SARATOGA SPRINGS — Capital Region ballet dancers ages 12 to 18 will represent Saratoga Springs Youth Ballet this May at the Regional Dance America Northeast Festival.
In August 2022, Saratoga Springs Youth Ballet (SSYB) was accepted as a new Regional Dance America Northeast member company. It is the only ballet company in New York State to have been accepted into the organization.
This May, 20 SSYB dancers will be traveling to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to attend the RDA Northeast Festival. During the three-day-long festival, participants attend master classes, seminars, and college roundtables during the day, as well as perform each evening.
In preparation for their festival performance, on March 19, RDA’s adjudicator Carla Stallings Lippert will visit SSYB to evaluate and select the works to be shown at the Festival performances. She will watch SSYB dancers in class and perform choreographic works. She will then provide feedback and professional guidance to facilitate both artistic and technical growth.
Capital Region residents can support these young dancers at “Ballet at the Bar,” a fundraiser being held from 2 to 7 p.m., Saturday, March 11 at Artisanal Brew Works. $1 from each draft beer, wine or cocktail will be donated to SSYB. The brewery is located at 617 Maple Ave. in Saratoga Springs.
Photo provided by Schuylerville Central School District.
SCHUYLERVILLE — Schuylerville junior Luke Sherman reached a major milestone in boys basketball action, scoring his 1,000th career varsity point in the Black Horses’ Class B quarterfinal loss to Tamarac.
Sherman averaged 22 points per game, scoring 484 points in total for Schuylerville this season, who finished 13-9 overall and 7-7 in the Foothills Council.
The Black Horses opened sectional play with a 68-55 win over Mechanicville before falling 83-58 to Tamarac, the 3rd-ranked team in NYS Class B by the New York Sportswriters Association, in the quarterfinals. Schuylerville trailed by just five points at halftime, 39-34, before the Bengals pulled away in the second half. Sherman scored 22 points in that game to lead Schuylerville, while Griffin Brophy added 16 points.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Team registration has opened for the 2023 Adult Saratoga Softball League. The league offers co-ed and men’s slow pitch softball. For fees and more information, email saratogasoftballleague@gmail.com or go to LeagueLineup.com/SaratogaCoed.
GLENS FALLS — The Adirondack Jr. Thunder are making waves in their first season as members of the Eastern Hockey League Premier, and doing so with a roster made up almost entirely of local players.
The EHLP is a junior hockey league based in the Northeast. The Jr. Thunder have clinched first place in the league’s New England Division, with a record of 30-6-4-2 for a total of 66 points.
Several players said the team’s location was one of the things that drew them to the squad. Many of the team’s players spent previous seasons with other junior hockey teams.
“I live two minutes over the bridge, why wouldn’t I want to sleep in my bed every night and play at (Cool Insuring Arena), where I grew up watching games?” said forward Damon Warren. “It’s awesome.”
“It feels nice to be home,” added defenseman Jim Fitzgerald, a Queensbury native. “I know the area, I’m not going somewhere that I have no idea.”
Like the ECHL’s Adirondack Thunder, the Jr. Thunder team practices and plays home games at Cool Insuring Arena. They are coached by Glenn Merkosky, who spent 11 seasons in professional hockey, including 66 NHL games.
Merkosky has an extensive history at the arena, spending parts of six seasons with the AHL’s Adirondack Red Wings from 1985 to 1991, including Calder Cup championships in 1986 and 1989, and serving as the team’s head coach from 1996 to 1999.
Merkosky said he hadn’t coached since his stint with Adirondack, but was asked by fellow members of the Jr. Thunder’s board of directors.
“It wasn’t really something, to tell you the truth, that I had even thought about,” said Merkosky. “After I did think about it, I said, ‘Yeah, that would be something I would probably enjoy doing.’”
While it has been more work than he had anticipated, Merkosky said the job came around for him “at a really good point” in his life.
“To be honest with you, once I took this job, I kind of found you do everything,” Merkosky said. “It’s been probably three times as much work as I thought it’d be. But I’ve enjoyed it, it’s been good for me at this point in my life.”
He said the team’s overwhelming volume of local players has been “a little bit of a talk” around the league this season, with a majority of EHLP teams recruiting players from across the United States, Canada, and beyond.
“It’s a real feather in the cap for the youth hockey programs in this area, from Glens Falls down to Saratoga and in the Capital District area, that they’re producing some real good players,” said Merkosky.
