Thursday, July 12, 2012
- by B.B. Branton
Former Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe football player Josh Mariakis returns to his alma mater as head wrestling coach and assistant football coach for the 2012-13 school year.
A 2005 graduate of LFO, Mariakis was an assistant wrestling coach at Salem High School (Conyers, Ga.) the past two years, served one year at Walnut Grove High School and three years as an assistant wrestling and football coach at Ridgeland High School (2007-09).
"I am very excited about being the new head wrestling coach at LFO and looking forward to the upcoming season," said Mariakis who wrestled in middle school.
LFO has eight returning starters, including Nate Long who placed fifth at the 2012 state tournament.
Mariakis replaces Donnie Welborn who recently resigned as the school's head wresting coach and will continue to teach at LFO.
"Josh will be a valuable addition to our coaching staff, both in football and wrestling," said LFO head football coach and athletics director Todd Windham.
"We believe that having Josh as an asssistant football coach is key to building the bridge for athletes to complete in football and wrestling. We need to increase our numbers in the wrestling room and adding football players is one way to do that."
All in the Family: Josh's dad, Keith Mariakis, is the head wrestling coach at LaFayette High School ... Josh's brother, Caleb, is a rising sophomore at LaFayette and placed third in the state as a freshman.
"My dad and I hope to schedule a match between LaFayette and LFO for the upcoming season," said Josh who holds a degree in early childhood education from Dalton State.
Josh's uncle, Mark Mariakis, is the head football coach at Ridgeland.
contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net