A new year is here for the Mid-Prairie boys wrestling team when they take the mat tonight at Eddyville-Blakesburg for a quad meet. The Hawks were 14-7 in duals a season ago, tying the school record for most victories in a year. It was the Hawk’s fourth straight winning season and their eighth in the last 10 years. Individually, a pair of Mid-Prairie seniors, Kaden Meader and Mose Yoder got to 30 wins each with 36 and 31 respectively, while fellow senior Terry Bordenave punched his ticket to Wells Fargo Arena and the state meet with a runner-up finish at districts.

The Hawks will turn to a large group of returners who finished with winning records a year ago including incoming seniors Dalton and Tucker Miller, incoming juniors Mason and Max Howe, Colin O’Rourke, Quinn Callahan and Burke Berry and incoming sophomores Austin Bush and Brock Fisher. This week, Golden Hawk seniors Jarron Thomas and Dalton and Tucker Miller joined KCII Sports to talk about goals this season and work the team is putting in to achieve them. “It’s important to work together. Work as hard as we can in the room. Go out, try to get the win every time. Don’t get pinned. Being a leader here, there’s big shoes to fill. We have to go out and try to that. (Being a leader) is being able to push other people and help them get better. Bringing the team together.”

English Valleys was 9-19 as a dual team last season. The Bears lost four seniors to graduation including wins leader Josh Osborn at 145lbs with a 34-12 overall record. Their leader in victories returning is Luke Moore at 195lbs who was 32-16 as a junior. Mid-Prairie beat the Bears at this event last season 54-28.

Wapello was 11-9 as a dual team a season ago. The Indians sent a pair of wrestlers to state with juniors Codder Malcom at 106lbs and Zach Harbison at 138lbs both advancing to Des Moines. Harbison led the team a season ago with 40 victories. The Indians beat the Hawks head to head at this event last year 36-33.

The home Rockets were 9-6 in duals last year. They had a pair of wrestlers advance to state with incoming sophomore Landen Davis at 106lbs and graduated senior Kyler Ricard at 182lbs. Davis is the leader in wins returning after getting his hand raised 37 times a year ago. The Rockets beat the Hawks head to head 40-36 in 2022. EBF went 3-0 at this event last year.

Action starts tonight at 6p.m. at Eddyville-Blakesburg High School.