This includes players such as Warren, a South Glens Falls native who said the decision to join the team was a “no-brainer.” Warren spent the previous two seasons playing for the NA3HL’s Bay State Bobcats in Holyoke, Massachusetts.
The team includes products of several local high school hockey teams: Saratoga Springs, Queensbury, Adirondack, and G/M/S/V/S. 17 of the 24 players listed on the team’s roster formerly played for one of the four high school squads.
Brockport native Zack Geitner, one of the few players hailing from outside the Capital Region, said Merkosky’s credentials were a large factor in his decision. Geitner spent the previous season with another EHLP team, the New England Wolves.
“I saw the credentials that Coach had, and I thought it was a good idea,” said Geitner. “Plus, it was closer to home to the Rochester, New York, area.”
The team gelled together quickly, with Merkosky saying the squad “built really good team chemistry early on.”
“Everyone’s just trying to make each other better,” said Kian Hodgins, a goaltender from Ottawa, Ontario. “If someone makes a mistake, we’re going to let them know about it, but it’s ultimately to make that person better.”
“It’s a very welcoming environment,” added Geitner. “You can definitely build off that and take advantage of it, and I think we’ve done that.”
And the opportunity to play at Cool Insuring Arena, a professional facility, has also been a major advantage for the players, they said.
“Even in practice, you look up and nobody’s in the stands, but you see all the seats, and it’s awesome,” said Warren. “You feel like you have to work. It’s just a different feeling than any other rink I’ve played in.”
And with the regular season coming to a close, the Jr. Thunder have capped off their inaugural season with a division title, but with the playoffs approaching, the team has larger goals.
“We do have a big goal, we do have a big picture,” said Geitner. “Sometimes it’s hard to get away from that, but we’re just focused on one game at a time, just winning.”
“Doesn’t matter our record, we’ve still got to go into the playoffs,” Warren said. “It’s 0-0 when the playoffs start.”
CBA’s Jayden Osinski (15) puts up a shot as Saratoga’s Hutton Snyder (3) and Bryant Savage (20) defend during the Brothers’ 56-43 win on March 2. Photo by Super Source Media Studios.
GLENS FALLS — Stifled by a strong Brothers defense, the Saratoga Springs varsity boys basketball team fell 56-43 to CBA in the Section 2 Class AA semifinals on Thursday.
The Blue Streaks got off to a slow start, with CBA jumping to an eleven-point lead late in the first quarter. Saratoga was held to just 19 points in the first half, and the Brothers used a strong inside game to keep the Blue Streaks at bay in the second half.
Saratoga head coach Matt Usher was complimentary of the CBA defense, while acknowledging the Blue Streaks “missed some shots that we were capable of making.”
“Definitely got some shots that we are happy with, but their length obviously bothered us,” said Usher. “It’s one of those nights where the shots that you need to make aren’t dropping.”
Five points each from CBA’s Jayden Osinski and Oreoluwapo Odutayo helped the Brothers to an early double-digit lead. After being held to just four points in the first five minutes, Saratoga began finding more of a rhythm offensively, with a late three-pointer by junior Ryan Farr cutting the deficit to 15-7 after one quarter.
The trio of Farr, Hutton Snyder, and Andrew Stallmer combined to score all 19 of the Blue Streaks’ first-half points, with Usher saying the trio “have been phenomenal leaders” for the squad.
Consecutive buckets by Snyder and Stallmer cut CBA’s lead to three with 1:33 left in the first half, but a three-point play by CBA junior Aiden Wine extended the Brothers’ lead to 25-19 at the break. Usher said the Blue Streaks emphasized utilizing their speed to generate looks in the paint in the second half.
CBA, however, extended the lead in the third quarter, opening the second half with a 10-2 run to extend the lead to 35-21. The duo of Osinski and Odutayo shined in the quarter, combining to score 12 of the Brothers’ 15 points. The Brothers held Saratoga to just two made field goals in the quarter, and a pair of free throws by Odutayo in the final seconds sent CBA to the fourth with a 40-25 lead.
“Their defense was locked in. They altered some shots inside,” said Usher of the Brothers’ defense. “They definitely bothered us with some of their physicality on the perimeter. Credit to CBA and their players. They’re a good team.”
The Blue Streaks cut the lead to 10 points on a pair of free throws by Farr with 6:51 remaining, but were unable to get any closer in the fourth quarter. Odutayo led CBA with seven points in the final frame, helping close out a 56-43 victory.
