Generous supporter purchases new mat for Pateros wrestlers

PATEROS – Billygoats varsity wrestling coach Bill Haley has a new wrestling mat for his team to practice and compete on, thanks to a generous donor who would like to see the Billygoats host a few more home tournaments.
As Haley related the story, he and Greg Swezey, a Brewster school alumnus, were splitting and stacking nine cords of wood for Pateros brothers Mark and Lewis Miller who suffered injuries in a wood-hauling accident in late summer 2016.
During the conversation that ensued – and nine cords of wood’s worth is a lot of conversation – Swezey, whose sons all wrestled for Haley, inquired why Pateros High School did not host more home matches.
Haley explained that a home tournament required a second wrestling mat that Pateros did not have. To manage the one or two home tournaments Pateros does host every season required borrowing a second mat from neighboring Brewster.
“That arrangement was hard on moving the mat and getting permission,” said Haley. “The school bought one mat five years ago, but we needed two to have more room to invite others.”
Swezey asked Haley to secure a quote to cover the cost of a second mat “and that got the ball rolling,” Haley said. Before long, Pateros had its second mat and is now ready to move forward to Phase Two.
And what is Phase Two?
“We do need to get a wrestling room,” said Haley, “The only room we have is approximately 20 feet by 20 feet and the mats underneath are 25 years old.”
Haley said the underlay mats were purchased from Bellevue Christian School some 15 years ago. Some new mats along the walls for safety would be nice to have also, Haley said.