Crawfordsville's wrestling team has one of their most powerful and successful line-ups in years.
With one Indiana High School Athletic Association State, two New Castle Semistate and six North Montgomery Regional qualifiers returning, the Athenians are loaded heading into the 2009-10 season.
Well, at least, their starters are.
"We have high goals and we feel like if we're healthy and can get the line-up where it needs to be, we'll be right there in the hunt for county, conference and sectional [titles]," Crawfordsville coach Chris Ervin said.
Crawfordsville opens its season at 9 a.m. today at the Brownsburg Dual Invitational.
Last year, Crawfordsville finished in second-place in the Sagamore Athletic Conference meet and third-place at the IHSAA Crawfordsville Team Sectional. This time around, Ervin thinks they could do better, especially with their returning senior class.
IHSAA State qualifier Dylan McBride (40-7, Hvt.) is back and is in good shape, Ervin said. They also have IHSAA New Castle Semistate qualifier and Craig Fairley (34-9, 171 pounds), IHSAA North Montgomery regional qualifiers Nick Tribbett (31-9, 152), John Rogers (23-19, 160) and Briar Perkins (36-3, 119) to lead them. Perkins finished as a sectional champ last year, as did McBride and Fairley.
"All the seniors have that as goal to make the State tournament," Ervin said. "The seniors feel like that is a legitimate goal for them. There are a lot of guys that have high expectations to wrestle deep into the postseason."
The Athenians also three other regional qualifiers returning - including juniors Austin Blair (17-22, 140) and Steven Wilson (10-17, 140) and sophomore Hudson Miller (26-16, 135/140).
While they have plenty of strong starters, the Athenians' main challenge will be their depth.
Crawfordsville has only 21 to 22 total wrestlers and doesn't have back-ups for every spot.
In fact, the Athenians won't have a starter in the 112-pound weight class for the first couple of meets.
Junior Ryan Hauser, who will wrestle at that weight class, is out for the next couple of weeks with mononucleosis.
Perkins won't wrestle in today's meet because of a back injury and sophomore Chris Minks (215) is still bothered by a back injury that sidelined him all of last season.
"We've had more injuries this early than I've ever had at this point in the season," Ervin said. "That's something we have to deal with. Most aren't permanent or season-ending., though."
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