City League wrestling title up for grabs
When City League teams converge Saturday at East for the league tournament, one thing is certain: For the first time in a long time, there will be no clear-cut favorite.
“It’s going to be a dogfight,” Northwest coach Eric Prichard said, “one of the best City League tournaments in a long time.”
Kapaun and Northwest are tied for first place in the dual meet standings.
“It’s made for an exciting league season, that’s for sure,” Kapaun coach Tim Dryden said. “You could dual the same team four times and go 2-2. A lot of it is about matchups, matching up well with one team and not another.”
Duals wrap up tonight.
Some coaches favor defending league and 6A champion Heights (5-2), the league’s hottest team, having won five straight duals; others like the chances of Northwest (6-1), which has led the league for most of the season, or Kapaun, which handed the Grizzlies their only loss. But don’t discount South, tied with Heights in second place. The Titans defeated Heights and nearly beat Kapaun.
“Northwest is probably the front-runner,” South’s Mike Atlee said.
“Heights is still very, very difficult,” Dryden said. “They had some kids out early in the season, or they might be undefeated.”
Tournament placings will be combined with regular-season standings to determine a league champion.
City League teams have 16 wrestlers ranked in the top six of their weight classes, including three at No. 1 – Heights’ Matt Reed (170) and Ulysses DeShazer (195), and Kapaun’s Luke Bean (220).
Heights coach Mike Church said the talent level likely will be showcased at state.
“At least each of the top two (wrestlers) in the City League will make deep runs at the state tournament,” he said. “There’s some good kids in the league that are making the league proud.”
Atlee said the league tournament will reflect the competitive league season.
“It’s going to be a big battle on Saturday,” Atlee said. “It’s a battle almost every week.”
Generating some buzz — Valley Center has flown somewhat under the radar. But the Hornets, carrying a 25-8 dual record, will be host to a Class 5A regional next week and are looking forward to being seen on a larger stage.
“It’s been an interesting year,” said coach Brian Shelton, who had no returning state placers and no one ranked to start of the season.
Well, the last part has changed. Junior Chad Blair is ranked No. 1 at 195 pounds, Garrett Foster is third at 220, and Braden Holle and Luke Weldon are fifth and sixth at 106 and 182, respectively.
Shelton said it’s all about family at Valley Center.
“Chad Blair comes from a wrestling family,” he said. “His brother was a state champ for us.”
Foster, Shelton said, is a former JV wrestler who has kept improving.
“Holle has done every single thing we’ve asked of him this year, and Luke Weldon is probably our most improved wrestler,” Shelton said.
Shelton credits community support.
“The parents are just as important a part of our program as the kids,” he said. “It really is a family atmosphere, peculiar to wrestling and peculiar to Valley Center.”