NTL WRESTLING: TROY LOOKS TO KEEP GROWING IN 2025-2026 (December 1, 2025)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
Change continues to be the norm for Troy wrestling as they come into the season with their third coach in three years, but they also return a state qualifier, and have a plethora of talent coming up through the ranks, even if the ranks are a little small.

Leading the way is junior heavyweight Reed Palmer who comes into the season a returning state qualifier.

“It just gives the program hope,” coach Tony Carter said. “This program has been in a lull for the past half decade or so, and it just gives the rest of the boys something to shoot for - it puts impossibilities into a possible situation. It just makes everybody in the mat room want to strive and do better.”

Palmer went 24-15 a year ago, taking third at North Section, then snuck into regionals with a seventh place finish at districts. He moved up a couple spots at regionals to take fourth.

“I’m really excited to get back out here on the mat,” Palmer said. “I’m focusing on getting the offense going this year, in the past I was really defensive and not really taking very many shots.”

He, like a few other in the mat room, are coming off another long football season, though not quite as long as last year.

“It’s good to get your little time away from wrestling,” Palmer said. “You get to spend a lot of time with your good buddies in football, but it’s good to hang out with some of the guys on the wrestling team here.”

He went 0-2 at states a year ago, so the big motivation isn’t just to get back to states, but to get on the podium.

Palmer won’t be the biggest of heavyweights - which tops out at 285 pounds - but he believes he can make it up in other ways.

“You’ve just got to be quicker,” he said. 

His training partner this year will be 215-pounder senior Kael Millard. Millard battled through an injury plagued junior season, but is healthy and ready to go for his final year.

“I’m just putting in the work and getting conditioned,” he said. “My shooting hasn’t been too good in the past, so this year I’m really focusing on that.”

Millard isn’t going to be one of he biggest 215-pounders out there, but he’s hit the weights hard and knows what he’s going to have to do to make up for it.

“It’s nice that I can get up in tight with people,” he said. 

For right now Millard just wants to get as many wins as possible.

Carter will be looking for the two of them to anchor the team on the mat.

“It’s very nice to have them at the top, but even more importantly, their leadership in the mat room speaks volumes, and is more important than their physical attributes,” he said.

Other wrestlers to match will be Logunn Heasley, Hunter Watson, Garrett Parks, and Keegan Kerr.

“To you the truth we have a handful of boys with tons of potential,” said Carter. “It’s going to be up to them if they want to take the next step.”

Heasley, who is coming off a strong football season, is ‘very athletic,’ according to Carter.

“Hunter Watson had a very successful junior high career, and I expect that to continue as the years go on,” Carter remarked. “Garrett Parks has massive potential, and I think he could really step up and make a leap this season.”

Carter noted Kerr placed at sectionals a year ago.

“He performed well at districts, and I think as a junior he’s going to take another step this season,” he said.

Numbers are going to be their toughest opponent this season as there are only 12 on the roster and 13 spots in the line-up.

“I’m very transparent to them,” explained Carter. “The reality of the situation is we’re probably going to be forfeiting two to three to four weights this year again, just like last season. I told them team record doesn’t matter, what matters is progressively evolving and getting better over the entire season, and then peaking at the postseason individually.”

ROSTER (Grade)
Garrett Parks (10)
Connor Dibble (11)
Anthony Jordan (9)
Keagan Kerr (11)
Marcus Frisbie (10)
Wilder Koch (12)
Logunn Heasley (11)
Hunter Watson (9)
Thomas Moon (10)
Jimmy Deakin (9)
Kael Millard (12)
Reed Palmer (11)

SCHEDULE
Dec. 9 at Wyalusing, 7 p.m.
Dec. 11 vs NPL, 7 p.m.
Dec. 16 at Williamson, 7 p.m.
Dec. 19 at Panther Holiday Classic, 10 a.m.
Dec. 22 vs NEB, 7 p.m.
Jan. 6 at SCA, 7 p.m.
Jan. 7 vs Athens, 7 p.m.
Jan. 10 at Flynn Duals, 11 a.m.
Jan. 13 at Wellsboro, 7 p.m.
Jan. 17 at Battle of the Border (Williamson), 10 a.m.
Jan. 21 at Canton, 7 p.m.
Jan. 23 at Ultimate Warrior, 10 a.m.
Jan. 28 vs Jersey Shore, 7 p.m.
Feb. 3 at South Williamsport, 7 p.m.
Feb. 14 at North Section Tournament (Wellsboro), 9 a.m.



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