Concord, Bow Wrestlers Prepared, Excited For 2023-2024 Season

CONCORD, NH — Capital region wrestlers are ready to face the 2023-2024 wrestling season, which begins this week.

Coach Ham Munnell, who has been leading the Crimson Tide for decades, said the Concord team this year was “tough,” but some kids needed to focus on “learning how to wrestle.” He thought the team’s first scrimmage, held on Wednesday, “went good … not great, and I always want better. They were scrappy but, certainly, they took pride in representing Concord, and I appreciate that.”

More than 40 students are slated to compete this year, including 10 new wrestlers, with coaches still working to sort out weight classes. The team also has new uniforms this year. A lot of wrestlers, too, worked hard during the off-season to be ready for the new season.

When asked to flesh out the comment about learning how to wrestle, Munnell said, “There’s wrestling, and then there’s wrestling. There’s fine-tuning, and then there is mass learning. We’re kinda in between.”

Munnell said he was impressed with some of the new freshman wrestlers during the scrimmage — which should only help the junior varsity team continue winning at the state level.

“The kids are excited, the coaches are excited,” he said. “It’s going to be a fun year.”

Concord wrestlers raised around $12,000 for the program during its most recent fundraising effort.

To make a donation to the team via Venmo, visit this QR code.

Bill Chavanelle, who is beginning his third year coaching the Bow High School Falcons after coaching Rundlett Middle School wrestlers for several years, said he was also excited for the season to start.

“I think,” he said, “like anything else, you always get excited. I love this time of the year. It’s the thing that keeps you going, right?”

Chavanelle said six wrestlers were on the team when he took over the program two years ago. Last year, it was 16. This year, 28. He said Bow did not have an extensive youth program like RMS. At the same time, the expanded team, he said, “was solid.” The wrestlers were “impressive, overall,” during the scrimmage Wednesday, Chavanelle said.

Bow has no girl wrestlers this year, but a few in the youth program will be at the high school in two or three years. Chavanelle said he was “a big proponent” for having girls wrestle.

At the same time, there will be some challenges for the growing squad — slotting players into different weights so the team can compete and explaining that process to the wrestlers.

“The expectation is always to win … to be competitive,” he said. “I think we have a good shot at that, at the Division III level … it will be the most competitive division in the last 15 or 20 years. I’m looking forward to it.”

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