Father Mark Skonieczny (center) stands with his sons Nicholas (left) and Nathan. The three coached against each other at the Allen Alloys
Scrapyard Senior Night hosted at Streetsboro High School.

By Roger Gordon

Correspondent

To say that wrestling runs in the Skonieczny family is an understatement. 

It’s in the blood.

Mark Skonieczny is in his second season as the head coach at Streetsboro, is in his ninth season overall as a head coach and, including as an assistant, has been at it for 30 years. He wrestled for the Rockets when he was in high school.

Skonieczny has four sons who started wrestling at the age of 5, on into high school and then college.

“They all have shared the same passion that I have always had for the sport of wrestling,” Skonieczny said.

Three of the four sons were four-time placers at the OHSAA state tournament — 31-year- old Nic a two-time placer and his identical twin Nate a four-timer placer, both at Walsh Jesuit. Nathan was also a three-time state finalist and two-time state champion.

“I’ve even had some nephews who were state placers,” the elder Skonieczny said proudly.

Nic and Nate have joined their father as head coaches of Northeast Ohio high school wrestling teams — Nic at St. Vincent St-Mary, Nathan at Mentor Lake Catholic. Both are in their second seasons at their respective schools. Each is helping to carry on rich traditions on the mat.

Although Streetsboro went up against St. Vincent-St. Mary in some individual matches in last season’s postseason, in what may have been a first at the high-school level in the state of Ohio, father and sons competed against one another in a double dual meet on Allen Alloys Scrapyard Senior Night on Jan. 11 at Streetsboro.

The elder Skonieczny’s team lost two tough battles against his sons’ squads.

Mark admitted that it was tough mentally to go up against Nic and Nate — until the matches began. The same holds true for his sons.

“Then,” he said, “you get into your guys and you get on to your matches and you forget about them being your sons on the other chair. It makes for great conversation at the dinner table at the holidays.”

The elder Skonieczny added that both sons run their respective programs just like he runs his.

“They do it just as they were taught, which means they run them like I do,” he said. “If I sent my wrestlers to either one of their practices, it’s going to be pretty much the same practice. They take charge of their rooms, and they expect everybody to show up every day and give 100 percent because that’s how they know the sport.”

According to Mark, competing together with his sons was actually really fun.

“We try to beat each other, and that’s what makes it so fun,” he said. “That’s what kind of drives you to build your program to get your wrestlers bigger and stronger so you can always have the edge on your own family members. It’s a great motivation, and it’s great for the sport.”

Nic and Nate sought advice from their father last season but not as much this season.

“You just try to give them the best advice you can,” said Mark, “but at the end of the day they have to make their own decisions with what they feel is going to be best to build their programs. Like me, they’re aggressive, they’re loud, they’re motivating, they get their athletes motivated.

“I see both of them being head coaches for a long time. They’re passion is this sport.”

Just like Dad.