ORANGE PARK - Taking just a week off after a second place finish in Class 3A and his first state titleist, Fleming Island High wrestling coach P.J. Cobbert knows a thing or two about getting back into the gym for next year.

“You can’t sit around and do nothing for six months and expect that the rest of the state is doing the same,” said Cobbert, a four-time state champion in his years at Clay High School. “You have to stay sharp all year, train and condition to be stronger and fitter and keep the edge.”

For Cobbert, the edge came a little closer with the brainchild of the “Warehouse,” a two-room sized former storage facility off College Avenue that the Golden Eagles have made their new wrestling home. Cobbert has his North Florida Wrestling Academy housed in the “Warehouse” with upcoming training sessions and competitions scheduled throughout

April and May and including the annual sojourn to the AAU Scholastic Duals national championship in Kissimmee in June.

On Saturday, Cobbert hosted the second of many more open gyms that invite wrestlers from anywhere to come train with the Golden Eagles and whoever else shows up. Saturday saw wrestlers from Middleburg, Gainesville Buchholz, Camden County and Fletcher high schools in the building.

“The more guys that come from around the state, the better it is for wrestling in general,” said Cobbert. “We want to invite everyone here. Everybody learns.”

Two Fleming Island High alums; Xaiver Sampsel and Evan McCall, both state medalists; McCall second as a senior in 2015, and Sampsel fourth as a senior in 2016, were in the room with 2017 state champion Jason Davis and his 2017 compadres with medals Paul Detwiler, a third placer at 152 and Briar Jackson, a third placer at 106.

Sampsel, now wrestling at 133 pounds at Limestone College in South Carolina, was a key winner for the Saints with a win that led Limestone (10-3, 5-1 ECAC) to the ECAC Division II Wrestling League title. Sampsel wrestled in two NCAA Midwest Divison II regional duals matches with a 4-3 loss to Tiffin College and also to Findlay College.

McCall, who briefly entered the Mixed Martial Arts arena with some success, is currently training and preparing for a possible foray in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Ironically, the pair had different opinions about the “Warehouse.”

“This brings back old memories,” said Sampsel. “My team here at Fleming Island was one of best teams from there and we were prepared for college level competing. This is a lot better than that small wrestling room at the high school that had the rolled up mats and the concrete walls we used to bash each other in to. I think it keeps the entire team in one spot with the young guys in the opposite side.”

For McCall, who faced off against one of the two unbeaten Prince brothers, Jared, from Palm Harbor in the 2015 finals at 120; both now wrestling at the U.S. Naval Academy, the old room was more intense.

“If I don’t get in the Marines, I was offered a return MMA spot in the Miami area,” said McCall. “It was fun winning a belt in MMA.”

McCall says the size of the Warehouse offers some “relaxing.”

“It’s like laying on the couch and relaxing sometimes and the guys are on their phones in a corner,” said McCall. “I’m trying to get P.J. back to the old P.J. in here like before. He yells less in here and it’s not as scary because it’s so big.”