Stallmer led Saratoga with 14 points in the loss. Farr had nine points, while Snyder added eight points. Caleb Casey scored six points, with Antone Robbens and Noah Friedman each adding three points.
Odutayo led CBA with 21 points in the win. Osinski had 15 points, with Matt Sgambati adding nine points. Wine had six points, while Kaelan Leak added three points. Matt Picard and Leonard LaVigne each had one point for the Brothers.
Usher said that, despite the loss, he is “so proud of these kids for their effort all season.”
“17 wins, a trip up here to Glens Falls. I think if you would’ve asked a lot of people in the league and the community, they might not have expected that before the season,” Usher said. “Our kids believed, they kept getting better.”
Usher said it is “always special” to earn a trip to Glens Falls, and said it was great to see for his current group of players.
“I just couldn’t be happier for this group of kids to get up here,” said Usher. “They’re a fun bunch of guys to be around. They enjoy each other, they work hard in practice. They’re a coach’s dream. They remind me why it is I like to coach.”
Ballston Spa’s Nick Verdile (50) drives while defended by Green Tech’s Haisi Mayben (1) during the Eagles’ 59-58 win on March 2. Photo by Super Source Media Studios.
GLENS FALLS — The Ballston Spa varsity boys basketball team was unable to finish a 19-point comeback on Thursday, but the game was yet another example of the Scotties doing what they did all season: fight.
“As was the case all year,” said head coach Ben Eldridge. “Just so proud of them. Trusted each other, worked hard, and they just never were going to give up.”
Ballston Spa fell 59-58 to Green Tech in the Section 2 Class AA Semifinals at Cool Insuring Arena. But the game seemed like it might be over early, with the Eagles soaring to a 31-12 lead midway through the second quarter.
Green Tech dominated the opening frame and the first minutes of the second, led by an 11-point first quarter from sophomore Haisi Mayben. The Scotties, on the other hand, couldn’t get many shots to fall despite having some quality chances.
“We’re used to a couple more of those going in,” Eldridge said of his team’s start. “I was proud, we didn’t start forcing them. Sometimes, when they’re not going in, you start forcing up a couple you shouldn’t. But I think we did a good job of still hunting for the right shots, and we were getting them.”
Eldridge said he “knew at some point” the Scotties would settle in, and settle in they did. The Ballston Spa offense started to come to life in the latter half of the second quarter, with seniors Nick Verdile and Mike Miller combining for 15 points in the frame.
Green Tech took a 37-27 lead into halftime, but Eldridge said he “felt great” entering the break.
“We knew we were starting to play the way we can,” said Eldridge. “We’re used to playing 32 minutes all season long. So we felt really good, and it showed in the third quarter.”
Verdile, the Scotties’ leading scorer, heated up in the third, scoring nine points in the frame. A three by Nico Savini cut the Eagles’ lead to six, and free throws by Ben Phillips trimmed Green Tech’s lead to 45-41 after the third quarter.
Ballston Spa took the lead for the first time with 6:41 remaining after a three-pointer from Phillips. But Green Tech seemed to always have a response, with a quick bucket by Mayben giving the Eagles the lead right back.
With 3:29 remaining, a three-pointer by Mayben extended the lead to five and sparked a short run for Green Tech, who got consecutive buckets from sophomore U’Mier Graham to extend the lead to 59-50 with 2:25 to play.
And just like they did in the first half, the Scotties simply kept fighting.
“Just a couple possessions didn’t go our way after we took the lead,” Eldridge said. “Got down by nine again, and again, didn’t give up.”
Miller stopped the Eagles’ run with a pair of free throws, and a three-point play by Savini made it a four-point game with 1:31 left. Ballston Spa pressed on the ensuing inbounds, and Savini stole the ball before finding Verdile for a quick three, making it 59-58 with 1:16 left.
The Scotties had several chances to take the lead in the final minutes, and ultimately had one last opportunity in the final seconds. Coming out of a timeout, a three-pointer from Verdile missed, and Graham pounced on the rebound for Green Tech, sealing the Eagles’ spot in the Class AA Championship.
Eldridge said despite the ending, he was “so proud” of his players. The Scotties finished 19-2 on the season.
“The ball bounces the wrong way sometimes,” said Eldridge. “Just goes to show what kinds of players and kids they are. They’re fantastic young men.”
Verdile had 27 points for Ballston Spa, leading all scorers. Miller had 15 points, while Savini added eight. Phillips had five points, and Mike Pritchard added three points. Mayben led Green Tech with 16 points, while Henry Perkins had 11 and Olivan Owens added 10 points.
