Old Habits WIll Guide West Roxbury-Heavy Roxbury Latin Wrestling Squad

Standing in the center of the 's palaestra, legendary RL wrestling coach Steve Ward talks slowly and calmly through a headset microphone, giving direction and motivation to the boys scattered about the mats before him.

His words soothe in a way you might not expect in a Varsity wrestling program, but Ward, a West Roxbury resident and a 2009 inductee into the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, says the program's perennial success has been built upon a level of respect between coach and athlete.

"I'd like to say it's the secret to our success," he said. "but it's the way it's always been here. It's how we run the program."

"If you treat them with respect, they respond in kind," he added. "They don't respond to being yelled and screamed at. They don't respond to being abused."

There's no denying that during Ward's 35 years at the programs helm, RL wrestlers have responded well. Ward has compiled a career 371-61-4 coaching record, and 12 ISL titles.

Ward says the athletes don't think much of his background and credits them as "motivated kids who are pretty smart and who like to succeed" for the program's success.

"They're in the same category as my wife," he said, smiling. "She'll say, 'Take out the trash.' I'll say, 'But I'm a Hall of Famer!' And she'll say, 'Okay. Take out the trash.'"

But despite Ward's modesty, the prestige of the program and its coach is not lost on the athletes.

"Wrestling's a trademark for RL," said Paul Healey, a senior captain on the team who will wrestle in the 125- and 130-pound weight classes. "Coach Ward is a great coach. He'll take kids who aren't great athletes and turn them into great wrestlers."

Like Ward, Healey is a West Roxbury resident and accounts for just some of the neighborhood flavor on the team. Mark Sheehan, of the 152-lb weight class, and Bence Budaviri, 130-lb, are also West Roxbury-based seniors.

Healey will be joined as captain by seniors Steven Kinser, 171-lb, Sam Heilborn, 140- and 145-lb, and Darraugh Heffernan, 189-lb.

The captains see a strong season forthcoming for the Red Foxes.

"We didn't lose too many starters," Kinser said.

"This team has a lot of depth at every class," added Heffernan.

"If we put in the work at practice, I think we'll have a great season," Heilbron offered.

Ward also expects James McMay, 140, and Will Settel, 160, to play important roles on the team. Junior Harrison Pao also returns after qualifying for nationals last season in the 103-lb weight class.

Last year's squad posted a solid 14-5 record while finishing sixth in the ISL's Graves Kelsey Tournament, second in the dual meet season, and 14th in New England. Those are impressive numbers, but are not quite up to the standard the program long ago established. Ward hopes to improve on them this winter.

"We want to be competitive with the top three or four ISL schools," he said. "And we'd like to return to the top 10 in New England."

In a program so prodigious, built on respect and success, such aspirations hardly seem unrealistic.