Westside is no stranger to father-son duos within athletics, from players of the past like DJ Rezac leaving his sons to carry on his legacy, to the present day where we see the impact of London Dada for the basketball team and Tola Dada for the school. But amongst the rest, the boys wrestling team is home to a unique father-son duo that comes around once in a generation, that being junior wrestler Gable Jernigan and his father, head coach Michael Jernigan. Coaches are often revered as secondary father figures, but in the case of Gable, his coach actually is his father figure. The two have been working in tandem for as long as Gable can remember, with his dad teaching him everything about the game he loved without forcing it onto him. Gable says that pursuing wrestling, contrary to popular belief, was a decision that he made on his own. From his dad being a high school coach, to his very name having come from the world famous American wrestler Dan Gable, the younger Jernigan claims that his own love for sport is what propelled him to wrestle.
“I’ve been wrestling for a long time, and yeah, my dad did play a part in introducing me to the sport but I really stuck with it and committed to it on my own terms,” Gable said.
Although the younger Jernigan adopted the sport under his own volition, his dad is the one who fostered their shared passion, allowing Gable to grow exponentially and reach the level of skill he achieves today. The young wrestler’s career began early at the age of nine, wrestling in various younger leagues and gaining valuable knowledge of the environment that the sport creates. His father Michael was there with him every step of the way, cheering him on in every match and providing him with opportunities to connect with wrestlers of all levels, including the wrestler that gave him his name: Dan Gable. Although Michael helped him make massive strides within his young career, he had yet to coach his son directly until Gable made it to the high school level. As a freshman under his father, Gable was finally able to learn from him as a coach rather than simply his dad, which resulted in an impressive freshman season. From freshman invites to J.V. tournaments, he managed a positive record and built up his skills amongst a talented squadron of upperclassmen. Although his son was on the team, Michael made it a point to avoid any form of favoritism, putting his biases aside and valuing the development of the team and his son in unison. Gable would eventually elevate his game to the varsity level within his sophomore season, debuting at the 155 weight class and proving himself a valuable asset to the team each meet with an array of solid wins.
“I’m glad that my dad didn’t play favorites and boost me up to varsity early,” Gable said. “We both knew that I wasn’t fully ready yet, and it makes me know that what I accomplish is thanks to my hard work and not just handouts.”
Michael has taken the opportunity to coach his son very well, using it as an opportunity to focus on his team-oriented values. He has been coaching at the high school level for over a decade, and has consistently worked on the basis of development for all rather than favoring certain wrestlers over others. This notion has continued with Gable as his direct disciple, still making him climb the ranks from freshman just like the hundreds of wrestlers under head coach Jernigan that preceded him had to. Michael’s “development for all” methods are overtly seen on the team we see this year, as the roster is riddled with underclassman talents from Mason Bruber to Justin Parish, who are coming into their own as wrestlers later into competitions due to the fruits of their tedious, fundamental training. This was a goal that was set back in the early winter from Michael, with their on-schedule evolutions in time for late-season tournaments being a testament to his coaching expertise.
“This year we’re focusing on development and I think it’ll work wonders for us,” Michael foretold in a preseason interview. “We’re a young team and we want to be ready for later in the year. I don’t want guys who aren’t ready for the varsity level being in that environment,” Michael reiterated.
It’s safe to say that with only a few competitions left and state on the horizon, Michael’s methods have paid off and put his unit in a prime position for achieving their goals.
“Our goal for these last couple competitions and of course state is to get a top 10 finish at state,” Gable said.
Gable has only a few more chances left to make the most of his junior season, and he’s hoping to learn even more from his experienced father leading into the state tournament, which takes place later in February. Both father and son agree that a finish amongst the top 10 schools in the state would be a worthy send-off for a resilient senior class.
“It’s achievable, and I think we owe it to the seniors that stuck it through till the end,” Gable said.
With a top 10 finish at state in their sights, the duo looks to trudge further along in their partnership. As for what the future holds, only time will tell how the pairing of a blossoming talented wrestler and his dedicated father coaching him will end up once Gable unlaces his wrestling shoes for a final time.
