CHOCOWINITY — Since the school was founded in the year 2000, Southside High School will begin a wrestling program for the first time at the school starting this fall.

The school has decided on hiring head coach Scott Penhollow, who is the younger brother of Washington High School wrestling coach Chris Penhollow.

Since the two schools are not in the same division, the only time they have a chance to meet is during weekend tournaments and invitational events.

Penhollow is originally from Wisconsin and has two brothers that are also heavily involved in the sport. The new coach said he was excited to take on his new role.

“I am very excited,“ Penhollow said. “I’m still learning a lot of the terminology and grasping everything myself, so I’ll be learning just as much as the young guys.”

Penhollow wrestled in high school along with his brothers and has helped out on Chris Penhollow’s staff at Washington for a while.

“I like wrestling, don’t get me wrong, it’s a good sport, but my brothers had the spotlight on them because they were really good,” Scott Penhollow said. “I’m going to have to go in and tell the kids, ‘don’t be looking for me as like a state qualifier,’ because they’re not going to see that with me. But I love it and I’m passionate about the sport.”

The new Southside Athletic Director, Andre Quinerly, said he was ready to open up another winter sport for the students.

“I am very excited to have wrestling at Southside. I’m excited to see what Coach Penhollow brings to our first year of wrestling,” Quinerly said. “I know it will give our young men and women another sport to compete in during the winter sports season. There are so many great male and female athletes at Southside, and all of them don’t play basketball, so this is a great opportunity for them.”

Southside has already gotten started with equipment needs to begin the new wrestling program.

“I met with our two assistants and the county just bought them a brand new mat,” Scott Penhollow said. “I actually saw principal Rick (Anderson) yesterday at Zaxby’s and he said the mat was delivered and it looks good.”

Scott Penhollow served in the army for 25 years and retired in 2015. Now, he is a substitute teacher at Ayden-Grifton High School, but will be coaching at Southside in the late fall and winter for the start of wrestling season.