Hampton-Dumont-CAL will host Lake Mills for girls and boys wrestling duals Tuesday, which will air on 99 The Wave.
It’ll be the season opener for the #14 (2A) boys team, which is coming off last year’s 23-2 dual season.
“Something that we learned to do last year is how to finish duels and just win a little more, just a little more winning in your program’s history helps,” Head Coach Patrick Hansen says. “Obviously, recent history, it helps just everybody know how it happens. We’re going to miss some of the seniors from last year. They were a part of a lot of big winning records here. We got a lot of kids that got to see how to do it right. They got to experience kids that did it right. They never skipped anything. They did all the little things right. So I hope we can build on that, keep moving forward and you know, we bring back 11 starters from last season. So, you know, that never hurts.”
The Bulldogs will be bolstered by two returning state qualifiers, including seniors Taylor Mahler at 157 and Charlie Showalter at 138.
It’ll also be the season opener for #4 (1A) Lake Mills, which is coming off a state dual meet appearance last year. Hansen on facing a quality opponent.
“Tough team, they were at state duals last year, which is somewhere we always want to be. That’s kind of why we set this meet up with Lake Mills. I want to be wrestling teams and be in the same room as teams that are at the state dual tournament. I don’t want to be wasting our time wrestling teams that aren’t there. We had a tight dual last year, they bring back almost everybody. They’re going to be tough to beat. I think we have the firepower to overcome them.”
The evening will begin with the first-ever home competition for the Hampton-Dumont-CAL girls, which enters 3-1 after two wins at last week’s quad at Northwood-Kensett. Maren Subbert leads the Bulldogs in wins, having gone 6-0 at 190. Lake Mills is 4-1 and led by freshman Afton Dean, who’s 9-1 at 155.
The girls dual will begin at 6:00 p.m., followed by the boys dual. Coverage will begin at 5:50 p.m. with Jon Mohwinkle and Cory Yoder on the call.
Patrick Hansen interview: