The Dike-New Hartford boys wrestling team will host AGWSR and #11 (2A) North Fayette Valley for a triangular Thursday.
The Cougars are 1-8 in duals, and will wrestle for the first time since a home triangular with BCLUW-SH and #23 (2A) Union last week, where they defeated the Storm for their first win of the season. Head Coach James Abbas says they’re working through the early portion of the season with a youthful team.
“We’re pretty short in our upperclassmen,” Abbas says. “You take Clayton there as a senior. He’s the one that as a senior has wrestled the most. You take Kade Urban, you see senior beside his name, but actually that’s a new wrestler for us. He wrestled a couple years ago a little bit, but then he only started wrestling again this year. His brother too, Kealain, wrestled last year for us. He tried it. He stuck it out, improved a ton last season, and now he’s wrestling for us this year. Extremely excited to have those boys. Not a ton of experience between the two of them though in the room and in wrestling. So we’re pretty short in the top end this year with our upperclassmen.”
Clayton Van Loh at 215 and Jariyah Bowles at 138 lead the team in wins with 6-3 records.
Dike-New Hartford enters 5-0 in duals, having last competed at last week’s quad at Columbus Catholic, where they defeated the hosts, North Tama and East Buchanan. Gavin Gerbracht is off to an 8-2 start at 157 to lead in wins.
North Fayette Valley is 4-1, with the only loss happening Tuesday to #5 (1A) Nashua-Plainfield. The Tigerhawks have two undefeated wrestlers – Layne Kleppe at 285 and Jaxson Lundgren at 150.
Action will begin at 6:15 p.m.