Verdile said his teammates are “like family,” saying it meant a lot to have the season the Scotties had.
“Obviously, this loss hurts,” said Verdile. “But in a few days, we’ll understand, like, we won the league and we did a lot of stuff that no other basketball team from Ballston Spa has done. It means a lot, and I’m going to miss playing with all these guys. They’re brothers to me now. I’ve just had such a good time playing with them, and I’m just thankful that they made the season so good for me.”
Eldridge was complimentary of the team’s seniors, saying they have put “everything” into the program.
“Our message was, ‘If an end like this negates all of that work since they were in fourth grade, then they’re losing out on some of the stuff that they can gain from and learn,” said Eldridge. “It’s bigger than that. It’s not the way you want to end, but the journey, the process along the way, that’s the stuff they’ll remember for the rest of their life.”
STATEN ISLAND — Four athletes from Saratoga Springs teamed up to capture the NYSPHSAA Indoor Track State Championship in the 4×800 relay, capping off a weekend full of strong finishes.
The team of Alycia Hart, Sheridan Wheeler, McKinley Wheeler, and Emily Bush took home the state championship in the 4×800 relay with a time of 9:06.63, a new meet record. All four runners also helped Saratoga capture the cross country national championship at the Nike Cross Nationals in Portland, Oregon on Dec. 3.
“Just when you think you’ve done everything, something else pops up,” said coach Linda Kranick. “It’s been a very exciting year for them.”
Kranick has served as the longtime coach of the Saratoga girls track and cross country teams alongside her husband Art Kranick.
“These girls, they work so well together,” Kranick continued. “They’re so focused. We didn’t even think about the record ahead of time. It was a very exciting race. They led from the gun to the wire, the whole time.”
McKinley Wheeler also placed second in the 3000-meter run (9:37.50), with Sheridan Wheeler in third (9:37.67). Kranick said the times are two of the best in the event in team history.
“Those were just outstanding times that they ran,” Kranick said. “Number three and four all-time for our team, so that says a lot. … It was an amazing race, and they run so well together.”
Kranick also said it was “impressive” to see Bush, McKinley Wheeler, and Sheridan Wheeler all compete in multiple events over the weekend.
Bush finished third in the 1500-meter run (4:29.42), setting a new personal best. Anya Belisle also placed eighth in the 1500 (4:40.63). Amelia McBain placed fourth in the pole vault (12’ 0”).
“That was a personal best for Emily. To break 4:30 is something to be proud of,” said Kranick. “Amelia is just a super athlete, a super person. We’re so proud of her in the pole vault.”
McBain set the school record in the pole vault earlier in the season, Kranick said.
Next, the team will head to another national championship meet: The Nike 2023 Indoor Nationals from March 10 to 12 at The Armory in New York City. Kranick said the indoor season has been “very successful,” to this point, with the team looking to continue that success this weekend.
“We’re quite pleased with all the girls’ performances,” said Kranick. “There are other girls, not just the ones you see at the state meets and the headlines. But we have many other girls who are out there working hard. It makes it enjoyable for us.”
SCHENECTADY — The Stillwater varsity boys bowling team capped off its season by winning the Section 2 Class C Championship, posting a team-high score of 5,870.
The Warriors edged out rival Hoosick Falls to win the sectional title, concluding a season that saw the team win the Wasaren League Championship, the Wasaren League Tournament, and the Indian Pin over Mechanicville. Led by the league’s top scorer and captain Connor Julian, was co-captain Adam Conklin, Alex Mell, Steven Berry, Evan Coe, Aden Wickham, Anthony Miller, and Jacob Smith.
Taylor Beaury (far right) stands at the podium after finishing in seventh place in the 126-pound weight class at the 2023 NYSPHSAA Division 1 wrestling championships. Photo provided by Jake Zanetti.
ALBANY — Eight local wrestlers competed at the NYSPHSAA Division 1 State Championships over the weekend at MVP Arena in Albany, concluding their seasons against the top wrestlers in New York State.
Ballston Spa’s Darrien Insogna finished as the NYSPHSAA Division 1 runner-up at 215 pounds, falling to Minisink Valley’s Ethan Gallo in the state championship match. Connor Gregory earned a third-place finish at 160 pounds for the Scotties, while Ralph Keeney placed fourth at 110 pounds. Also competing for the Scotties was Cameron Hinchcliff.
