It’s a mixed bag of the good and the bad for first year head coach Grant Thompson and the MTHS wrestling team as the squad ends the first half of their 2013-2014 season this week.

“This year we have some young guys and a few holes in our line-up, but where we are strong, we are really strong,” explained Thompson.

The team picked up a victory on Thursday night, 48-38, over the combined squads of Evergreen and Tyee High School, but the meet illustrated the struggles and the successes of the Hawks. Terrace could not field wrestlers in five weight classes and was forced to forfeit those matches, but the Hawk wrestlers that did compete were 5-2 in their matches.

Thompson admits a couple wrestlers are dealing with some attendance issues, while others are trying to overcome some injuries, but among the wrestlers answering the call for meets are four or five that could achieve at a high level this year. “Honestly, we have at least two guys that could go to the state finals,” Thompson said.

Picking up victories by pin on Thursday were Hawks Taron Castleton, Danil Oliferovskiy, Syd Springberg and Brett Potter, all wrestlers that Thompson sees as potential state meet qualifiers. Thompson also likes the chances of Shawn Poole possibly making it to the postseason.

Springberg qualified for last year’s Mat Classic, the WIAA state championship meet held at the Tacoma Dome. The senior is hoping to get to state again this year, and to bring along a few of his teammates this time.

Thompson knows a little about qualifying for postseason action; as a wrestler at Southern Oregon University he reached NAIA national meets three times. After his wrestling career, Thompson went into high school coaching, serving as an assistant coach for the past four years before being named the head coach at MTHS this past fall.

The team is competing at the Lynnwood Classic on Saturday, Dec. 21, before the extended winter break. They get back into action on Saturday, Jan. 4 at the Bonney Lake Classic before they get into Wesco 3A South Conference dual meet action later in the month.

MTHS Wrestling 2013-2014 Regular Season Schedule (remaining meets, tournaments)
Dec. 21 — at Lynnwood Classic, 9 a.m.
Jan. 4 — at Bonney Lake Classic, time-to-be-announced
Jan. 9 — at Shorecrest, 7 p.m.
Jan. 16 — versus Shorewood at MTHS, 7 p.m.
Jan. 24 — at Meadowdale, 7 p.m.
Jan. 25 — at Lynden tournament, 9 a.m.
Jan. 30 — versus Glacier Peak at MTHS, 7 p.m.

— Story and photos by Doug Petrowski