BLACKFOOT — The Fort Hall Legends wrestling team went toe to toe at the Triple Threat Wrestling tournament on Saturday, February 5 at Blackfoot High School. Fort Hall Legends Coach is David Johnson, who is also an experienced bannock on a stick in both the high school and college levels.
He said the Fort Hall Legends was created by Matt Wilson who started the team 4-5 years ago. When Matt first started the team, my son was five and I took him to wrestle and I started helping out and then I was kind of an assistant coach that year and the next year. This is Johnson’s second year coaching, since last year they sat out because of COVID-19. He also coaches alongside his brother Terrence Johnson and the new assistant coach Gaylen Edmo. To be a wrestling coach Johnson said they have to sign up through the Idaway Wrestling Association and do online classes and background checks. The Fort Hall Legends wrestling season started in November and dedicated their practices to prepare for the Idaway Wrestling season which began the end of December and is when they start attending tournaments.
Wrestlers in action on the mat. Johnson said the team has been to four tournaments with the next tournament being this weekend, where they have the option of attending either a match in Soda Springs or Jerome. I think we will probably go to Jerome High School because it will have different kids to wrestle and they have a big gym. The Fort Hall Legends has about 20 wrestlers, with five of those being girls. Most of the kids that we have, have been wrestling for three or four years.