TEMPERANCE – Kevin Vogel didn’t know what to expect from Bedford’s wrestling team this season.
Graduation ripped the heart out of the Mules’ lineup. Vogel lost 14 seniors to graduation.
“From 150 to 175 (pounds), we had no kids with any varsity experience,” he said. “All of those guys were stepping up from the JV team, plus we had a freshman at 106. We had a bunch of untested guys.”
Those guys passed the test.
The Mules not only matched their accomplishments from 2022-23, they might have been a bit better.
Bedford put together a 21-5 record, won the Monroe County Sheriff’s Invitational, Denny Brighton Invitational and several other tournaments, captured the Southeastern Conference Red championship and reached the Division 1 state quarterfinals.
All that led to Vogel being chosen as the Monroe County Region Wrestling Coach of the Year for the first time.
He never doubted the talent of his wrestlers. The only thing he questioned was the level of experience.
“We knew kids were good, solid wrestlers,” he said. “They just continued to get better. We ended up with a solid lineup.”’
Bedford’s team was more a lineup than a collection of stars. Virtually everyone finished with 35 or more wins.
“That’s the whole team aspect of wrestling,” Vogel said. “It’s not having four studs. You need 14 guys who are competitive.”
Bedford kind of snuck up on the state with its balanced attack, climbing all the way to No. 3 in the final rankings.
“I don’t follow that stuff very much, but I heard the kids talking – ‘Hey, we’re sixth,’ then it was fifth. The next thing you know, we were third,” Vogel said. ‘We just kept chipping away with solid wins over good teams.”
Unfortunately for the Mules, the people who seed teams for the state finals did not give them as much respect as the people who do the rankings. Bedford slipped to No. 5 and a quarterfinal matchup against Rockford.
Vogel’s team lost that match 39-22, but it didn’t take any luster over what the Mules had accomplished.
“It was a fun year,” Vogel said.
This was Vogel’s 13th season as head coach for his alma mater. He followed highly successful coaches Bill Regnier and Denny Brighton.
“To me, that’s a big responsibility, keeping the program near the top," he said. "In 50 years or so a lot of teams have come and gone, but Bedford has stayed near the top. … It’s been a while since we’ve won a state championship, but we’ve been in the hunt almost every one of those years.”
Vogel was a builder when he started, but his job got easier seven years ago when he was hired as a teacher in the school district.
“That’s been a big help, being in the school and talking to the kids on a daily basis,” he said.
He likes the direction the program is headed.
“The future is bright,” Vovel said. “We’re still bringing over 100 kids into our youth club and the middle school program’s numbers are back up. The kids still love wrestling.”
And the love of the sport and the program from former Bedford wrestlers also is strong. Vogel gets a lot of support from Mule alumni.
“My whole staff is just amazing,” said Vogel, who recently celebrated his 55th birthday. “They allow us to do what we’re doing at Bedford. Some days, I just sit back and let them run practice.”
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