By John Fragodt

sports@pctribune.com

The wrestling room at Minnewaska Area High School has a new name thanks to a generous donation of $25,000 from one anonymous donor.

Because of the donation, the naming rights of the wrestling room will be in honor of Coach Dareld Hirschey and Coach Earl Stottler, longtime coaches of wrestling at Glenwood and Starbuck High Schools, respectively.

An official presentation took place just prior to the championship matches at the Minnewaska Area Wrestling Invitational, Friday, Jan. 10 in the high school gym.

Among those in attendance for the presentation were Shaun, Wade and Kathie Stottler, along with Terri O’Fallon (daughter of Dareld and Jan Hirschey) and her daughter, Kelsey; Sue Hirschey (wife of Dareld’s son, David Hirschey); and Rick Tvrdik (close family friend, assistant to Dareld, and head coach for Glenwood in 1981); along with Steve Arneson, Nathan Brecht and Kenneth Moe, who each said a few words.

A plaque will be placed right outside the wrestling room at MAHS with the photographs of Dareld Hirschey and Earl Stottler (see accompanying picture), along with the following information, which recounts their great coaching careers.

Wrestling room plaque — “Character, confidence, work ethic, values, mental toughness, sportsmanship, self-esteem, family, team, heart, preparation, practice, believing, learning, respect. These are just a few of the words associated with two legendary coaches who established the tradition of wrestling excellence in our school district.

Between the two, Dareld Hirschey and Earl Stottler gave nearly a half century in working with area wrestlers in creating a culture at both Glenwood and Starbuck High Schools that would gain area, regional and state recognition which still exists today.

For Dareld Hirschey, his 30 year career as the head wrestling coach at Glenwood High School began in the fall of 1958. Over the next three decades, he was the face of a program which became synonymous with dedication, loyalty and commitment. Oftentimes working without an assistant, he was a taskmaster who understood the importance of sound fundamentals and its relationship to the ultimate success of the individual and team.

For Earl Stottler, the journey to Starbuck High School began as a senior in Princeton where he became the school’s first state wrestling champion in 1958. 

Arriving at SHS in the fall of 1970, he was instrumental in developing a youth wrestling program in a district that had never had a state tournament competitor at the high school level. Stottler understood this was a necessary, integral, important and enjoyable step on the way to building interest and future success.

The effort both Dareld and Earl put into their programs paid dividends as success followed them throughout their careers. Hirschey’s teams at GHS were always near the top of the West Central Conference standings. In District 22 and Region 6A competition, the results were even greater with nine district titles and two regional titles. Individually, he coached numerous all-conference wrestlers over the years as well as many that medaled in the district and regional tournaments. 

Dareld also coached 38 wrestlers in the Minnesota State High School League State Tournament.

At Starbuck, Earl Stottler immediately improved the wrestling fortunes of the Bucks as they won the conference title in 1972 with a 10-1 record and finished second in District 22. As his career continued, Earl’s team’s consistently performed at a highly competitive level in the Pheasant Conference as well as in district and regional tournaments. As with his counterwpart in Glenwood, Earl also coached many all-conference wrestlers as well as medalists at the district, regional and MSHSL state tournaments.

For all their successes as coaches on the mat, it was Dareld’s and Earl’s commitment to the student-athlete that made so many great memories for the program’s participants over the years. Their willingness to go the extra mile in doing all the little things necessary to establish a quality program did not go unseen by those who had the privilege to wrestle under their guidance.

When asked about the influence of both Hirschey and Stottler on their lives, comments made by former wrestlers include: mentor, amazing coach, outstanding person, driven and committed.  Also mentioned by many was the love and passion of the sport of wrestling that they both exuded and passed on to their athletes. 

Dareld retired from coaching in 1985, followed by Earl in 1986. They were inducted into the Minnewaska Area Schools Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016 for their many achievements, successes and most importantly the role they played in positively influencing the lives of the many young wrestlers that had the opportunity to be a part of their programs. 

Earl passed away in 2017 at the age of 76, and Dareld in 2020 at the age of 90. The legacy and influence of both continues to live on in today’s combined district of Minnewaska Area High School. 

The youth program started by Dareld and Earl decades ago continues to be highly successful with large numbers participating each year while the Lakers’ junior high, junior varsity and varsity teams have continued to be one of the area’s most consistently competitive.”