The lights will shine down on the mats at Tim Grady Gymnasium in Wellman tonight when the Mid-Prairie Golden Hawks host a non-conference quadrangular to open the new season. The Hawks are looking to keep the momentum rolling off of a big season last year that saw them finish with 14 dual wins, one shy of the school record, take home the championship in their home Colton Allen Invitational, finish 12th as a team at the girls state tournament in Coralville, led by Bronwyn Brenneman’s fourth place finish on the podium, set a new school sectional record on the boys side finishing as runners-up at Albia with 185 points and crown five champions, with a school record tying six total wrestlers moving on to districts. Ben Meader at 182lbs, Cael Garvey at 195lbs and Josh Wallington at 220lbs would all advance through districts to state in Des Moines where Garvey would finish on the podium in eighth. The Hawks return a pair of wrestlers with experience that start the season in the class 2A individual rankings with Cael Garvey at No. 1 at 195lbs and Gannon Callahan No. 11 at 285lbs. Garvey was 32-3 last year to go along with his eighth place finish and collected his 100th win during the course of the season. Callahan was 32-4 and just missed state, ending his season at districts. Mose Yoder is another 25 match winner from last year that returns, posting a record of 26-13. Others who finished above .500 last year and return include Terry Bordenave and Brody Neal.
At their event tonight the Golden Hawks will see Eddyville-Blakesburg, English Valleys and Wapello. The Rockets come into action after a season that saw them finish 8-14 on the dual circuit and sent sophomore Skylar Young to state at 285lbs where he did not place. Young returns as the only ranked wrestler in the Rocket lineup at No. 10 in 2A, just one spot ahead of Callahan for Mid-Prairie. Blake Jager at 182, Kyler Ricard at 182 and Conner Reed at 285 are the only others from EBF who return after winning seasons last year. The Rockets beat the Golden Hawks at this event last season 42-34 in dual score.
English Valleys finished with a 4-14 dual record last year. They advanced four wrestlers to 1A districts but did not get anyone through to state with Ty Moore, Joshua Osborn, Luke Moore and Ashton Moore all finishing their season at BGM. Ty Moore, Joshua Osborn, Luke Moore and Ashton Moore all return this season along with Nevaeh Briggs who finished above .500 last year. Mid-Prairie beat the Bears at this event last season 51-24.
The Wapello Indians were 10-5 last season. The Indians sent six wrestlers to districts, including Garret Dickey at 120lbs, Elijah Belzer at 132lbs, Chase Witte at 138lbs, Christopher Ewart at 145lbs, Evan Ross at 152lbs and Owen Housman at 195lbs, but did not have any state qualifiers. Dickey, Belzer, and Housman all return this year along with Dawson Tipps, Zach Harbison, Jacob Chamberlin, Cooper Garrison, Caleb Ealey, and Dakota Boline who finished above .500 last season. The Indians beat Mid-Prairie at this event last year 50-28. This week, Mid-Prairie head coach Justin Garvey talked about his team this year. “We graduated a lot of seniors and veterans from last year’s team. A lot of guys that had a lot of experience. At the same time, we have a smaller group of seniors but they are tremendous leaders, they jump in and help teach in the room, they are state and district qualifiers and are very important to this team. Our overall numbers this season are way up, we are young in the middle weights, but we should be able to fill a lineup, be competitive and push toward our goals this season.”
Action starts tonight at 5:30p.m. at Mid-Prairie High School.