New Wakulla wrestling coach
By WALT JACOBS
Special to the Sun
The number 8 symbolizes new beginnings and abundance. A new era for Wakulla High School wrestling began in April of this year, when Nate Litowsky was chosen to succeed Will Pafford as the head wrestling coach. Litowsky is the 8th man to lead the War Eagles since the program was established in 1977 by Buddy Tomaini.
Prior to his appointment, Litowsky proudly served in the U.S. Marine Corps. Following that, beginning in 2022, he served two seasons as an assistant coach at Wakulla. Coach Litowsky’s wrestling journey started at the age of 5 in New Jersey. Throughout his career, he has had the opportunity to learn from some of best that the sport has to offer. His greatest influences are his father Benny Litowsky, who currently leads Wicked Clover wrestling club in Crawfordville and has 55 years of experience in the spor; National Wrestling Hall of Famer Damion Hahn; NWCA Division III Hall of Famer Stephen Rivera; and Mike Malinconico whose resumé includes being the former owner and coach of Rhino Wrestling and a former producer and commentator for FloSports.
When asked about his vision for the future of Wakulla Wrestling, Coach Litowsky promptly stated, “Creating leaders in life and champions off the mat.” He adamantly believes establishing good character should be of paramount importance and that success on the mat will follow as a result. He describes a mutually beneficial relationship between good character and wrestling where each one flourishes because of the other. “When you are a great person, you will be a great wrestler.”
The character-building aspect of wrestling, Litowsky feels, is a big reason wrestling is the nation’s fastest growing boys and girls high school sport for the second year in a row.
“(Wrestling) is a character builder that can set them up for success in the future,” Litowsky said. “Wrestling emphasizes individual accountability, while also teaching them how to enjoy wins and deal with loss.”
Those qualities along with a plethora of others including teamwork, leadership, and discipline, he says, “transfer into academics and everyday life.”
“Wrestling is not just a game, it is a lifestyle,” he said.
In the upcoming season, War Eagle fans will have a few opportunities to see the team compete at their home gym aptly named the Nest. Coach Litowsky encourages the community to come out and watch some of the very best wrestling in the state.
“Fans can expect to see a show,” said Coach Litowsky. “It will feature lights, music, and our boys and girls competing on the mat.”
Concessions will be available to purchase at each event. The season opener will be on Dec. 5th versus the Middleburg Broncos. The wrestlers will begin warming up at 6:30 p.m. and the dual will begin at 7 p.m.
