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Mike Kohl Mike Kohl

Mike Kohl begins his first season as the head coach at Fairport High School.  He spent the past three seasons as the Assistant Varsity Wrestling coach. Mike graduated from FHS in 1992 after an outstanding wrestling career. He attended Oswego State College, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education in 1996.

As a senior at Fairport, Kohl was a Section V Class A Champion and qualified for the New York State Wrestling Tournament, where he placed 6th. Mike received the Red Raider Award as the team’s most valuable wrestler his senior year, and received the Spark Plug Award his junior year.

While at Oswego State, Kohl started for four years on the Varsity Wrestling team, and was a teammate of Coach Kaper. During his four-year college career, Kohl qualified for the NCAA Division III Championships three times. Mike earned All-American honors twice, placing 7th in the nation his junior year, and 4th in the nation his senior year. Kohl was team captain his junior and senior years.

 

 

Gary Dawes Gary Dawes

Coach Gary Dawes starts his 24th season of coaching wrestling at Fairport. Dawes begins his 5th season as the Junior Varsity Wrestling coach, after coaching at the Modified level for 19 seasons. Coach Dawes grew up in Clinton, NY. He attended Brockport State College, where he graduated with a master’s degree in Physical Education. In 1995, Dawes was elected to the Clinton High School Athletic Hall of Fame. Gary provides 29 years of teaching and coaching experience to the Red Raiders’ program.

Coach Dawes started coaching in 1970 as the Varsity Wrestling, and Varsity Football coach at Rome Catholic High School. He coached at Rome Catholic for four years. Dawes moved to Fairport in 1975, and started coaching the Freshman Football Team, and the Junior High Track Team. The following year, Dawes became involved in the Fairport Wrestling program as the Modified Wrestling Coach at Johanna Perrin. Coach Dawes has remained a vital part of the program ever since. Dawes continues to coach the JV Football team, and the Modified Track Team since he started 24 years ago. Gary has also contributed to the sport of wrestling working as a wrestling official for eight years.

 

 

Ed Porto Ed Porto

Ed Porto begins his second season as the Modified Wrestling Coach after coming to Fairport two years ago as an Assistant Varsity Coach.

Porto was a four-year varsity wrestler at McQuaid Jesuit High School. He went on to wrestle at Binghamton University. Upon graduating from Binghamton he returned to McQuaid, where he spent four years as the Junior Varsity Wrestling Coach and Assistant Varsity Wrestling Coach.

Ed completed the New York State Teacher Certification Program at Nazareth last year, where he studied to become a secondary education teacher in Social Studies. Course work towards the certification forced him to take a year off from coaching. With his course work finished, he decided to accept Coach Kaper’s invitation to join the coaching staff here at Fairport. Porto brings good experience to the wrestling program, and is very eager to work with young wrestlers and use his teaching skills on the mat.