The names may change from year to year, but the standard does not for the Aberdeen Central boys’ wrestling team.
The Golden Eagles, who finished runner-up at the State A Tournament a year ago, plan to be right in the mix again this season.
“The goals always stay the same, expectations stay the same. We’re trying to be in the top three in the conference, we’re trying to be in the top three of the region, and we’re trying to be in the top three at state, individuals and duals,” said Central coach Donnie Bowden. “We’re just going to try to keep bettering the finishes that we had. We were third a couple of years ago, we were second last year, so we’re just going to see if we can just keep getting up the ladder.”
Central returns six state place winners in Jackson Dargatz, Esten Foss, Owen Ward, Ridley Waldo, Grayden Timm, and Cole Dunlavy. Porter Lozenski is a two-time state placer.
The Golden Eagles have plenty of other capable wrestlers, however, many are currently at the same weight class.
“I think we once we get everything shaken out the way that we think it’s going to shake out, I think it’s going to be a really good team,” Bowden said. “I think until that point, it might not be as smooth sailing as it was the last couple of years, because we’ve got a lot of log jams right now. We had a lot of kids grow and we had some kids that didn’t, and now they’re all grouped up into little pools. So right now, we’re trying to maximize what we have.”
Last season several wrestlers moved up multiple weight classes to help provide the squad with the best lineup possible. Bowden said the same thing could be happening again this year.
“We’re in the same predicaments now. You’re going to see some old faces that are going to be a little heavier than normal and you’re going to see some new faces,” Bowden said. “The thing is, we had a lot of good young kids that haven’t been in the lineup, yet. That’s the exciting thing and now it’s their turn to do it.”
A good share of those wrestlers are upperclassmen who have been waiting in the wings for the right opportunity.
“We do have lot of seniors, but there’s only been a couple of them that have kind of been in the lineup, so this is that group, they’ve hung together, which is good,” Bowden said. “You need groups like that to help get more numbers into the room and to keep kids. … Now it’s their opportunity to go get a spot and go do something with it.”
Bowden said everybody looks good in the room to start the season, but a more accurate gauge will be how they perform once the season starts.
“A guy’s strengths are always going to be his strengths,” Bowden said, “so all we’re trying to do is bring up those weaknesses a little bit, bridge that gap.”
Central starts its season on Saturday in a dual tournament at Watertown.
While the Golden Eagles will once again have a target on their backs this season, Bowden said the wrestlers have earned that respect. It’s also the reason for the high season-goals.
“They have to be lofty. We have to shoot for something, we have to strive for something. There has to be a standard within your program, and that’s where were at,” Bowden said. “These kids, they’ve earned that. They’ve earned that. That doesn’t just come by chance. These guys have done that. They want it.”
That said, Bowden said the wrestlers have to open up their styles and not wrestle cautious. Instead, they need to compete like they are chasing something.
“We have to wrestle like we’re not protecting something. We don’t have anything to protect. We didn’t win the gold medal at the end of the rainbow. That wasn’t ours, but we have something, we do have a goal set,” Bowden said. “Every year we’ve broken the pin record with our team, our own pin record, and we continue to do that, and those kinds of things, and those are things that we look to do. We just want to go out and wrestle as open and free as we can, because when we compete, we’re loose, we’re really good. But if we’re going to wrestle close, then anyone has a chance.”
Bowden said that school pin record didn’t happen by accident. Wrestlers understand that pins equate bonus points that allow the team to gain separation in duals and tournaments.
“Our kids, they’re to the point now, that’s what they’re looking for,” Bowden said. “They know, they look over to the corner (at the scoreboard) and they know what a guy needs, they know where the dual’s at, they know what they can do, and they try to score in bunches.”
Bowden said he is excited about the upcoming season, and having a squad full of veteran wrestlers gives him peace of mind.
“I think this is the most at ease I’ve been with a team going into a season, because a lot of the kids on there know what the expectation is and they go out and do it,” Bowden said. “These guys are doers. They don’t sit back and watch. They’re not spectators. They’re there to go do, so it should be exciting.”
