By Horatio Glover ’26
“I’ll coach one kid, two kids, 30 kids, whatever it is,’’ says Derby’s Athletic Hall Of Fame Coach Walter ‘’Buster’’ Jadach. Buster has been coaching the Derby High School wrestling program for 48 years, ever since he took over as head coach in 1976. Derby’s program has seen its ups and downs because of low numbers and other factors, but has been on the rise for the past few years with new wrestlers looking to bring the program into a new era.
Derby High School wrestling program has over 600 wins and 30 winning seasons. Derby also has, ‘’Had a lot of state champions on the wall and a lot of people who have 100 wins who had never have their names on the wall, but they were really good and tough wrestlers, like Coach Tyler who came in second twice. That is what Derby is,” as Jadach puts it.
Since Derby wrestling has had low numbers, in the past like numerous other programs in Connecticut, it has combined with Oxford and Holy Cross, to make a co-op team called ‘’DOHC.’’ Buster stated ‘’It helps us with practices to have partners. It helps us try to build our team so more kids come out. That is what it’s supposed to be when you co-op with somebody, and hopefully more kids come out for your team so eventually you can go back to be just Derby.’’
All three schools have had successful wrestling programs in the past, however, they have struggled due to low numbers. Derby’s personal drought of wrestlers has hit their program hard but now the program is on a steady incline with new kids trying out or even returning youth wrestlers like Gabe Tovar ’27, who was in Sarah Jadach’s youth wrestling program since he was four years old. Sarah Jadach is Jadach’s daughter, who coaches youth wrestling and is on the executive board for Connecticut USA Wrestling.
With the program on the rise, many wrestlers have shown a lot of promise. Jadach says ‘’This season of course Anthony, Nate, and a couple of the lightweight girls but it’s a little too early to tell that.’’ Anthony Shivas ‘25 went undefeated last year and came in first in state at 285 lb. weight class. while his brother Donny Shivas ‘23 finished second in states for the 220 lb. weight class. Nathan Wolyniec ‘25 also showed huge potential last year in placing in states and throughout the year. Wolyniec has done this by his determination and his speed to win his matches.
This season so far has been going excellently even though it’s early in the season and even with new wrestlers catching in on new moves, fast learners. ‘’We’re ahead of schedule on what we’re doing. People are picking up really quick. There is no fooling around. What we say they’re doing; I’m happy we’re ahead and it’s only the fourth day. We’re doing things that other years we didn’t do until second week,’’ said Jadach.
The girls have also taken a huge step from last year with a couple of new faces in Eva Zhyliayeva ‘27, Atiana Reyes ’25, and Haven Clark ‘24. The girls also have some returning faces this year with Sophie Mraz ‘26, Lexi Mraz ‘24, and Nicole Gregory ’25. ‘’Girls wrestling is the fastest-growing sport in the United States, number one. We have tournaments just for girls now and we have the state tournament at the end of the year and they have New England for the girls,’’ stated Jadach.
Practices are exhausting because of the conditioning, but team members are motivated to come to practice, especially with matches coming up. During practice, wrestlers take their time to learn new moves; Jadach’s voice can be heard giving clear instructions and calls; wrestlers bodies can be heard hitting the mat, but they are largely quiet when wrestling with another wrestler. Overall Derby wrestling has been going spectacularly so far this season, with their heads held high ready to rise to the occasion.
The Raider Press 