With multiple returning wrestlers with state tournament experience, the Riverton boys are aiming to contend for a title this season. 

Riverton brings back 10 competitors who qualified for the Class 6A tournament last season. The school has never enjoyed so much depth. Head coach Joseph Gorman has set some ambitious goals, and he wants to establish a program that will continue to be successful. 

“A team goal I have is to finish top five in state and have four individual state placers,” Gorman said. “More importantly, I want to keep building up a positive team culture that has been the foundation of our success over the past few years. Wrestling is a hard sport, so it is important to make it fun and enjoyable whenever possible.”

Headlining the Silverwolves is sophomore Sam Moody. Last year, as a young freshman, Moody took first in the 106-weight class, overtaking his opponent in the finals with a 12-9 decision. Moody had a 43-9 record heading into the state tournament. This season, Moody will wrestle in the 126-pound class and is eager to defend his title. He’s also a team captain this season. 

But Moody isn’t the only standout wrestler on the squad. 

Riverton also returns senior state qualifier Heber Macpherson, a 150-pound competitor and team captain. Another team captain, senior Dylan Shafizadeh, is a two-time state qualifier. He’ll compete at 175 pounds this season. Sophomore Easton Olson (113 pounds), junior Calin Olson (120), senior Jacob Roy (157) and junior Sterling Johnson (190) each won a state tournament match last season and are back to bolster the Silverwolves’ chances of finishing high in the standings. 

Among other accomplishments, Gorman is itching for a chance to win Region 2 and knock off Corner Canyon, the only league opponent to topple Riverton in 2023–24. 

“I would love to beat Corner Canyon; they are the only team who beat us in region last year,” Gorman said. “They are the favorites, but we like playing the underdog role. I would also like to perform better in divisionals. We had many kids make state, but they placed fifth to eighth at divisionals. We need to have more kids place top four this year, and we should be able to do so. We would also like to three-peat as district champs, which entails beating Mountain Ridge, Bingham, Herriman and Copper Hills. We have done this the past two years now.”

The wrestling season runs from November through February, but the preparation begins long before. Riverton had offseason workouts and participated in various camps. Gorman said the extra work is essential if wrestlers hope to be successful during the regular season. 

“We have done a ton of work in the offseason,” he said. “We went to Arizona State, we did a Sanderson camp and we competed in several tournaments. More of our kids are competing for a club team than ever before. Kids need to stay committed, and I hope we are able to retain everyone from last season to help us achieve our goals. We need to stay motivated.”

Gorman is also seeing more excitement about wrestling and more interest in the sport at the school. He said the team is larger than most high school squads in Utah. The team members are also dedicated and eager to compete. 

“Our culture and the desire to get better is a strength,” he said. “This is the first year I've been a coach where kids are constantly showing up early, staying late and trying to get as much mat time as possible. It is super encouraging. We also have pretty good numbers. Last year we started with over 60 wrestlers, which means we are one of the biggest teams in the state. We also have a brand-new assistant coach, who was a 4-time state champ in Idaho, and he will add to our team's strengths.”

The Silverwolves have some obstacles to overcome, too. 

Riverton has inadequate space for the team to practice, Gorman said. He also said his team faces many schools that build teams comprising out-of-area athletes. But he and his wrestlers try to maintain a positive attitude and do their best to improve. 

“One of our biggest challenges is the size of our wrestling room,” Gorman said. “It is tiny, especially for a team of our size. It is hard fitting everyone in, and we often have to split practices, which is hard to keep organized and consistent. We were able to fundraise for new mats and have set up the room to provide a bit more wrestling space, so that will be nice. I'm proud to say all of our wrestlers live in boundaries. Several schools we compete against have a lineup filled with kids who live out of boundaries. Schools pretty much form ‘super-teams’ with freshmen who live out of boundaries and transfers. I think that structure creates an uneven playing field. The only thing we can do to overcome that challenge is to work harder and get better.”

As head coach, Gorman said he gets a lot of satisfaction out of seeing the young men work hard, develop skills and learn to compete as a team. He’s also impressed with the leadership on the team. 

“I love seeing kids work hard, especially nowadays when all most kids want is instant gratification,” he said. “These kids are all a part of the team culture and constantly motivate one another to be the best that they can be. There is a quote I love that says, ‘On OK teams, nobody leads; on good teams, coaches lead; on great teams, athletes lead.’ This year I really feel like we have athletes who are going to lead.”