Senior David Mata said, “The team may be young, but we’re hungry. We want to win and we want to have fun. The upperclassmen are showing better examples in the wrestling room and out in public. Our big strength is our positive attitudes. We’re struggling with injuries. Our whole team is basically injured, and we have lots of suspensions. We should do well though.”

“The best part of wrestling is running out under the lights at a home dual,” said sophomore Branton Flanders, “We’re looking pretty solid and might have a full team. We have great leadership, but we seem kind of young and inexperienced.” Flanders also thinks that the team work ethic is way better than it was last year.

The 2015-2016 wrestling season is underway at NPHS. The wrestlers agree that the team has great leadership and benefits from two previous state medalists back on the team in sophomore Braiden Ruffin and senior Dylan Peterson. The team will miss injured junior Bradan Hengen said junior Lance Henne. However, he said they still think they’re a strong team. “We are good in the five classes from 138 to 170,” he said. “David Mata will go 138, Dylan ‘Petey’ Peterson in 145, sophomore Jacob Harvey in 152, junior Jayden Songster in 160, and Ruffin in 170.”

The team starts off the season at the Kearney Dual tomorrow at 9:30 am.