Riley Locks Up Gamer of the Week Honors
Teays Physical Therapy Center, Inc. and The Putnam Herald are pleased to present this week’s male Gamer of the Week to sophomore, Daylan Riley of the Buffalo High School wrestling team.
With the field set for the 2020 WV State Wrestling meet, Buffalo High School’s own, Daylan Riley looks to get a taste of the state competition for the first time. The sophomore has put together an impressive season thus far wrestling above and beyond his correct weight class. Daylan started off the year wrestling out of the heavy weight division, going up against guys averaging a weight of 270 lbs., while he stood at 218 lbs. Despite the size difference, Daylan held his own beautifully and compiled a 9-3 record. When he was able to drop to his correct weight class of 220 pounds, he finished the year with a 16-5 record and qualified for the State Tournament by coming in 4th at the Regional meet.
Head coach, Scott Marcum had glowing remarks for Daylan, stating “He shows up every day with a smile and is full of life. He is never at a loss for words, which can make for interesting practices for the guys and the coaches. He’s always willing to learn and is full of questions. He’s been a pleasure to coach ever since I had him in youth league about 9 years ago.” Daylan himself said that he can attribute a lot of his success this year to the coaching staff. “They have taught me a lot and always believe in me. That’s really allowed me to progress and do so well.” His goal for the state tournament is to place (Top 8 spots) and prove that he can accomplish that in only his second year of high school.
Daylan notes that what he loves most about the sport is the sense of brotherhood and community. “You build good friendships with everyone on your team, but also other teams. It becomes a little bit like a brotherhood. You end up being at the same meets and competitions with a lot of the same people and it becomes a competitive, but friendly atmosphere.” He draws his inspiration to compete from his parents and coaches. “They are always there for me. They have put so much time into wrestling for me to be able to compete.” He also noted that his favorite athlete is Olympic Wrestler, Jordan Burrows. “I try to pattern my style after his because I just love the way he wrestles,” states Riley.
When the school team is not in season, Daylan goes to “Opens” with the midget league and is able to wrestle in the offseason and hone his craft. With a few years left of high school, Daylan has a lot of time left to compete and figure out what he wants to do post-graduation.
Please look for other local high school athletes to be named in next week’s male Gamer of the Week Sponsored by Teays Physical Therapy Center, Inc. and The Putnam Herald.