FLEMING ISLAND - As a Fleming Island High wrestler, Evan McCall was feisty, tenacious and used that to finish second in the rugged Class 3A ranks in his senior year, 2014.
McCall (39-3) faced off …
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FLEMING ISLAND - As a Fleming Island High wrestler, Evan McCall was feisty, tenacious and used that to finish second in the rugged Class 3A ranks in his senior year, 2014.
McCall (39-3) faced off with Palm Harbor’s unbeaten (66-0) Jared Prince in the 126 championship match and lost a 7-1 decision. Prince would continue his wrestling at the U.S. Naval Academy while McCall had stints as a mixed martial arts fighter and the U.S. Marines before landing back in Orange Park as head wrestling coach at Orange Park Junior High two years ago. Fast forward to 2019, McCall is an assistant coach at Bartram Trail High School under former Orange Park High head wrestling coach Chad Parker.
On Saturday, McCall put his first wrestler into the Class 3A state championship meet; Bartram Trail’s freshman 106 pounder Ethan Vugman who won the third place match at the region 1-3A championship at Fleming Island with a 9-6 win over Apopka freshman Tamarion Kendrick. Kendrick was 48-13.
“It is actually a better feeling than making the state meet myself,” said McCall, who had a quick exit from the state meet in his junior year losing his second match in both years and then losing in consolations before his stellar senior season. “He’s a 93 pound freshman and our only state qualifier.”
Vugman, 52-7 in his first campaign as a varsity wrestler, followed his older brother, Nick Vugman, third at 132 in Class 2A last year, into wrestling and wound up with McCall as his mentor.
“Tenacity is something we can’t teach, but Ethan and I have been working together to try to get that,” said McCall. “I think our off season program that we will start soon will help and just getting beat up a lot will make the kids tougher.”
McCall likened Vugman’s journey to the state meet to his own experience.
“I hope it will help Ethan out that I can share my experiences with him at the state meet,” said McCall. “It’s a big arena for a little freshman all alone. I was lucky to have a lot of great teammates back then with Fleming Island.”