Seniors lead new wave of Owen wrestling
Head coach Rich Caisse brings experience and vision to Warhorse program
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
January 20, 2026
On the wrestling mat in Owen High School, the intensity, toughness and tenacity of the student athletes is obvious, but behind the scenes, the work of first year head coach Rich Caisse, his staff and team leaders pursues an inconspicuous but intentional and nuanced vision for long-term success.
As the Warhorses honored four seniors and a junior exchange student, Jan. 13, they recognized the student-athletes on the forefront of a new wave for the program.
A resident of the Swannanoa Valley for more than a decade, Caisse was a two-time Southern Conference champion wrestler at Appalachian State before working on the staff of National Wrestling Hall of Fame coach Billy Baker at St. Stephens High School. He then coached under hall of fame coach Mark Harris at Enka High School for 12 years, when he helped lead the program to state championships in 2016 and 2020.
Prior to the 2024-25 school year, Caisse accepted a position as an Exceptional Children teacher at Owen, where he joined the staff of the wrestling program.
“I coached under two hall of fame coaches, with Billy Baker and Mark Harris, so I always thought of myself as a behind-the-scenes guy,” he said. “But, I have a family with two kids, we live in this district, and I the commute got kind of tough, so I decided I wanted to give Owen a shot. I had been thinking about coming here for years, but it felt like the time was right.”
Following a season on the staff of the Warhorse program, Caisse had another decision to make.
“The coach I was working with left, so I was like, ‘what are we going to do?’” he said. “So, I decided we’re going to give this a shot and committed to it.”
With an established career in which he received meaningful mentorship from two hall of famers, the new Owen coach recognized an opportunity to establish a strong team culture while building a foundation for future success.
Like several head coaches before him, Caisse was joined by assistant coach David Avila, a mainstay in both youth and high school level wrestling in the Swannanoa Valley. Avila established a local club program nearly a decade ago and served as an assistant under multiple Warhorse wrestling coaches.
“Really, David has been the cornerstone of this program for years, and the guys really respect him,” Caisse said. “He stablished a sanctioned and chartered wrestling club that travels to tournaments around the area, so the club really represents our community’s access point to the sport on a youth level. He’s been working with many of these kids for years.”
Rounding out the Owen wrestling staff is math teacher Karen McPherson, mother of young club coach Fisher.
“Karen helps us out with a lot of things in her role, and Fisher is in college right now pursuing a degree in education, so we feel confident he’ll be joining us at the high school level soon,” Caisse said. “We’re fortunate to have a strong youth wrestling culture in the Valley.”
On the mat in the high school, the coach embraced the chance to work with a trio of seasoned seniors in twin brothers Bryson and Kaiser Perkins and Joaquin Leunda-Freeman. Bryson, who eclipsed 100 career victories as a junior and Kaiser are each ranked No. 1 in the state in their respective weight classes, while Leunda-Freeman moved into the No. 1 spot after pinning the top ranked athlete in his division.
“All three of these guys were really hungry last year,” the coach said. “They were positioned to compete at the state level, and they all qualified for the state tournament. In the offseason, I took all of them to the WNC Elite Camp at Enka, which was a week long. After that, we took them to a camp at Appalachian State, but on their end, they took those experiences and kept building on them throughout the summer.”
Second-year wrestler and senior Allen Oldfield has established himself as a key piece of the Warhorse program this season, Caisse added.
“His contributions really shouldn’t be overshadowed,” the coach said. “He was injured last year, but this year, wrestling at the 215-pound level against tough competition, he has consistently put points on the board.”
Junior Nate Turner, in the 126-pound weight class, sophomore Hayden Roland, wrestling at the 150-pound level and freshman Mason Wheeler in the weight class of 175 pounds have all been crucial components in establishing a strong base for the program.
The first-year head coach created an environment in which both young and veteran wrestlers would be challenged.
“In addition to the work we do in the wrestling room, there are extra things we try to instill in our wrestlers,” Caisse said. “You have to live right, eat right and when you don’t get that extra weight training or cardio in practice, it’s your responsibility to do that. Practices are mandatory and we don’t shy away from competition, even when we’re the underdog.”
The wrestlers embraced a demanding regular season schedule in 2025-26, according to the coach, facing off against Enka, St. Stephens and multiple tournaments.
“Our top wrestlers all have losses,” Caisse said. “I think our whole program has really come to understand that it’s important to buy into what we’re doing and that this is a hard sport. So, we’re really seeing what is kind of the beginning of a new wave for Owen wrestling.”
While the Warhorses will travel to Polk County at 6 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 20, to close out the regular season, before competing three days later in the Western Highlands Conference Tournament, Caisse recognized the seniors who view winning as an outcome of hard work.
“These are very resilient kids,” he said. “They have all gotten past looking at just wins and losses, but they’re looking instead at their bodies of work, and how that can help propel them into the state tournament, knowing they will be prepared when they get there. All three of them have battled adversity, and they remain completely committed to this sport and this program. I’m grateful for them.”