It’s become a familiar scene, a shared moment between father and son.
Austin Cain shoots for a takedown, rolling an opponent to his back on the wrestling mat. And Darold Cain, in the dual role of father/coach, shouts instructions.
Since Austin was four, his dad has been on the sideline, shouting encouragements as a coach. Now, 13 years later, Austin is a junior at Montesano High School, placing second at the 1A state tournament last year. And Darold is still there, coaching and getting an up-close look from a dad’s perspective.
“I try to treat him the same as other kids,” Darold said. “But it’s kind of hard to do.”
They don’t just share the same last name. They also share the same passion for wrestling. Like Austin, Darold was also a Bulldog and wrestled for Montesano High School, placing at state three straight years and taking second as a senior.
When practice ends now, Darold, a 1988 graduate from Montesano, isn’t just dad. He’s still coach.
“He has to ride home with me,” Darold said with a smile.
They live out at North River, so it’s quite a long drive home after practice.
“He has to listen to me all the way home talk about wrestling,” Darold said. “He gets a lot of one-on-one coaching, I guess.”
That’s not bad. Austin appreciates the extra coaching sessions. There’s a special bond that’s developed from all the years of father-coaching son.
“He’s coached me since I was a little guy,” Austin said. “It’s pretty cool. I have a pretty hard time picking up from someone else. I just always grew up with his coaching style and his style of wrestling.”
It’s been a successful combination. After placing seventh at state as a freshman, Austin took second last year as a sophomore, losing 3-1 in the finals at 145 pounds. Austin’s success comes with a price – the role of expectations.
“There’s definitely going to be a big target on my back,” Austin said before a recent practice. “Some kids are going to say that’s the kid they want to beat this year – that’s my goal.”
Ausin’s goal now is to beat them and to win a state title.
Montesano has the same goal. After placing third at state last year – Montesano’s best finish since 1976 – the Bulldogs return six of the seven wrestlers who placed at state a year ago. Besides Austin, Jacob Ellefson and Kyler Prante also placed second last year and are back. Other Bulldogs to place that return are Tony Williams, Anthony Louthan and Taylor Rupe.
Prante is no stranger to challenges. In football, as a two-way starter at running back and outside linebacker, he was the league’s MVP. With wrestling being like chess, where opponents are always trying to make counter moves, Prante is always looking for a checkmate.
“I’d probably say I’m more of a counter move guy, but you do what you can,” said Prante, who finished with a 34-3 record last year.
With so much talent returning, Prante is excited about his team’s potential.
“In the back of my mind, I’m thinking we do have the potential to win state,” Prante said. “But it’s one match at a time. We don’t want to overlook anyone.”
Last summer, Austin, a year-around wrestler, broke his collar bone when he threw an opponent at regionals in the semifinals. He’s recovered and healthy. This year Austin’s goal is to win it all.
“He exceeded my goals for him as a freshman,” Darold said. “I wish he would have believed he was good enough to finish first last year. I think his goal was to make the finals.”
Austin lost to the returning state champ in the finals.
“I know he works hard over 100 percent the time,” Darold said. “But if he would have given just that little bit more, how much closer would he have got?”
Thinking you are going to win makes you more aggressive, putting you more on the attack, Darold said.
Jeff Klinger, Montesano’s head coach for 11 years, not only stresses conditioning and drilling in practices, he also stresses mental preparation, thinking you can win.
“That mentality, ‘I don’t care who you are. I’m going to go out and do it.’ They’re just going to wrestle as hard as they can and see what happens,” Klinger said.
Klinger wants his wrestlers to be in the attack mode.
“I tell them all the time I don’t care if you win, if you wrestle the best you can what’s to be mad about,” Klinger said. “If the guy is better than you, he’s better than you. If you wrestle your best match that’s all you can do. Then you have nothing to be upset about. Just do your best.”
That’s the mindset for a Bulldog team that’s loaded with talent.
