increase,” continued Lashaway.

As a father and a former Eastwood wrestler, for Lashaway to now have his son and his buddies’ sons in the same program is special to him.

“That means more to me than anything,” Lashaway said. “I have no kids in high school. I live in the district. I came through the district.

“I have a lot of attachment to and bleed Eastwood wrestling. I believe that as a family, it is a family of wrestling, not just one individual.

“Yes, there needs to be a leader, but leaders also teach others how to lead. You are not just teaching athletes but also parents and coaches while trying to develop people as good individuals for the community.

“And we do all we can outside of wrestling to get everyone involved,” added Lashaway.

For the Eastwood varsity wrestlers this season, Lashaway believes they could shake things up in the Northern Buckeye Conference if they do the right things.

Lashaways says expectations are the in top three in the conference.

“I established goal sheets for every single athlete at the beginning of the year, and the biggest thing was how I think we can develop as a team,” Lashaway said.

“Realistically, last year we were at the bottom of the barrel. Our realistic goal is to be in the top three in the league.

“I believe we could surpass that, but I am not trying to be overconfident or cocky. Our team is under the radar. No one understands the talent we truly have.

“But if we continue to do what we are doing right now, our goals will be met. The two main things are how you do in league and post-season runs.

“I truly believe we can have two or three guys in the state tournament, and if we get them down there, anything can happen,” added Lashaway.

At Eastwood, Lashaway won a state championship his senior year and was a three-time state qualifier, three-time league champion, and two-time team captain.

After graduating from Eastwood in 2004, Lashaway received a college scholarship to Kent State University and earned a starting spot all four years starting for the Golden Flashes, winning a 2009 Mid-American Conference championship.

During that time, Kent State won a conference team title and Lashaway was named team captain.

During the 2008 and 2009 seasons Lashaway qualified and competed twice for the Division I NCAA wrestling championships.

As a post undergraduate at Kent, Lashaway was hired at the university as a graduate assistant coach working towards his master’s degree.

He served as assistant coach for two years while finishing his master’s degree and was then hired back as the assistant wrestling coach in 2016 season. Lashaway coached 13 years as a volunteer assistant (2009-11) at Kent State and two years as an assistant (2015-16) with the Golden Flashes.

He was an assistant coach at Massillon Perry High School from 2011-15, where he was named National Assistant Coach of the Year in 2014.

In 2011-12, Perry was the Division I state tournament team runner-up and Federal League champions. They had four individual state champions and were nationally ranked at 11th in the country.

In 2012-13, Perry repeated as state tournament runner-up and state team dual tournament runner-up, won the Federal League championship, and had two individual state champions, seven individual state placers and were ranked 12th nationally.

In 2013-14, Perry won the Division I state championship, defeating perennial power Lakewood St. Edward, and also won the state dual tournament championship. Perry had three individual state champions, seven state finalists, 10 state placers, and were ranked sixth nationally.

Lashaway spent six years as an assistant coach at Clay under another Eastwood alum, Ralph Cubberly, when he was coach there. Lashaway was voted the state’s Assistant Coach of the Year in 2021.

Under Cubberly, Lashaway was part of five league championships and had multiple state qualifiers and placers.