Participants in the Lawrence High wrestling camp run through a drill Monday, June 16, 2014, at LHS.

Participants in the Lawrence High wrestling camp run through a drill Monday, June 16, 2014, at LHS.

Lawrence High wrestling coach Patrick Naughton, foreground, works on a move with assistant coach Konnor Kriss during camp Monday, June 16, 2014, at LHS.

After the graduation of six seniors, Lawrence High wrestling coach Pat Naughton knows it will probably be a rebuilding year for the program next winter.

Though there are a few talented wrestlers on the team capable of winning plenty of matches, it’s going to take more than a few guys to push the team to a championship level.

That’s why Naughton has focused on the younger athletes at wrestling camp this past week.

“It’s been great,” Naughton said. “Our numbers are up for the morning session with the kids club (kindergarten-fifth grade), and we do a really good job of getting those kids ample time in the morning before their day gets busy. With our older kids, it gets a little bit more tighter because their schedules are all over the place.”

Many of the Lions’ top wrestlers, including the Class 6A state champion at the 182-pound weight class, Alan Clothier, have been busy with summer football workouts.

One wrestler who made the team camp — senior Jhon Jacob, who wrestled at 120 pounds last year — took over the leadership roles for the younger wrestlers.

“We were down at Baker (University) camp, and he took a bunch of those kids under his wing and made sure they were getting to the right spots,” Naughton said. “He’s done the same thing here with this camp. The younger kids have kind of taken his lead, which is good.”

Jacob hasn’t always been the most vocal member of the wrestling team in the past, but he has been a big help to the team this summer.

“Last year he wasn’t that guy,” Naughton said. “So far this year, he’s really been a nice surprise stepping up and putting forth the effort to go the extra step. Along with him, we’ll have Cy Burghart coming back both as seniors that should produce some quality leadership there for the rest of our guys.”

One of the reasons for the rebuilding year is a gap of five years for the Lions’ kids club program, which fed wrestlers right into the high school team.

Naughton said he knew it was coming, but now the Lions will be made up of quite a few freshmen next winter. Though it’s tough to throw freshmen onto the mat right away, Naughton hopes to bring them along slowly next season, so during the team camp, he focused on the basics.

“We really focus on technique and strengthening,” Naughton said. “That’s the one thing that’s great about here: We’ve got a summer lifting program that’s available from middle schoolers all the way up to seniors. Coach Jamie Resseguie has done a great job of promoting that and getting those kids involved in those sessions.”