LOWER LAKE — When Ed Fuchs took over a Lower Lake High School wrestling program hurting for numbers 15 years ago, he probably couldn't have envisioned the legacy he would leave behind when his time with the Lower Lake Trojans was done.

It might have been his final high match of a 15-year coaching career, but Lower Lake's Ed Fuchs was busy doing what he does best, instructing one of his wrestlers, Wednesday night in a season-opening dual at Lower Lake High School. (Photos by Brian Sumpter)

And that time arrived Wednesday evening as Fuchs coached his final match for the school, a non-conventional dual meet against the visiting Healdsburg Greyhounds and their longtime and successful head coach, Scott Weidemier.

Fuchs and his family, wife Sarah and children Liberty, 13, Mason, 9, and Elle, 7, leave for their new home in Wisconsin on Dec. 19. Assistant coaches Troy Dahneke and Danny Cuellar will serve as the interim head coaches until a permanent hire is made.

During the course of a 15-year career, Fuchs said he's experienced all the highs and lows of coaching, beginning with his first team that could field wrestlers in only six of 14 weight classes.

"Going to the NCS (section meet) was a one-day trip for us back then because we didn't have a guy reach the second day (of the tournament)," Fuchs said. "My second year Tyler Johnson made the second day."

Posters on the gym wall paid tribute to Ed Fuchs on Wednesday night.

In 2010, Justin Harrison, one of the greatest wrestlers to come through the program during Fuchs' stay, not only reached the sectional tournament as the No. 3 seed at 217 pounds, but he won the championship and moved on to the CIF State Championships where he just missed out on a medal.

"He was like the first section champion from Lake County in like 27 years," Fuchs said.

Winning section medals became a Lower Lake staple under Fuchs as the years came and went. According to Fuchs, they've had at least one section medal winner for the last 13 seasons and more times than not multiple medal winners.

Fuchs said 2019-20 season — the last one before COVID-19 changed everything — was his best and most memorable. The Trojans not only won the Coastal Mountain Conference title in 2020, but they placed third at the North Coast Section Redwood Empire Division 2 Team Duals, the first Lake County team ever to win a medal in Division 2. More impressive was the fact that they went into that tournament unseeded.

Healdsburg head coach Scott Weidemier looks on during the pre-match ceremony honoring Lower Lake head coach Ed Fuchs.

"2020 was the greatest year we ever had," said Fuchs, who has won several Coach of the Year awards in his 15 seasons, including 2020, as well as four conference championships. And then there were all those section medals won by his wrestlers.

As fun as it is to win, Fuchs said that's not what motivates him. He's in it for the student/athlete.

A veteran of the Marine Corps, Fuchs held all of his wrestlers accountable for their conduct as student/athletes, on and off the wrestling mat. He demanded they maintain a higher grade point average (2.5) than is required by the school (2.0) to compete in athletics. If you didn't attend practice, you didn't compete in dual meets or tournaments. His tough love at times helped produce many talented wrestlers, but even better people.

"Winning isn't the most important thing," Fuchs said.

"There are two types of people, those who build good habits and bad habits," said Fuchs, who always was working to keep his athletes on the straight and narrow.

"There were a lot of life lessons learned in that wrestling room," Fuchs said. "We spend four to five days a week in that room and that's where a lot of relationships are built."

While the head coach in wrestling for 15 seasons, Fuchs has been coaching sports in some capacity at Lower Lake for 20 years, helping out with football, baseball and track and field. He's taught at the elementary, middle school and high school levels and served as Lower Lake High's dean of students. A 1997 Lower Lake graduate, he's all about Trojan blue.

"I'm gonna bleed Trojan blue the rest of my life and I won't forget where I came from," Fuchs said.

Fuchs also was instrumental in the development of the Punisher and CORE youth wrestling programs that became feeders for the high school program.

The COVID-19 pandemic that wiped out last season weighed heavily on Fuchs, as it did on other coaches and athletes around the county.

"That did take a lot out of me," Fuchs said. "Dealing with all the protocols, everything we had to deal with, it was a lot. It makes it easier to walk away right now because of that, not that it's easy to walk away, because it isn't."

Ed Fuchs receives a hug from four-time Masters world champion Jeff Davis during a pre-match ceremony Wednesday honoring the outgoing Lower Lake coach.

After the team's tremendous 2019-20 season, Fuchs said the 2020-21 campaign, which was wiped out by COVID-19, had the potential to be even better.

"It would have been a better team than the year before," Fuchs said.

Ed is only half of a talented Fuchs package that Lower Lake is losing. Wife Sarah, a 2002 Lower Lake grad, serves as the school's college career adviser and athletic director.

Fuchs said leaving won't be easy as his family starts a new chapter in Wisconsin.

"I have so many great memories here," Fuchs said. "So many wrestlers I could mention that made my time here special."

Until they buy a house in Wisconsin, the Fuchs will be staying with Sarah's mom.

"She had a five-bedroom home and we'll be using three of those rooms," said Fuchs, who added that both he and his wife haven't lined up jobs yet and will wait until they're settled before doing so.

Fuchs was honored prior to Wednesday's match against Healdsburg and received a singlet from four-time Masters World Champion Jeff Davis (two titles in Greco, two in freestyle). Posters on the gym wall also paid tribute to the longtime coach.

Hey, if you're not having fun, you're not trying. Ed Fuchs shares a smile during Wednesday's action against Healdsburg.

The Trojans' opponent Wednesday also acknowledged Fuchs on their Facebook page.

"It was a bittersweet match as we said goodbye to longtime Lower Lake coach and good friend Ed Fuchs, who was coaching his last match there after 15 years at the helm. He and his family are moving to Wisconsin to start a new chapter in life. He has built a good program and we are sorry to see him go. We will miss him and wish his family the very best in their new life. Farewell."

Fuchs said he is leaving behind a Lower Lake program that could accomplish big things in the coming season, which certainly wasn't the case when he took over the team 15 years ago.

On Wednesday, the Trojans had wrestlers ready to go in all 14 weight classes — a pipe dream when Fuchs took over the job. The Greyhounds brought only six wrestlers, each competing in two matches. Lower Lake scored six pins, Healdsburg had five, and the Greyhounds won a sixth match by injury default.

"If it had been a traditional dual we would have won because they would have forfeited eight matches," Fuchs said. "So it was really more of a scrimmage than a dual. We just wanted to get guys some matches."

Fuchs said two Lower Lake wrestlers to keep an eye on in the coming season — 113-pounder Bryan Gudino, who didn't wrestle Wednesday, and 138-pound Gabriel Ambriz, who won his only match by second-round pin — have the potential to reach the state championships.

"And maybe one of them will win the state medal that I could never get," said Fuchs, who is hoping to return to California next February for the North Coast Section Championships.

Until then, the Trojans will embark on another long season. The difference this time is Fuchs' voice won't be heard shouting out instructions and encouragement from the Lower Lake bench. Not anymore.

"I'm very humbled," Fuchs said. "I've been through losing seasons, learning seasons and championship seasons. More importantly tonight I have a bunch of alumni guys here with me."

Added Fuchs, "Leave something better than you found it. I think I did that."