http://www.themercury.com/localsports/mhs/article.aspx?articleId=6dd61fdd74a449809426236574fac8e8MHS ready to defend state title
Jerome Boettcher jboettcher@themercury.com
Robert Gonzales has been around high school wrestling for quite some time — 31 years as a coach, to be exact.
And even the veteran coach has never had a more experienced squad than this year's Manhattan High squad brings back.
Not only are the Indians the defending Class 6A champions, but they bring back two individual state champions, two state finalists, a total of seven wrestlers who placed at state and eight returning starters.
But Gonzales is not letting it get to his head or his wrestlers.
"I knew we'd be tough.... But can our coaching staff, can we effectively develop (the) 112, 119, 171, 189 (weight classes) and can the other 10 starters maintain that really good carryover from a year ago?" asked Gonzales, who enters third season at MHS.
All 14 wrestlers will get their first test at 6:30 p.m. tonight when they go on the road for a dual against Abilene High.
Returning for the Indians are a plethora of state qualifiers.
Most notably, 285-pound weight class champion Steve Andrus, who recently signed a national letter of intent to wrestle at Michigan State after high school, and 103-pound state champion Jeff Vesta.
The Indians also bring back Lucas Wagner, who finished sixth at state in the 125-pound weight class last season. Jacob Wagner moves to 135 after finishing second at state in the 130-pound weight class.
Steve Miller, who also finished second at state, comes back at the 140-pound weight class. Tucker Adams will also move up 10 pounds to the 145-pound weight class after finishing fourth at 135. Jed Sicard's back at 160 after finishing sixth at 145 last season.
Eric Rowlands is also a state qualifier who returns at the 215-pound weight class.
Sawyer Treinen and Kevin Frazier return at 152 and 119, respectively.
As for the newcomers, Gonzales expects freshman Dane Norris to provide a big impact at the 112-pound weight class. Mitch Henderson, who went 45-0 the last two seasons on junior varsity, makes the jump up to 130, junior Tyler West will wrestle at 189 and senior Justin Mayer will wrestle at the 189-pound weight class.
Those three newcomers, along with Frazier, are the keys, according to Gonzales, to whether the Indians will repeat as state champions and contend with Goddard, who MHS knocked off last year on its way to the title. Goddard recently was preseason ranked No. 1 in the state of Kansas, while MHS is No. 2.
"They (Goddard) have four state champions, 10 state placers back — deserving on paper and what they have returning they should be ranked No. 1," Gonzales said. "But I've always felt until you beat the defending state champion, they should be No. 1. If we're No. 2, that's OK. We'll see come February 24, 25 (state). I'll worry about that in February. I think that's motivation for us."
If all 14 wrestlers can click at the right time, Gonzales hopes the Indians can achieve their three main goals for the season — win the Centennial League title, the regional championship and qualify all 14 wrestlers for state and win its second straight state title.
"I think those are strong possibilities," Gonzales said.
But the main goal still is to bring back a second straight championship to Manhattan.
"Our No. 1 goal is to win state again," Jacob Wagner said. "I think we do a good job at staying humble. There's other strong teams out there that we know can challenge us."
However, that doesn't mean the team is looking past its early season opponents.
That focus, at this point, is tunneled in on the season opener against Abilene.
"I think we need to take it meet by meet, match by match," Adams said. "You have to take baby steps before you get to the big show."
