As students, fans, and parents excitedly await the start of the 2017-18 wrestling season, wrestlers and coaches are at work getting in shape and ready for their first tournament with hopes that it will end in victory. Practices began on October 13 and have increased as the first meet on November 29 moves closer and closer.

According to senior Jake Kroger, the team is preparing as a whole while also paying attention to the skills of each wrestler.

“We have a lot of kids around the same weight class, so we are trying to get a good lineup going,” Kroger said. “We do have a small team this year, and because we have smaller numbers there’s a lot more focus on individual skills.”

Even with their lower numbers the team has hope says senior Weston Klein.

“With our lower numbers [of teammates], I and the other guys are hoping it will still go good,” Klein said.

As they focus and work more on their wrestling skills, they’re setting goals to aim for and motivate the team and coaches. After last year, the team set a goal they felt appropriate. Kroger gives more insight.

“I feel like we can do really well. We have a goal to place 6th at state and we are hoping for a lot of individual success,” Kroger said.

“We wrestle every day. We wrestle in the mornings sometimes, we always get extra workouts, and we also went through a preseason program for about a month,” Kroger said.

Klein expands on how the team is working hard before their first meet.

“We started doing practices on both tuesdays and thursdays along with a few 6 a.m. practices before school. We’re puttin’ in work,” Klein said.

As fans and families count down the days until the boys take the mat, wrestlers anticipate the outcome of this season. Everyone is optimistic when thinking of the tournaments and competitions to come.

Senior Scott Arnold believes the team will work together and be victorious.

“I think we are gonna do well as a team, and I think I’ll do better for sure,” Arnold said.

The very first meet is a home competition on November 29. Both varsity and junior varsity will be competing.

Make sure to check out the wrestling team’s wall for highlights : http://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/howell-central-spartans-(st-charles,mo)/wrestling/home.htm