Phoenix, N.Y. — Three practices into the tenure of new Phoenix wrestling coach Ross McFarland, his pupils were already getting a little chesty.

Several bragged as they walked past, taunting him that they almost put him into a defensive position in one-on-one drills, or even more whimsically, were just this close to taking him down.

Considering that McFarland, 24, is a former state champ at the school and is fresh off a successful career at Hofstra, the chances of any current Firebird scoring even a point on their coach in real competition are minuscule.

But that’s not the point, and McFarland wasn’t going to argue too strenuously otherwise. He wants his wrestlers to believe that with hard work, they are capable of things that might now seem impossible. Even if that means toying with the

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