Bluehawks wrestlers prepare for season
THOMPSON FALLS – As the Bluehawk grapplers prepare for their season, the athletes are aiming to get into the best possible condition.
To start off the season, the young team has been working on conditioning. Although the guys have got some wrestling in during practice, the real wrestling is about to get underway.
Ian Tyler, the head coach for the Bluehawks, was previously the assistant coach and also has also helped with the little guy wrestling program for several years.
In his first year as head coach, Tyler said the guys are currently focusing on technique.
“We’re trying to get our technique down and real soon we’ll be getting into a fair amount of live wrestling,” said Coach Tyler.
The group has the largest number of wrestlers within Sanders County, with 16 in all. And the team may pick up a few more along the way. Coach Tyler is not afraid of losing any wrestlers at this point.
“The good part is they are pretty well committed and I think they will stick with it,” said Coach Tyler.
The team has a couple of seniors returning this year but overall, the team is young.
“They have been working hard and they have a good work ethic,” said Coach Tyler. “They are willing to learn and I think they’ll be competitive.”
Last year the team finished 22nd at the state tournament and the hope is to one up that this year.
With less than a week of practice on the mats, Coach Tyler has high hopes for one wrestler in particular.
With his eye on the prize, Coach Tyler believes Wade Gascon will be a strong competitor this season. He said the key is for Gascon to remain healthy throughout the season. Currently Gascon is aiming to compete in the 132-weight class.
Along with Gascon, Coach Tyler thinks he can get some of his other wrestlers to the state tournament.
“We lost a few seniors that won some matches at state last year. Hopefully these young guys can step up and take their place,” he said.
Their first match will be on December 6 with a little over two weeks of practice. The Polson Invitational will see a handful of other schools in the mix and the Bluehawks will have some A and AA competition.
With only three home wrestling events, the majority of the season will be spent on the road - something that is pretty typical of wrestling.
This year a new teacher joins the ranks as the assistant coach. Austin Ouellette wrestled at Northern Lights in Havern and is an experienced wrestler. The team will also have two volunteer coaches: Mike Thilmony and Kevin Sparks.
“They come in and help us out from time to time,” explained Coach Tyler. “They donate their time to help the program get better.”
With four veterans watching over the team, the young Bluehawks will be able to get a variety of teaching styles. The skills they gain throughout the process will be vital on the mat come later this season.