Livonia Franklin High School's wrestling program boasts a storied history, marked by individual and team success. With a tradition of excellence, the program has recently seen significant changes, ushering in a new era led by familiar faces.
Livonia Franklin fired longtime wrestling coach Dave Chiola before the season started. However, two coaches the Patriots have brought in to replace him should ensure that both the individual and team success they had under Chiola continues. Brothers Nathan and Jordan Atienza have returned to take over the high school program that once made them individual state champions.
The Atienza Brothers: A Return to Roots
Athletic director Dusty Hall announced on Nov. 8 that he hired Nathan Atienza, 25, to take over the program. In turn, Atienza has brought in his older brother, Jordan, to be an assistant coach. Both brothers, arguably the two greatest wrestlers to compete at the school, were inducted into Franklin's Athletics Hall of Fame in October. They both won individual state championships and went on to wrestle for Division I colleges.
"Nathan's resume speaks for itself," Hall told Hometown Life on Monday. "We just put him in the Hall of Fame this past fall, and he's a young man who wants the best for Franklin's kids. That's why he's here. He wants to make sure the program stays where it should be, and we're excited to have him." Hall said Coach Atienza is the definition of being a "Franklin guy," and having someone with a deep commitment to giving back to his community is what the school needs to bolster the wrestling program. Getting Coach Atienza's brother to join the staff just adds to that close-knit, community-based approach.
"I couldn't imagine not being around the sport," said Atienza, who's been wrestling since he was 5. "It's always been a passion of mine. I've always enjoyed it a lot. Now, being in a position where I can give back and be a positive influence is really what I'm in it for. I have a lot to offer the kids from a wrestling standpoint but also from a life standpoint. That's something I'm excited to cultivate, especially with my relationship with and being there for high school athletes."
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Nathan Atienza's Illustrious Career
Atienza, who graduated from Franklin in 2017, was an all-state wrestler all four years in high school and a three-time state finalist. That includes winning two individual state championships at 145 and 152 pounds. Before joining Michigan State University's program, he finished his prep career with a 222-15 record, suffering only one loss between his junior and senior seasons. After graduating from MSU, he was a volunteer assistant on Franklin's 2022 team, which saw Owen Hawley win a state title at 285 pounds and become the Patriots' only other individual state champion.
Jordan Atienza's Success
Jordan had similar success at Franklin, finishing 223-19, becoming the state runner-up at 152 pounds in 2013 and winning the 160-pound individual state title before graduating the following season. He wrestled at Central Michigan University. Both brothers were members of the 2014 regional championship team that earned the Patriots their first berth into the team state tournament in school history.
Coaching Staff and Support
Also helping them this winter will be assistants Chris Petrick, Josh Billiau, Mike Modes, Marino Diponio and Rocco Diponio. Petrick has been an assistant for the past three seasons, Billiau coached the Atienzas when they were in high school, and Modes and the Diponio brothers were Franklin wrestlers.
"It's just about getting their feet wet early on and giving them all the support that they can get, making sure that they have everything they need," Hall said. "Nathan's got a full staff, which we're really excited about. His brother, who we also put in the Hall of Fame, is going to be his right-hand man, and we're excited about that." The brothers are incredibly close.
Rise Wrestling Club: Cultivating Local Talent
When Jordan moved back to the area this past spring after coaching at the Michigan Grappler Regional Training Center in Grand Rapids for the past three years, the two wasted no time in starting their club program, Rise Wrestling Club, which gave wrestlers around Wayne County an opportunity to train in the offseason.
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Not only did they coach Franklin's athletes, but they also helped grapplers from Dearborn, Livonia Churchill, Northville, Novi, Plymouth, Canton, and Salem, among other high schools."That was something we were passionate about and something there was a need for in the area," Atienza said. "There are not a lot of programs in Wayne County like that. Growing up, there was nothing in Livonia. We went to Plymouth-Canton (to train in the offseason). When I got to the sixth grade, it was (Detroit Catholic Central's) youth club. When I got to high school, I traveled all over the state to wrestle kids, and sometimes I'd have to drive 30-45 minutes to find good partners."
