Entering his eighth year as John Stark wrestling coach, Bill Walton hoped to see a squad ready to build off last year’s success. Yet after finishing third in Division II and sending seven individuals to the Meet of Champions last season, Walton hasn’t seen that hunger to win in 2007-’08.

“I had some high expectations coming in, and they just aren’t competing real well right now as a team,” he said. “We have a few individuals that will do well, and then a lot of guys that are just there and haven’t shown yet that they want to work hard and be as good as last year’s team.”

That, said Walton, was evident when the Generals traveled to Bow for the Falcons’ holiday tournament.

Two JS wrestlers – both with good chances at placing – didn’t make weight, and another was a no-show.

The problem may be a lack of leadership, something Walton said he expects senior captain Keith DeMoura to resolve.

“We lost two leaders last year, and we’re looking for (DeMoura) to fill that role, but I haven’t seen him step up and tell the team, “Look, I’m your captain, and this is where we’re going this year,” said the mentor. “A lot of times, being a leader, you know, you have to ruffle some feathers.”

Still, Walton said Class I is wide open behind “unbelievably stacked” Plymouth, and he believes the Generals are among a group of five teams – including defending champ Hollis-Brookline, White Mountains, Pelham and surprising Bow – with a legitimate shot at second place.

But the Generals have already lost to both Hollis-Brookline and Bow, and have Plymouth and White Mountains on the horizon.

At the Bow Holiday Classic, John Stark finished second among D-II teams to Bow, 131.5 to 101.5 points.

DeMoura, who wrestles in the 145-pound weight class, finished second, while fellow captain David Cass, a 130-pounder, lost in the semifinals to Bow’s Matt Boyd before rebounding to place third.

“When (Cass) wrestles well, I don’t think anyone can beat him,” said Walton. “He has a great opportunity to be a champion, I think.”

Greg Jones, a 119-pound sophomore, also finished third, and senior 103-pounder Morgan Belanger surprised her coach with a fourth-place showing. Walton said if Belanger can continue utilizing her speed and athleticism to counter opposing male muscle, she has a legitimate chance to reach the Meet of Champions, as does 171- pounder Jon Richardson, who finished fourth in Bow as well.

“He’s a wrestler that does all the wrong things and often ends up in good situations,” said a perplexed Walton. “I’m trying to make him get out of bad habits, but the truth is he can beat just about anybody and can just as easily lose to anybody.”

Senior 160-pounder Dennis Stringer won two matches in what his coach categorized as possibly the toughest weight class of the day.

Stark also showed flashes of excellence against Hollis-Brookline earlier in the week when it entered the final match trailing 38-33. Needing a pin to win, the team fell, 44-33.

Wrestlers wanted In addition to working through early-season inconsistency, Walton said he wants a better turnout at wrestling tryouts in future years.

“I can’t get any little guys to come out. In fact, I’ve told all the teachers at the school if they see anybody who looks under 100 pounds to send them my way,” he said. “I’m also trying to get football players to come out. I mean, we have 50 to 70 guys go out for a successful football team, and yet we have only three of them wrestling. It’s actually pretty sad.

The Hollises and the Plymouths, that’s they’re lifeblood, getting the big guys from the (gridiron) team to come out.

“I get the feeling maybe they’re afraid,” Walton continued. “You can walk around the halls like a tough guy at school, but when you step on the mat it’s really evident if you are or not. Wrestling is definitely the most difficult sport at the high school level. Not only are you on your own, as opposed to a situation on the football field where one mistake rarely has a major affect on the outcome, but you also have to worry about weight management and conditioning, and if you make one mistake, you’re done. It’s just so unforgiving.”