Saratoga Springs’ Taylor Beaury earned a seventh-place finish at 126 pounds, while Lorenzo Palleschi battled to an eight-place finish at 189 pounds. Also competing for the Blue Streaks were Vito Spadafora and Patrick McKinley.
Ballston Spa head coach Harvey Staulters said it was “great to get them out there a second time,” noting that Insogna, Gregory, and Keeney all wrestled at last year’s state championships as well.
“Because of their experience, they were a little more at ease, and had a little higher expectations, a little higher goals,” said Staulters. “It was great to watch them compete.”
All three of the Scotties’ returning wrestlers improved on their finishes from the 2022 state championships.
Saratoga head coach Jake Zanetti said the weekend was “a nice culminating event” for Spadafora and Palleschi, who are seniors. Zanetti added that it was great experience for Beaury, a sophomore, and McKinley, a junior.
“Definitely a great opportunity for all four of them for different reasons,” said Zanetti.
For Ballston Spa, Insogna opened his tournament by pinning Longwood’s William Francois, then pinned Central Square’s Rocky Files in the quarterfinals. Insogna pinned Bellport’s Jaiden Green in the semifinals, dropping an 11-4 decision to Gallo in the state title match.
Gregory earned a 17-6 major decision over Horseheads’ Liam Levantovich in his opening match, rallying to earn a 6-4 sudden victory decision over Iona Prep’s Sean Dagl in the quarterfinals. Gregory fell in the semifinals, dropping a 5-3 decision to Cornwall’s Tyler Reed, before winning a consolation match over Churchville-Chili’s Coy Raines to advance to the third-place finals. There, Gregory beat Degl again, earning a 3-2 decision.
Keeney opened the tournament with a 15-2 major decision over Brady Judd of Warwick Valley, dropping a 9-0 major decision to Valley Central’s Luke Satriano in the quarterfinals. Keeney earned consolation round victories over Jason Euceda (Brentwood), Ryan Cielinski (Spencerport), and Ryan Ferrara (Chenango Forks), before dropping the third-place finals in an 8-4 decision against Long Beach’s Dunia Sibomana.
Hinchcliff defeated Hilton’s Tyler Simons in the first round, falling to Niagara Falls’ Amarfio Reynolds in the second round. In the consolation rounds, Hinchcliff earned a 9-5 decision over Horseheads’ Cody Dale, and a win by fall over Carthage’s Landon Copley before dropping a 5-0 decision to Pittsford’s Samson McKissick-Staley.
Staulters had praise for his wrestlers, saying they “exceeded expectations” over the weekend.
“They were inspirational, to continually fight and move forward, despite some of the adversities,” said Staulters. “Sometimes they lost, and they just kept coming back. It was really a great experience.”
For Saratoga, Beaury opened the tournament with a victory by technical fall over West Babylon’s Billy Colloca. He fell to Calhoun’s Ray Adams by an 8-2 decision in the quarterfinals. Beaury won his first consolation match over Fox Lane’s Justin Gierum, falling to Nikolas Massero of St. Joe’s Collegiate in the second. Beaury earned a 4-2 decision over Bellport’s Camryn Howard in the seventh-place match.
Zanetti said that Beaury “did really well,” noting that the 126-pound weight class was particularly strong.
“The seeds don’t really matter much at states,” Zanetti said. “He’s a tenth-grader, he battled a lot of older kids than him.”
Palleschi beat Canandaigua’s Mason Depew in the opening round, avenging a loss to Depew earlier in the season on Jan. 21. Palleschi fell to top-seeded Zack Ryder of Minisink Valley in the quarterfinals, and bounced back by winning his opening consolation match over Bethlehem’s Quincy Bonville. Palleschi lost to Pine Bush’s Braydon Pennell in the second consolation match, and dropped a 6-2 decision to Orchard Park’s Jack MacDonald in the seventh-place match.
Zanetti said it was nice to see Palleschi avenge his earlier loss to Depew, which came in sudden victory during the King Bison Invitational at Shaker High School.
“For him to get a ‘W’, that was really nice,” said Zanetti.
Spadafora lost his opening round match to Nyack’s Sam Szerlip, defeating Lancaster’s Mikey Schaefer in the consolation rounds. Spadafora fell to Clarke’s Justin Soriano in the third consolation round.
“(Vito has) been a key program guy for a long time, so for him to get to the state tournament was really fun for him,” said Zanetti.
