Our Staff

Our staff consists of volunteer coaches who are all background checked and certified by USA Wrestling. We recognize that the lessons our wrestlers learn off the mat are just as important as what they learn on the mat. Germantown Wrestling proudly salutes Program Head Coach Craig Staton, 2017 Montgomery County Principal of the Year! We also would like to recognize our 2017-18 Coach of the the Year-Greg Elliott.

Established in 2011

Germantown Wrestling is an instructional program dedicated to teaching wrestling fundamentals to young men and women ages 5 to 14 to enhance their preparation for other sports or High School wrestling. Beginning wrestlers wrestle for Germantown in the Damascus Sports Association Wrestling League (DSAWL) which is an instructional youth wrestling league comprised of teams from Montgomery and Frederick Counties. More experienced or advanced wrestlers wrestle for Germantown in the Maryland Junior Wrestling League (MJWL)

Our Goal

Our goal as a coaching staff is to provide each wrestler with the necessary fundamentals and skills to succeed in the sport of wrestling through various individual and team strategies. We emphasize family, team, academics, community, and sportsmanship both on and off the mat!

Our Team

Dave Blankenship
Director, Germantown Wrestling

Veteran, US Army
25 year resident of Germantown, DC native
4 Children ages 20 to 27 including 2 former Northwest HS wrestlers and 2 active duty military and 1 veteran
22nd year of coaching Youth Sports
Began volunteering as a Youth Football Coach in 2001 with Germantown Sports Association
Not a big fan of cold weather, despises it!
This is little league sports, enjoy it, have fun!
Favorite thing about wrestling...."Wrestling is like a metaphor for life, you can be losing 14 to 0 with 10 seconds left, fighting off your back the whole match, and there is still a chance to win, if you don't quit!"

Craig Staton
Head Coach, Germantown Wrestling

6th Year as Program Head Coach
2016-2017 MCPS Principal of the Year
2 Children ages 22 and 30 (Youngest son, Kellen, 4 time state qualifier, multiple time county and region champ at Seneca Valley HS 1 grandson, age 10
Graduate, Bucknell University
Formerly from Paterson NJ, 20 plus year resident of Germantown
22 year career began working as Counselor with at Risk Youth and Teacher, last 13 years as an administrator with MCPS
17 years coaching youth sports
Favorite Wrestling Quote...."just one more day dad, just one more wake up until wrestling practice starts!" ...Anonymous Germantown Wrestler every year

Greg Elliott
2018 Calderon Award -Coach of the Year

4 year varsity wrestler Calvert Hall 86-89
2 time MD Private school state runner up, placed 4th and 6th Natl’s
Inducted into the UMBC Athletic Hall of Fame
Inducted into the Carroll County hall of Fame
Division I NCAA All Region Baseball
1 son, 6, and current Germantown Wrestler

Jose Calderon
Intramural Commissioner

8th year with Germantown Wrestling
2013-14 Germantown Wrestling Coach of the Year Inaugural Award
Coach of the Year Award named in his honor as the Calderon Award for the effort and dedication he has given to this program
Father of 4 including a US Army Veteran ages 23 to 27, 2 former Northwest HS wrestlers and current semi-pro football player
Total car enthusiast....just ask him!
Favorite thing about wrestling....Having a young wrestler name a Hamster after him was such a great honor!

Kevin Estrada
Coach, Travel

U.S Navy Veteran
5 years coaching with Germantown wrestling-2017 COACH OF THE YEAR
3 children, ages 12, 11, and 8. (all involved in wrestling program)
Favorite thing about wrestling "watching how the sport brings out the very best in each competitor; both on and off the mat. No other sport offers the opportunity to witness that anywhere near as close as wrestling. I've never seen my boys literally fight their hardest until I saw them perform on the mat against some tough competitors. It's truly thrilling and exhausting to watch. It literally takes everything out of you as a parent and coach. When your kids lose, you see how gut-wrenching it is to them. Seeing them overcome that and try their hardest against the next opponent is amazing. I love this sport."
Favorite Wrestling Quote: "If you're afraid to fail, you'll never succeed." - Dan Gable

Charles Drengwitz
Coach, Travel

4th year with Germantown Wrestling
10 plus years as a wrestling coach, formerly with Damascus Wrestling
3 children ages 12, 12 and 16 (all wrestlers-2 with Germantown and one at Northwest HS)
Sergeant, 24 year veteran of the Montgomery County Police Force
His wrestling philosophy...."as a former high school wrestler in the late 70's, under Coach Williamson who preached technique, technique, and more technique, and ran one of the top programs in Montgomery County, I bring those same values every day to practice"

Charlie Gaba (above left)
Coach, Intramural

3rd year with Germantown Wrestling
Graduate, Clemson University
Former Youth and High School Wrestler
4 children ages 4 to 7, 1 current Germantown Wrestler
favorite quote .....“BYOG Bring Your Own Guts” .....Dabo Swinney.

Justin Pearl (above)
Coach, Intramural

2nd year with Germantown Wrestling
Active Duty, US Coast Guard
Veteran, US Navy
2 Children ages 5 and 8 (active with Germantown Wrestling)
Favorite thing about wrestling.... "the self confidence it gives kids to believe they can do anything, and though it's an individual sport you still have to work as a team, so you have to be selfless."