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Coming out of the dark Photo by Bob Pennell South Medford High senior T.J. Winningham has come out of the shadows, thanks to a change of venue. New venue helps Winningham revamp image, revive status of South's wrestling program By KRIS HENRY T.J. Winningham doesn't claim to be the poster-child for the future of wrestling. The 18-year-old senior has had his share of run-ins over the years. After qualifying for the state meet as a freshman and sophomore at North Medford High, Winningham was kicked off the Black Tornado squad his junior year and found himself on the outside looking in. But a transfer to South Medford High has provided a new attitude for Winningham, and he has taken advantage of that in all areas, thanks to the help of South coach Ken Wharry and his Panther teammates. "I'm glad he's here, even beyond wrestling," says Wharry. "Now he's talking about going on to college and continuing wrestling, and I think he can do that. I'm sure last year that was the furthest thing from his mind." Winningham doesn't like to talk about his fallout at North, opting to simply say the chemistry between himself and then-North coach Ken Thompson wasn't working for either party. "I just totally felt out of place (at North)," says Winningham. After Winningham transferred to South, Wharry took it upon himself to help turn around someone close to his own heart. "I definitely can relate to T.J.," says the second-year coach, who was once kicked out of school when he was younger. "People told me that I wouldn't make anything of myself, so I definitely believe in giving kids like T.J. a second chance." Wharry says all Winningham needed was someone who could relate to his situation and who could relate to him personally off the mat. "I think that's what I've been able to do," says the coach. "I think he's more focused on being successful in the classroom, and that has spilled over on the wrestling mat too." That connection has helped Winningham soar to a 15-2 record this year and No. 5 ranking at 152 pounds in the state's Class 4A poll. He has been idled since suffering a hyperextended elbow Jan. 15 in winning the Crater Classic, but is scheduled to return to the mat tonight at 7 when the Panthers take on Klamath Union. Wharry says Winningham's success has also spilled over to his Panther teammates. "I think with him having success and being in the rankings, other kids start to feed off of that," says the coach. "He brings a lot of natural ability and a real intense nature. He's also used to winning and that's one of the big things that he brought that these guys really haven't had a lot of (at South)." Senior Cory Sweet, another transfer from North, is ranked ninth at 140 and senior Ian Taylor is ranked fourth at 215. The rest of the Panther cast is comprised mainly of sophomores, making the efforts of Winningham, Sweet and Taylor that much more important as Wharry strives to turn around the program. Winningham has noticed a marked improvement in the Panthers as the season has progressed. "They haven't had the numbers, but the guys that are here are getting a lot tougher," he says. "The whole team has basically turned around from the beginning of the season from being wimps to being really tough guys." Wharry says Winningham's willingness to work hard in practice and put in the extra time has rubbed off on his younger teammates. "It's not just two hours of practice and go home, and he knows that," says Wharry. "I think other kids start to see that and hopefully it will get infectious and I'll have the whole team wanting to be up here afterwards doing the extra things it takes to become successful." A turning point for the Panthers came at the Crater Classic. Not for what South was able to accomplish, but what Sprague was able to do in beating the top-ranked Comets on their home floor. "My kids see these guys as the all-mighty Crater and they got beat," says Wharry. "I think that kind of helped them realize what I've been saying that on any given day in wrestling anybody can get beat." Wharry says his Panthers have been apprehensive when faced with an opponent like Crater or Eagle Point, sometimes conceding defeat simply because of the swagger the Comets and Eagles maintain due to their successes. "They have a presence where they know they're going to win," he says of the two esteemed SOC schools. "There's a huge difference between thinking you're going to win and knowing you're going to win, and those guys know they're going to win every single time." It's been quite some time since South Medford carried that presence, but Wharry says he hopes Winningham can help pave that road for the Panthers. That quest continues to be a formidable one considering the likes of Crater, Eagle Point and Grants Pass used to pit their JV or freshman squad against the Panthers. "And South would be lucky even to win a match," Wharry says in recounting South's struggles since its heyday in 1989 when future Olympian Les Gutches helped guide the Panthers to a third-place finish in the state meet. Under the guidance of Wharry and his solid staff at South, the struggles appear to be dwindling. "We're by no means the walkover that everybody used to have," says Wharry. "Everybody used to mark that date with South as a throw-away match and take a few of their guys out." This year, teams haven't had the same luxuries. Some of those athletes expecting time off have instead had to face a hungry Panther. "We're not strong all the way through yet because that takes time and we just don't have the numbers yet, but eventually I see us as one of the top teams," says Wharry. "We definitely have gone up another level. The kids want to win and think they can win. They're still not to the point where they know they can win, so there's still one more level to go." With a goal of winning the district and state titles, Winningham says he would like to give back to Wharry and South Medford by helping make that next step a reality. "I'm going to bust my butt to make it happen," he says. Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA