FORT WASHINGTON -- Germantown Academy wrestling is ready to return to the mat for its third season under Head Coach John Staudenmayer. The Patriots open their season on Dec. 2 when they host The Battle of Germantown. 

“This year we’re really excited,” Staudenmayer said. “We’ve brought in a couple kids. We have kids coming up from eighth grade, they’ve brought a lot of hype, and backing that hype is exciting to us. We are ready to go, and we’ve got them working hard.”

Three wrestlers who qualified for National Preps a season ago -- Jhais Williams ’25, Jack Baron ’26, and Robert Leeds ’25 – return for the 2023-24 season and will be looking to bring home some hardware this year after returning empty handed at the end of last year. While the end results were not what the team had hoped, Staudenmayer said that the experience the group had a year ago has helped set the bar for this season. 

“Going to Nationals, getting on the stand, maybe being a National Prep Champion, being All-American, that’s what we’re striving for,” Staudenmayer said. “I feel like we have a good group of guys who can make some noise and fit into those goals.”

The Patriots have a loaded schedule starting with the Battle of Germantown and will be competing in a tournament or invitational almost every weekend in December and January. In addition to the season-opening tournament, Staudenmayer highlighted Beast of the East (Dec. 16-17), Escape the Rock (Jan. 13-14), and the Coal-Cracker Invitational (Jan. 19-20) as competitions that he is looking forward to. 

“Those four are grinders,” Staudenmayer said. “Our schedule matches up with the No. 1 team in the country, relative to where we go and what tournament we’re at. We’re going to see wrestlers that are nationally ranked, maybe three times a month. It’s all to test them and for them to see what the best of the best is.”

After four tournaments to start the year, the Patriots get into Inter-Ac competition on Jan. 5 when they host Springside Chestnut Hill Academy. After that, the league stretch continues with Malvern Prep (Jan. 12), Episcopal Academy (Jan. 18), Haverford School (Jan. 26), and Penn Charter (Feb. 2). The season culminates with the Prep State Tournament on Feb. 16-17, and National Preps from Feb. 23-24. 

With the start of the season right around the corner, Staudenmayer feels like his team is ready to get started.

“There’s no other way to do this than to work hard,” Staudenmayer said. “There is no way around sweat equity and even the younger kids know that. Everyone has a great foundation, we don’t have to go in and teach them what a proper stance is, we’re already building on what they have, and helping them build their confidence."