Bobcats wrestling team led by underclassmen
Head wrestling coach Charlie Crabb tends to a minor cut on the forehead of 165-pound sophomore Turner Milender during a Superior Bobcats preseason workout last week. (Chuck Bandel/VP-MI)
The Superior Bobcats wrestling team lost a solid corps of seniors to graduation and they have just six wrestlers, all underclassmen, out for the team this season.
But they also have a boatload of experience and leadership where counts.
The experience lies in head coach Charlie Crabb, who is entering his 25th season as a wrestling coach, including two years ago when his 2022-23 Bobcat team was crowned the Class C State champs with two outstanding individual champions, Decker Milender (126 pounds) and Chanden Vulles (Heavyweight).
That team was loaded from top to bottom, as was last year’s team.
For the 2024-25 season, Crabb will be counting on team points and success from one junior, a pair of sophomores and a promising freshman.
Gone from last year’s team are Lucas Kovalsky, third in the state, heavyweight Jaxson Green, state placer, Micah Acker (126), state placer, Chase Woodson, state qualifier, and Jaden Hughes. Also on last year’s team was then freshman Turner Milender, who placed 5th at 160 pounds in the state meet.
Milender is back this year, wrestling at 165 pounds. Joining him as returnees is junior Sam Doughty, 150 pounds, sophomore Wade Calloway, 138 pounds and freshman Ethan Durovey (157 pounds).
Expectations are high for Milender, the brother of state champ Dexter Milender, who placed fourth in this year’s Owen Invitational this past week in Polson.
“We lost a lot of seniors from last year,” Crabb said. “The kids we have are all working hard to succeed.”
The Bobcats return to the mats this weekend when they host the annual Bob Kinney Invitational tournament in Superior.