By Mike Renzella
The Haldimand Press
HAGERSVILLE—For Hagersville Secondary School (HSS) students and brothers Max and Luke Foster, the only thing that stood in the way of taking home a gold medal at last week’s CWOSSA Wrestling Championship in Kitchener was each other.
HAGERSVILLE—Brothers Max and Luke Foster pose together after their championship match against each other at a CWOSSA wrestling competition last week. —Submitted photo.
Following a series of dominating matches, Max (Grade 12) and Luke (Grade 11) came head to head in the gold medal championship, an impressive showing for the pair, and the result of years of training despite the COVID pandemic temporarily shutting down the possibility of in-person competitions like CWOSSA.
“Max and Luke are both amazing young men,” raved their wrestling coach Bobbi Woodcroft, head of the wrestling team at Cayuga Secondary School (CSS) where the boys are members due to there being no wrestling team available at HSS.
In speaking with the brothers, it’s clear to see why they have achieved this accomplishment.
“My interests are weightlifting and wrestling,” revealed Max, with Luke echoing the sentiment.
Woodcroft said that wrestling runs in the Foster family, with Max and Luke’s older sister Maegan and brother Stacey getting into the sport as well. She said that when Max and Luke hit high school, she was happy to offer them a spot on the Cayuga team, knowing it might be their only option locally to compete.
“I always knew that when I got into high school that I wanted to follow in my older brother and sister’s footsteps,” said Max. “Coach Woody welcomed me and recommended that I pursue wrestling outside high school as well. She recommended Discipline Wrestling, where her husband Greg Woodcroft (who competed in the 1996 Olympics) trained under Dave Mair. I’ve been training there for the last five years.”
Luke said that during the initial COVID lockdown, he began hitting his home gym hard, putting in four hours of work a day: “I was seeing my brother Max’s success at wrestling and thought I’d give it a try. I started at Discipline in 2021 and started at Hagersville/Cayuga in Grade 10, but that was short lived due to the second shutdown. Our dad made us a wrestling room in our garage so we could continue wrestling.”
Woodcroft chalked up their exceptional skills to “dedication and leadership” that sets them apart “on and off the mat…. Not only are they talented wrestlers they are also leaders on our team, sharing their knowledge and skills with other team members. They are always in their teammate’s corner coaching and encouraging them! True leaders on and off the mat!”
HAGERSVILLE—Shown are Max and Luke Foster with HSS Department Head of Science Heather Grenville.
—Submitted photo.
The brothers said that competing against each other at CWOSSA was their ultimate goal.
“Going in to CWOSSA my main goal was to win all my matches so I could be in the finals with Max. For me, there was no other option,” said Luke, who ultimately lost to his older brother for the championship but got one more chance to shine at the tournament. “I was challenged by the third-place wrestler, so I had to wrestle him to secure my place at OFSAA. It’s secure.”
Coach Woodcroft was thrilled by the boys’ success, but added, “I hated watching them wrestle for gold because I had to be quiet in the corner.”
Next up, the brothers will be travelling to Ottawa for the OFSAA provincial wrestling championship, held March 7-8.
“I am excited and proud that Max and Luke will have the opportunity to go to OFSAA,” said Woodcroft. “It is a tough competition made up of the top wrestlers from 18 school athletic associations across Ontario. I am so thrilled to be in both their corners!”
She called coaching the boys an honour.
This fall, Max will start the next chapter in his life, studying chemical and physical sciences at McMaster University, while continuing to pursue wrestling. Luke will carry on for one more year with Coach Woodcroft and the CSS team. For the brothers, the upcoming OFSAA tournament will be a culmination of their shared passion, and one glorious shot to compete, together, on the provincial stage.
Both brothers are taking the opportunity seriously, training extensively at Discipline, working out, and fighting each other in their home wrestling room.
The boys noted both their teachers and their employers are accommodating when they are at competitions, adding, “It fulfills us to be a part of something greater than ourselves and to represent our community on a provincial level. We feel proud to represent a community who supports us, especially Mr. Benner and Mrs. Grenville from HSS and our wrestling coach Mrs. Woodcroft (Woody)…. This opportunity represents our hard work and dedication to this sport. We hope we continue to make our community proud.”
Where might this all lead to? While both brothers plan on wrestling being a part of their lives indefinitely, Max hinted, “The ultimate end goal would be to go to the Olympics.”
We wish Max and Luke the best at their upcoming tournament.
