The first Tuesday of each month, we interview someone from Charlotte Latin Athletics with twenty questions to help the CLS community get to know some of our athletes, coaches, and supporters a bit better.
 
For the last feature of 2024, meet senior wrestler Will Edwards. A member of the Mat Hawks since seventh grade, Will has finished in the top two of his weight class at the conference championship every year, earning a CISAA division title at 126 pounds as a sophomore. Last year, he placed third at the NCISAA State Championship, an accomplishment he hopes to eclipse in 2025. Read on to get to know a bit more about Will:
 
1. Tell us a bit about your family.
My parents both went to JMU and met there. My dad is an Army kid who moved around a lot and my mom is from Roanoke. I have two younger siblings: Anna, who is 14 and used to be at Latin but goes to Providence (High School) now, and Andrew, who is in seventh grade here.
 
2. What does your family enjoy doing together?  
We do a lot of hiking and visiting national parks, and we're really big into skiing in Colorado or Wyoming. I started skiing when I was around seven.
 
3. You're a Latin Lifer. What has been your favorite class here and why?  
Probably engineering. I started taking engineering classes freshman year and really like how there's an answer that you have to piece together yourself to find. I enjoy actually creating something.
 
4. Have you had any teachers that were particularly impactful?  
My seventh grade history teacher, Mrs. Putman. Her class was one that I struggled in and she taught me how you need to study and prepare for tests and how to take good notes. She definitely impacted my learning ability.
 
5. Where do you stand with your college applications?  
I'm done submitting and I have a few acceptances. I'd like to pursue something in engineering, so I'm hoping for NC State or Clemson, but we'll see.
 
6. Tell us a bit about your sports journey. What did you try before wrestling?
I played soccer for a church league for a couple years, but it was not really my thing. I played flag football for maybe three years, and then played football at Latin in middle school, but I wasn't really big enough for football. I really didn't have a sport I loved other than skiing.
 
7. So how did you get involved in wrestling?  
During PE class in seventh grade, we had a weight room rotation and whenever we were doing that Coach Paige would pull me aside and say I should try wrestling. I decided to try it and I really liked it immediately. It was definitely difficult, and I would say I was slow to pick it up. I didn't start (in the team lineup) in seventh or eighth grades and only got a few matches. But my freshman year, there was no one else on the team to wrestle at 113 (pounds), so I was automatically starting. I was not very good that year. I think I got maybe four wins and a ton of forfeits. Over our team camp between freshman and sophomore year, I discovered one move that I could really hit and I did a lot better in tenth grade after that. Then junior year, I was third at states.
 
8. What surprised you about the sport? Or what have you learned that most people don't know about it?
For a sport that doesn't involve running, you do a lot of running in practice. The other thing that surprised me is that even though a full match is only six minutes, that's a really long time when you're in it. I also didn't realize how nerve-racking it can be. Some people really get in their own heads and lose the match before they even get out there.
 
9. How do you combat that and manage the nerves?  
Whenever I'm warming up, I don't look at my opponent. It doesn't matter who it is. Some people will look up their opponents before matches to have an idea of what they're going against. I think I perform better when I'm going in blind. I feel like you have to build confidence over time, especially after you get a few wins. You have to know what you want to hit and not let the other person control where the match goes.
 
10. How would you describe Coach Paige and the impact he's had on you?  
He has definitely impacted me. In seventh grade I was pretty undersized and skinny. He told me I was strong and encouraged me to get into weightlifting and wrestling. That really sparked me to try both of those. Initially, Coach Paige is intimidating because he always looks really serious. He is a big presence on the mat. He really enjoys yelling, especially if you're losing. I've learned to know that when he's yelling when you're losing, it's because he knows that you can win. It shows that he cares and he wants you to do well. Sometimes, after a tough loss or close match, he'll pull you aside and go over what you need to work on, kind of laying into you a little bit, but in a constructive way.
 
11. How does this year's team compare to last year's?  
It's definitely changed. We're light-heavy. We have a lot more people in the lower weight classes and a few freshmen will be in the starting lineup. It's also a quieter group. Last year, we had Gabe (Carpenter) and Austin (Flowers), who were more into talking and giving speeches. That isn't the style of the upperclassmen this year.
 
12. As a senior, have you found ways to lead that suit your personality?
I always try to talk to the younger guys after their matches to see how they're doing, especially if they lost. One match is not that big of a deal and they have a lot more in front of them.
 
13. Did any Latin wrestlers serve as role models for you?
I looked up to James Van Nort (Class of 2023). You could tell he was really dedicated to the sport and was trying to pass down his appreciation for it to the younger wrestlers. Also, whenever a match got heated, he stayed calm. He kept his composure even during the tough matches.
 
14. Do you have specific goals for the season?  
Last year, I placed third at states and was almost second. My semifinals match was really close. I want to make it to the finals and hopefully get a win. And of course we want to get another team championship.
 
15. Alright, let's finish with some easy ones. Do you have any pets?
We have two dogs, Maddie and Stanley.
 
16. Did you have a dream job when you were little?  
I wanted to play in the NFL when I was in kindergarten.
And now?
I'm not really sure. I'm still figuring that out.
 
17. What's your favorite sports movie?
Remember the Titans
 
18.  If time and money were no issue, where would you travel?  
I'm not a big traveler, but maybe going skiing in Europe.
 
19. What do you like to do for fun?
Outside of wrestling season, I enjoy going to the Whitewater Center to mountain bike and I like climbing at Inner Peaks.
 
20. What's your go-to splurge food?  
Five Guys. But not when we're in season.