|
 It may be early in the season, but the Louisburg wrestling team has given its fans several reasons to be optimistic.
The Wildcats finished second at the Fort Scott Duel Tournament on Saturday and several of the wrestlers had a solid day. Bryce Hood, who placed third at state last season, looked like he was in top form again in his junior campaign.
Senior Marcus Kasitz had a perfect day. Tyler Ewy, Austin Hood, Michael Kircher and Derek Mathia each had just one loss and it appears the Wildcats could be a team to be reckoned with in the postseason.
Sure, the Fort Scott tournament probably didn’t have the best competition in the world, and the Wildcats have much tougher tournaments ahead, but it is a big first step for those wrestlers and for new coach Greg Darrington.
The numbers for the Wildcat program have exploded this season with 40 wrestlers out, a big jump from just a season ago. This season, however, not only have the numbers grown, but the confidence as well.
Several of the wrestlers took part in their first varsity action on Saturday and fared well, especially Ewy. The sophomore heavyweight won two key matches late in the tournament that propelled his team into the championship round, and almost to first place if not for a tiebreaker.
Ewy had two late pins, one against Webb City, Mo., and the other against Shawnee Mission West in the championship duel. And he was just one of many bright spots.
The real test will come this weekend when they travel to the two-day Eudora tournament that features some of the best wrestling in the state. Strong area teams such as Paola, Prairie View and Spring Hill will be there, along with state powers such as Lansing, Chanute, Baldwin and St. Thomas Aquinas.
The competition will be staggering. But the Wildcats should be ready for the challenge because confidence is something they do not lack. They may be young, and somewhat inexperienced, but many of them won’t be intimidated.
Louisburg may not see the success this weekend that they saw last Saturday, but the experienced wrestlers the Wildcats will go against will be an eye-opening experience for them. And that, is a good thing.
To be the best, you have to wrestle with the best and the Wildcats will do just that this weekend.
— Andy Brown can be reached at 837-4321 or
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Trackback(0)
|
TrackBack URI for this entry
Subscribe to this comment's feed