But creating a club for others to find consistent training partners made the brothers realize how much they'd enjoy actually coaching a team together. When Nathan Atienza got hired by Franklin, Jordan said it was an easy decision to join his brother on staff.
"Having those practices in the spring and summer, it was a lot of fun," said Jordan, 28. "Having that prior experience of working with Nathan, he's like my best friend in the world, and we do a lot together, and we've been really close ever since I could remember, so just having that opportunity to work with him was a no-brainer. Especially when you could feel that we were making an impact. After practices, kids would come up to us and say, 'Hey, I got a lot better today,' or you could just see the kids progressing, and I knew I wanted to be able to do that here with my brother."
But it won't stop at just Franklin. They want to continue growing Rise Wrestling Club to help funnel young talent into the high school programs in the area.
"I plan on expanding outside of Livonia Franklin just because I think Wayne County, itself, is not a super heavy wrestling area," Nathan said. "Creating offseason programs for kids who want to get better in the offseason and have the opportunity to improve is ideally what we're after. I just want to create an area where kids have good partners and good coaching focused right here in our area."
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"I would like to be able to establish a pipeline. That's always a common term used, especially in wrestling. You get pipelines of good middle school programs, good youth programs, and then you get good high school programs." While that won't help the Patriots get through this season, it should help the program improve down the road.
Dave Chiola's Legacy
But it has had recent success over the past 24 seasons under Chiola, who won 18 of the last 19 Livonia City champions, 17 district championships and had an individual state placer every year since 2005 except the 2020 season canceled because of the pandemic. Chiola coached both Atienza brothers.
"My philosophy is to always get the most out of every single kid that I can," Nathan said. "The way I look at it is I don't really care who shows up on the line against us, I'm going to have my kid in the best-prepared spot that I can get them in. I want them to do as much as I can to make sure they're prepared spot that I can get them in. "I want to do as much as I can to make sure they're prepared and have all the knowledge and technique that they could need. I'm going to put them in a position to win. If everything comes out right, maybe they come out with a win, maybe they don't, but at least they'll wrestle hard, and I'll have them set to do so. Franklin has been, traditionally, a successful program in the area and even in the state, and it's something I hope I can carry on or even expand on to get the most out of these kids."
And the best part? He gets to do it with Jordan by his side.
Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) Wrestling Records
Over the years, a select few have stamped their names throughout the MHSAA wrestling record book, and weâre examining the likelihood that one of more of those records will fall and which active grapplers pose the biggest threat.
Here's a look at some of the MHSAA wrestling records:
| Record Category | Record Holder | School | Record | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Wins | Matthew Brady | Flint Kearsley | 73-0 | 1990-91 |
| Career Wins | Justin Zeerip | Hesperia | 260-0 | 2003-07 |
| Consecutive Wins | Justin Zeerip | Hesperia | 260-0 | 2003-07 |
| Season Pins | Nick Simmons | Williamston | 57 | 1998-99, 1999-00 |
| Career Pins | Justin Zeerip | Hesperia | 203 | 2003-07 |
| Fastest Pin | Teddy Gillespie | Pontiac Northern | 0:03 | 2012 |
| Fastest Pin | Trent Hillger | Lake Fenton | 0:03 | 2017 |
| Technical Falls in a Season | Dominic LaJoie | Gaylord | 43 | 2015-16 |
| Season Takedowns | Jake Bohn | East Kentwood | 526 | 2007-08 |
Justin Zeerip's undefeated four-year career doesnât appear to be going anywhere. St. Johnsâ Taylor Massa wrapped up 221-0 career in 2012, but he wouldâve almost needed another full season of perfect wrestling to eclipse Zeeripâs streak of 260 consecutive wins.