The Mid-Prairie wrestling team begins a new season tonight when they travel to Eddyville-Blakesburg for a quadrangular against the Rockets, Tri-County, Wapello and English Valleys. Mid-Prairie sported a 9-17 dual record a season and finished 11th of 14 teams at the River Valley Conference Championship meet last season with 83 team points. The Golden Hawks crowned one conference champ a season ago with Isaac Boucher taking the crown at 195lbs. In the postseason, Isaac Boucher qualified for the state meet and finished sixth in Des Moines. He finished with a 41-10 overall record. Boucher and Cale Garvey led Mid-Prairie with 22 pins a season ago. Cory Allen was the team leader with 80 takedowns. As a team, Mid-Prairie had a 264-211 overall match record. Boucher returns this season for the Hawks, and begins the season ranked No. 2 in class 2A at 195lbs. Garvey and Allen also return for Mid-Prairie along with a strong core that includes Vinny Bowlin who was undefeated a season ago before an injury cut his year short, Rylee Vercande who participated in the girls state championship meet, Garvey off of his strong freshman season and seniors Allen, Beau Stutsman and Mason Hartley. This week, Mid-Prairie head coach Justin Garvey talked about his goals for this year’s team. “This is one of the first times since I have been at Mid-Prairie that we are starting to set bigger goals. Are regional duals a possibility? It’s early to start talking about things like that, but we are going to start working toward those things. Can we take four to six guys to districts? Can we take four to six guys to state? It’s time for us to take that next step.”
Eddyville-Blakesburg comes into this season after going 24-4 a year ago and advancing to the class 2A regional duals. The Rockets advanced three wrestlers to the state meet with Trestin Sales at 126, Tayton Ricard at 132 and Sage Walker at 170 making Des Monies. Walker finished as state runner-up at 170. Those three all return to lead the Rocket lineup. In this matchup a season ago, the Rockets beat the Hawks 54-25.
The Wapello Indians were 4-9 a season ago. Four Indians qualified for state last year including Colton Meeker at 113lbs, Mitchell Moore at 120lbs, Daniel Meeker at 126 and Christopher Ewart at 132 with Daniel Meeker placing fourth with the highest finish. He returns as the lone ranked wrestler in the Indians lineup, standing at No. 4 in class 1A. Mid-Prairie beat Wapello head to head last year by a 48-36 count.
English Valleys was 16-10 a season ago. The Bears had three wrestlers make the state tournament with Cooper Andreassen at 152lbs, Caleb Peach at 170lbs and John Fisher at 195. Andreassen had the top finish, making the podium in fifth place. The Bears have one ranked wrestler in their lineup with Daniel Tapken ranked 10th at heavyweight. English Valleys beat Mid-Prairie 45-33 in this matchup a season ago. Action begins tonight at 6p.m. at Eddyville-Blakesburg High School.