A young Wakefield boys wrestling team will look to make some noise during their meets throughout the 2024-25 season.
With no seniors on the team and a squad of nine, the Trojans will showcase a trio of freshmen along with a fourth new to the sport with the same exact number as last year.
Jeremiah Chase will be starting his second year leading the Wakefield boys wrestling program.
Coach Chase, who also spent two years as an assistant prior, said the team has been focusing on the neutral position and taking shots.
“They changed the take-down points from two to three,” said Chase. “So, we’re trying to adapt to that a little bit and get our boys better on our feet. Working set-ups and getting on angles for shots. Just getting into the live situations and let them wrestle and figure out how they want to do their moves. Just get them a lot of mat time before we get our first dual in.”
Joining coach Chase on the boys side will be Blake Eisenmann as the main assistant along with volunteers Julio Sanchez and Franco Tapia.
The Wakefield boys graduated three last year.
Top returners for the Trojan wrestlers will be juniors Ruben Brambila (157) and Domingo Centino (150).
Coach Chase added the upperclassmen were in with the junior high kids before season started.
“Even last year, I had talked to (junior) Lane Fischer (132) and Ruben and said, ‘you guys are going to have to step up and be leaders’ and they did,” Chase added. “This year they have been setting an example of how to work hard and how to drill right. Our younger kids, they pay attention to that. So, they have people to look up to. Yeah, I have great leadership from my junior class.”
The Wakefield boys wrestling team will fill eight weight classes with two at the 150 division.
Coach Chase mentioned the team continues to work all-around with a lot of new kids.
“We’re just trying to get them to work on everything and kind of chain those pieces together,” Chase added. “Then working on bottom a lot and just making sure we don’t stop moving. We can chain wrestle from the bottom position and just not get stuck down there.”
The Wakefield boys wrestling season will begin on Thursday, Dec. 5 with a road dual against Pender starting at 7 p.m.
Upcoming home competition will be on Tuesday, December 10 during a home dual with Homer; a home triangular entertaining Winnebago and Cedar Catholic on Tuesday, Jan. 28 along with a home boys tournament on Saturday, Feb. 8.
Coach Chase said it’s a lot more fun to wrestle at their own gym and feels like the guys really want to wrestle and come out strong.
“Across all of our competitions I’m excited but definitely at the home competitions I think we’re going to have a good crowd,” said Chase. “I think this group of boys is active in the school and in the community. I think people want to come watch them wrestle and see what they want to do.”
The Wakefield boys wrestling team will compete in the C-2 District on Feb. 15 hosted by Tekamah-Herman.
The NSAA Boys State Wrestling Championships will be Thursday, Feb. 20 – Saturday, Feb. 22 in Omaha.
