The landscape is changing in high school wrestling around the northwest Georgia area.
After a couple of down seasons among traditionally strong teams, and with stars such as four-time state champion Jonathan Ragsdale of Gordon Lee having graduated, things will be different this season.
Change isn't limited to the athletes. Two championship-winning coaches are in new places with plans to build contenders, and a newcomer steps in to lead one of the area's most successful programs.
The most unexpected move was former Gordon Lee coach Brent Raby accepting the position at Coahulla Creek. Raby, after winning multiple titles in Chickamauga, was set to step away before circumstances led him to Varnell.
"I thought I was done," Raby said, laughing. "I tore my Achilles' tendon and couldn't do construction work like I wanted to do full-time, so I went back to school. Now that I'm here, I've kind of fallen in love with it."
The feeling must be mutual - the Colts have started 8-0, including a tournament win at Southeast Whitfield in which they beat Gordon Lee and Northwest Whitfield, last year's state duals runner-up in Class AAAA. Raby knows it's early and few teams are at full strength, but he's thrilled with the start nonetheless.
"They're hungry. They want to be successful and we've got a lot of numbers," said Raby, who has 42 wrestlers on the roster. "It reminds me of when I first got to Gordon Lee, and it's really a breath of fresh air."
Speaking of the Trojans, former Northwest Whitfield assistant and Armuchee head coach Jason Mull is the new top man in Chickamauga. The Trojans are talented but young and should reach their stride come tournament time in January.
Also on a building plan is Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe, where former LFO star and assistant coach Kenny Hill has taken over a team that has fallen off drastically since he left to start the program at Heritage.
Hill, who led Heritage to the Class AAA traditional state title three years ago, is basically starting from scratch.
"We're a work in progress," said Hill, who has 23 athletes out but only a handful with any varsity experience. "We're a few years away. We need to develop a feeder program and have people willing to do the work and teach them the right way."
Lakeview has not had a youth program in several years."
Though northwest Georgia has been shut out of state team titles the past two years, there are some programs with postseason hopes.
In Area 7-AAAA, Northwest Whitfield was the region and state runner-up to powerhouse Gilmer in duals last season and returns a strong core group, while Ridgeland is ready to have a breakthrough season and Heritage hopes to build on last year's good finish.
In 6-AAA, 2014-15 champion Sonoraville has tournament experience throughout the lineup, while fast-starting Coahulla Creek, Ringgold, Calhoun and North Murray all appear to be improved.
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296. Follow him at twitter.com/youngsports22.