McKinley earned a 5-3 sudden victory decision over Davit Abjandadze of Edward R. Murrow High School, falling to Gallo, the eventual state champion at 215 pounds, in the quarterfinals. McKinley beat Josh Amiel of John F. Kennedy (Bellmore) by 4-3 ultimate tiebreaker in the first consolation match, falling to MacArthur’s Ben Velasquez by 7-2 decision in his second consolation match.
Zanetti described McKinley as “a total Cinderella story,” saying he emerged as one of the team’s top wrestlers midway through the season.
“Once he started showing signs of that, it was great for him to get out there,” Zanetti said.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Karate, judo, jiu-jitsu, wrestling, Muay Thai. You name it, and Don Walton likely utilized it during his professional MMA debut on Feb. 18.
Walton, a coach and trainer at the Saratoga Academy of Elite Martial Arts, defeated Jason LaPage as part of the Battle in Barre 9 in Barre, Vermont. The match was Walton’s first professional fight.
“It hasn’t become real yet,” said Walton of his victory. “It still is kind of sinking in a little bit. But it’s just nice to be able to watch all the years of suffering and hard work that I’ve been through finally come to fruition, and show something.”
Walton has been training at the Saratoga Academy of Elite Martial Arts since 2012, beginning as a student. Walton is a black belt in Kyokushin karate, a four-stripe brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, a yellow belt in judo, and will be receiving his jiu jitsu black belt soon, said Saratoga Academy of Elite Martial Arts head instructor Jim Bruchac.
Eventually, looking to increase his skills, he headed west to advance his training at Kings MMA in Huntington Beach, California. There, he worked with highly acclaimed trainer Rafael Cordeiro, who has trained fighters such as Anderson Silva, Maurício Rua, Wanderlei Silva, and more.
“It just was really amazing,” said Walton of the experience. “I just fell in love with it, I loved everything about it.”
After the COVID-19 pandemic hit, however, Walton ultimately moved back to the Capital Region. Initially, Walton was unsure if he wanted to continue fighting, but said the itch eventually returned.
Walton’s professional debut would not come without its hurdles, however. His initial opponent dropped out due to an injury, and Walton’s first professional opportunity did not come until a year later.
Walton said in order to stay prepared, he simply tried “not to focus too much on the fight.”
“I tell people, if all you do is focus on trying to be a fighter, you’re going to burn yourself out,” said Walton. “You physically and mentally cannot be focused on fighting all the time.”
That’s where his role as a teacher comes in. Walton said he focuses most of his time on being a martial artist and a teacher at the Saratoga Academy of Elite Martial Arts, saying it is “more rewarding” to watch another person develop their skills.
“I really enjoy teaching more than anything else. Fighting is really fun, don’t get me wrong,” Walton said. “But it’s more rewarding to me to watch someone else develop themselves in a way, where I get to play a role in that myself.”
Walton runs the Academy’s muay thai programs for both adults and children, and is a camp instructor at the martial arts school at Ndakinna Education Center, Bruchac said.
“We have some very competitive kids in both those arenas,” said Bruchac. “Right after winning his fight, he was helping us run one of our youth camps, our nine-year-old group.”
Eventually, the day of Walton’s fight came, and saw him utilize a wide variety of moves in order to capture a win via leg lock in the second round. Walton said the skill learned from a variety of styles has been invaluable.
“In this fight, I got to use muay thai. I used karate, I used judo, I used wrestling, I used jiu-jitsu. Just everything that we do here,” said Walton.
Bruchac said Walton is ultimately fighting “for his students,” providing a real-world example of the moves and methods that the Academy teaches.
“To highlight what we teach at our school, to show things come to fruition in a real situation like a sports situation, and then be able to pass that on to his students,” said Bruchac. “He fully illustrated all that we offer at the school in brilliant fashion.”
“For me, I like to say this is the example,” Walton said. “You see now why I require you to understand judo, why I require you to understand wrestling. … It’s not just about punching people, you have to also be able to deal with every possible scenario.”
As for the future, Walton said that while he has been offered more professional opportunities, he will likely only fight “once or twice a year.”
“At the end of the day, my career is a coach and a martial artist,” Walton said. “I hope to get back in there again before the end of the year. But right now, we’ve got other guys on our team that I’m trying to help bring up. I’ve got some guys that might be fighting in March and April, so I want to help those guys first.”
Walton said that ultimately, professional fights are a way for him to test himself.
“For me, I like to push myself to the limit and just be able to find out, how far can I go? How far can I push my body?” said Walton. “Win or lose, I don’t care. It’s all about me testing myself and my skills. It’s not about me proving anything to anyone other than myself.”
