James Massengale, in his first year at Central High, will teach Government, and Civics, and Personal Finance. He is also the is the Head Wrestling Coach.

At first, Masengale didn’t see himself becoming a teacher let alone a wrestling coach. Instead he had hopes of becoming an actor. He received two scholarships for acting from Carson-Newman University where he first attended college. He later realized acting wasn’t for him, so he dropped out and worked as a chef.  A few years later, Masengale decided teaching was what he wanted to pursue so he attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga where he earned his bachelor’s degree in teaching. While he was attending college he worked full-time.

Massengale first started at Central as a student teacher and assistant wrestling coach. He started officially working at Central when he took over the classroom he was a student teacher in after the then-teacher retired halfway through the year. This caused Massengale to become a permanent faculty member of the Central High School staff.

This year is Massengale’s first year as the head wrestling coach and he is ready for it, wrestling having been the only thing he has coached in his eight years of coaching. Massengale said he is ready for the wrestling season that starts in October.

Massengale says the wrestling team has an average of twelve to twenty members that join the team with few that show up for pre-season warmups. Massengale said that, “in the past we had some students go all the way to state.”  But sadly the number of wrestling championships for the school is down right now.  He is hopeful that this year’s wrestlers will have the passion and drive to reach goals such as being a state champion.

Massengale says wrestling is about overcoming your struggles and pushing yourself to succeed.  He said that watching wrestlers bloom and come into themselves is one of the things he enjoys most about coaching.