Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SYRACUSE - A year ago at this time, Wawasee's wrestling team boasted a 13-4 record heading into the Churubusco Regional. This year the Warriors will take a 6-10 record to Wednesday's Churubusco Regional.
Wawasee advanced to the regional after winning its ninth consecutive sectional team title.
In winning the sectional title, the Warriors beat two teams they lost to earlier in the season.
"Obviously we're not as strong as we have been," said second-year Wawasee coach Kevin Taylor. "The competition was a little better. We got some fantastic efforts from some younger kids. We were definitely the underdogs coming in. We finished behind East Noble and DeKalb earlier in the year but finished ahead of them at the sectional."
Only the sectional championship team advances to the regional. Individuals who place first or second also move on.
Two Warriors, Josh Roa (140) and Tom Bryan (275), won individual sectional championships, and seven others took second-place finishes. A year ago, six Wawasee grapplers took home individual sectional championships, with three advancing to the state finals.
It's possible that Wawasee will be written of as underdog's for the regional as well. Wawasee faces Carroll (10-6) in the first round, while Fort Wayne Northrop (12-1) and Fort Wayne Bishop Luers (16-3) battle in the other match.
"It'll be difficult," said Taylor. "There are teams there that will have a bit more experience. They all might have full lineups. We might have to forfeit two weight classes. If the kids are willing to perform, we have a shot."
Tuesday Taylor was asked about his team's record in the conference.
"This year we have some inexperienced guys," said Taylor. "At a couple duals we had to forfeit a couple weight classes. With the exception of NorthWood and Plymouth, we were within a couple points of teams (in the conference). As a whole, the conference was down a little. It's been a tough year for us."
Wawasee finished the Northern Lakes Conference portion of its schedule with a 2-4 record, a sixth-place finish.
Asked to describe this year's Wawasee wrestling team, Taylor said: "Over achievers. They're a group of hard working kids. There's been wrestling teams all year that have had way more experience but we've kept it close."
Wednesday's regional at Churubusco High School begins at 6 p.m.
Seven local schools will send wrestlers to compete in various individual regionals Saturday.
Warsaw will send six grapplers to the Goshen Regional. Also competing in the Goshen Regional will be NorthWood with eight representatives, Tippecanoe Valley with seven and Triton with a pair of representatives.
Whitko and Manchester will send five and three representatives, respectively, to the Fort Wayne Snider Regional.
Wawasee will nine grapplers to Saturday's Carroll Regional.
