Grappling With Success
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Anthony [email protected]
At 20-0, the Wildcats are looking to win their eighth-straight Three Rivers Conference title, but after reaching the regional championship round of the state tournament last year, the Wildcats are looking for more.[[In-content Ad]]"We want to go to state as a team," Whitko senior Dylan LeTourneau said prior to practice Wednesday.
Last season, Whitko defeated New Haven 39-21 in the opening round of the Adams Central Regional, but fell 42-15 to Bellmont in the finals, leaving the team just short of making the state finals.
Since then, the guys have been on a mission to return to that championship round, but with a different result.
"Our goal this year wasn't to win the Wawasee tournament or any of those," senior Drake Brainard said. "We want more."
To this point, Whitko hasn't only won the Wawasee Wrestling Classic, but has also been the best team at the Huntington North Invitational, the Fort Wayne Bishop Luers Invitational, as well as its own Whitko Super Duals last weekend.
After a trip to Northfield tonight, Whitko faces its toughest competition Saturday at the Bellmont Invitational.
"First we face the No. 1 team (in the state) in Mishawaka and then go against No. 2 Perry Meridian," Whitko head coach Matt Koontz said of the Bellmont Invite. "Then we'll have (No. 18) Bellmont, No. 9 Bloomington South and No. 10 Penn."
That schedule may look extreme, but it's exactly what Koontz wants for his program.
"We're going to compete and not to just show up. We're not going down there to be a punching bag," Koontz said.
And the guys are aware of the competition they'll be facing.
"There should be a couple of good ones there," senior Daniel Rothgeb said.
There will be some good ones, but Whitko plans to be one of those teams featuring some talented individuals.
After placing eighth in the state individual tournament last year, Rothgeb is 20-0 at 135 this year, and he's not the only standout.
Sophomore Austin Striggle is also undefeated at 171, going 17-0, while one-loss wrestlers for the Wildcats are sophomore Chas Busz (17-1) at 103, junior Jordan Gilbert (19-1) at 119, and LeTourneau (16-1) at 125.
This year's team is a good mix of youth and experience, featuring three seniors, two juniors, 11 sophomores and seven freshmen.
"The three seniors are really important, because a lot of the guys look to them," Koontz said. "And the sophomore class has a lot of depth and quality wrestlers."
The talent from top to bottom showcases the wrestling tradition at Whitko, where the school has 11 sectional crowns, its latest being last year and its first coming in the 1979-80 season.
"The sport is so good for this school, because it's so blue collar," Koontz said.
"I feel like its a sport where you get what you put into it," he added. "The more work you do, the more success you'll have."
That mantra is being displayed by this year's squad.
"This team works harder than any other team," Brainard said.
The senior class has always had success, but this year's team is different than the others.
"I think this is the best team we've had since my freshman year," LeTourneau said. "We've always had good teams, but this year's is even better."
While the 20-0 start is great, Koontz isn't saying he's impressed. Instead, he seems content and just wants his guys to continue to improve.
"We haven't really set any goals," he said. "Our biggest thing is to get better by the end of the season, where the bigger matches are. I'd say our goal is to get one step farther than we did last year, which would mean finishing in the top eight in the state."
At 20-0, the Wildcats are looking to win their eighth-straight Three Rivers Conference title, but after reaching the regional championship round of the state tournament last year, the Wildcats are looking for more.[[In-content Ad]]"We want to go to state as a team," Whitko senior Dylan LeTourneau said prior to practice Wednesday.
Last season, Whitko defeated New Haven 39-21 in the opening round of the Adams Central Regional, but fell 42-15 to Bellmont in the finals, leaving the team just short of making the state finals.
Since then, the guys have been on a mission to return to that championship round, but with a different result.
"Our goal this year wasn't to win the Wawasee tournament or any of those," senior Drake Brainard said. "We want more."
To this point, Whitko hasn't only won the Wawasee Wrestling Classic, but has also been the best team at the Huntington North Invitational, the Fort Wayne Bishop Luers Invitational, as well as its own Whitko Super Duals last weekend.
After a trip to Northfield tonight, Whitko faces its toughest competition Saturday at the Bellmont Invitational.
"First we face the No. 1 team (in the state) in Mishawaka and then go against No. 2 Perry Meridian," Whitko head coach Matt Koontz said of the Bellmont Invite. "Then we'll have (No. 18) Bellmont, No. 9 Bloomington South and No. 10 Penn."
That schedule may look extreme, but it's exactly what Koontz wants for his program.
"We're going to compete and not to just show up. We're not going down there to be a punching bag," Koontz said.
And the guys are aware of the competition they'll be facing.
"There should be a couple of good ones there," senior Daniel Rothgeb said.
There will be some good ones, but Whitko plans to be one of those teams featuring some talented individuals.
After placing eighth in the state individual tournament last year, Rothgeb is 20-0 at 135 this year, and he's not the only standout.
Sophomore Austin Striggle is also undefeated at 171, going 17-0, while one-loss wrestlers for the Wildcats are sophomore Chas Busz (17-1) at 103, junior Jordan Gilbert (19-1) at 119, and LeTourneau (16-1) at 125.
This year's team is a good mix of youth and experience, featuring three seniors, two juniors, 11 sophomores and seven freshmen.
"The three seniors are really important, because a lot of the guys look to them," Koontz said. "And the sophomore class has a lot of depth and quality wrestlers."
The talent from top to bottom showcases the wrestling tradition at Whitko, where the school has 11 sectional crowns, its latest being last year and its first coming in the 1979-80 season.
"The sport is so good for this school, because it's so blue collar," Koontz said.
"I feel like its a sport where you get what you put into it," he added. "The more work you do, the more success you'll have."
That mantra is being displayed by this year's squad.
"This team works harder than any other team," Brainard said.
The senior class has always had success, but this year's team is different than the others.
"I think this is the best team we've had since my freshman year," LeTourneau said. "We've always had good teams, but this year's is even better."
While the 20-0 start is great, Koontz isn't saying he's impressed. Instead, he seems content and just wants his guys to continue to improve.
"We haven't really set any goals," he said. "Our biggest thing is to get better by the end of the season, where the bigger matches are. I'd say our goal is to get one step farther than we did last year, which would mean finishing in the top eight in the state."
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